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In June 2011, Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe won Golden Chrysanthemum Award at the 2nd National Acrobatic Arts Festival in Beijing. Golden Chrysanthemum is China’s Oscar for acrobats. The festival was sponsored by China Federation of Art and Literary Associations and China Acrobats Association. It was by no accident that the troupe won a top prize at a top national competition. At the 8th National Acrobatics and Magic Competition held in Beijing last December by the Ministry of Culture, Zhejiang
Acrobatic Troupe’s Shadow of Cards won the first place. It staged a thrilling performance at the 2nd West Lake International Magic Exchanges Event from October 14-16, 2011.
Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe is now one of the best acrobatic troupes in China with a large repertoire and a great number of gold awards.
Wei Zhenbo, the president of the Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe, attributes the success partly to the system restructuring that occurred on May 4, 2010. On that day, Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe, an institution that had survived with government financial support for the past decades, became a business.
Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe is a big troupe with three separate groups: a group of musicians and crosstalk comedians, a group of comedy artists, and a group of acrobatics. Its predecessor was a troupe of Pingtan, a storytelling and ballad-singing art that is popular in southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang. Over decades, Wei made the troupe grow into three. However, with government financial support, the artists did not worry very much about income and they did not work very hard, though their average income was nothing to write home about. Many moonlighted to make ends meet. On various important occasions, Wei called for transforming the government-subsidized art troupes into market-oriented businesses.
On that day, Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe became a business, marking a turning point in the history of the troupe. The first step into the market, however, was very real and bumpy. On May 18, 2010, the troupe went to Shanghai. They rented a theater and planned to stage their best show “Monkey King” to people flocking in from home and abroad to visit the 2010 World Exposition. However, most visitors came on a schedule that had been fixed more than half a year before. It would not be likely for them to change schedule and come to see the show. The artists had to promote their show with all means and find new target audience. They began to worry about the number of tickets sold through box offices. Moreover, they grew up through the test of market promotions. The troupe survived in Shanghai.
Nowadays, the troupe has an income and incentive system that motivates artists to do more and better in order to earn more. The most important change of the system is that there is no longer government financial support and that artists earn through their performances. That is, the more and better they show, the more they earn. Before the reorganization, fourth-grade artists earned only a pitiful amount of 1,000 yuan per month. Nowadays, the annual average income is 60,000. The troupe is making profit and running a busy schedule for performances. Over the last 10 months, the acrobats have done 152 performances, 26 more than the annual quota. The comedy artists have staged 971 performances, only 19 to go before they reach the annual target. The ballad-singing artists have done half of the scheduled 126 performances. Moreover, with the reformed income system in place, the troupe is now in a very good position to hire new talents to create more opportunities.
With the market mechanism in place, artists of the troupe are enthusiastic in staging shows, creating new performances, and rehearsing for perfection.
Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe is not the only success of marketization. Zhejiang Drama Troupe and Zhejiang Song and Dance Troupe, which turned to market on the same day, have experienced similar positive changes.
The reform of the cultural system started on a trial basis eight years ago in Zhejiang. The province has made initial steps into the market in building itself into a powerhouse of cultural undertakings. Previously state-owned troupes and cultural institutions have become invigorated and produced excellent results. Moreover, as the results of these reforms, people enjoy their performances through market.
Acrobatic Troupe’s Shadow of Cards won the first place. It staged a thrilling performance at the 2nd West Lake International Magic Exchanges Event from October 14-16, 2011.
Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe is now one of the best acrobatic troupes in China with a large repertoire and a great number of gold awards.
Wei Zhenbo, the president of the Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe, attributes the success partly to the system restructuring that occurred on May 4, 2010. On that day, Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe, an institution that had survived with government financial support for the past decades, became a business.
Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe is a big troupe with three separate groups: a group of musicians and crosstalk comedians, a group of comedy artists, and a group of acrobatics. Its predecessor was a troupe of Pingtan, a storytelling and ballad-singing art that is popular in southern Jiangsu and northern Zhejiang. Over decades, Wei made the troupe grow into three. However, with government financial support, the artists did not worry very much about income and they did not work very hard, though their average income was nothing to write home about. Many moonlighted to make ends meet. On various important occasions, Wei called for transforming the government-subsidized art troupes into market-oriented businesses.
On that day, Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe became a business, marking a turning point in the history of the troupe. The first step into the market, however, was very real and bumpy. On May 18, 2010, the troupe went to Shanghai. They rented a theater and planned to stage their best show “Monkey King” to people flocking in from home and abroad to visit the 2010 World Exposition. However, most visitors came on a schedule that had been fixed more than half a year before. It would not be likely for them to change schedule and come to see the show. The artists had to promote their show with all means and find new target audience. They began to worry about the number of tickets sold through box offices. Moreover, they grew up through the test of market promotions. The troupe survived in Shanghai.
Nowadays, the troupe has an income and incentive system that motivates artists to do more and better in order to earn more. The most important change of the system is that there is no longer government financial support and that artists earn through their performances. That is, the more and better they show, the more they earn. Before the reorganization, fourth-grade artists earned only a pitiful amount of 1,000 yuan per month. Nowadays, the annual average income is 60,000. The troupe is making profit and running a busy schedule for performances. Over the last 10 months, the acrobats have done 152 performances, 26 more than the annual quota. The comedy artists have staged 971 performances, only 19 to go before they reach the annual target. The ballad-singing artists have done half of the scheduled 126 performances. Moreover, with the reformed income system in place, the troupe is now in a very good position to hire new talents to create more opportunities.
With the market mechanism in place, artists of the troupe are enthusiastic in staging shows, creating new performances, and rehearsing for perfection.
Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe is not the only success of marketization. Zhejiang Drama Troupe and Zhejiang Song and Dance Troupe, which turned to market on the same day, have experienced similar positive changes.
The reform of the cultural system started on a trial basis eight years ago in Zhejiang. The province has made initial steps into the market in building itself into a powerhouse of cultural undertakings. Previously state-owned troupes and cultural institutions have become invigorated and produced excellent results. Moreover, as the results of these reforms, people enjoy their performances through market.