In partnership with Asiania, we are thrilled and honored to invite you to Symphony 47, a multi-media festival in commemoration of the February 28th Incident in Taiwan. The festival is available live and on-demand from February 27 to March 13, 2022.
Experience musical and drama performances as well as a variety of panels with front-line activists and influencers from across the globe as they discuss social and human rights issues within media, music, entertainment, and other industries.
Registration to all the Symphony 47 events is required but FREE. Check out the exciting lineup below and on the festival website (https://www.symphony47.com/).
Feb 27 – Mar 13 (VOD) | PANEL | Register
Opening: Taiwan’s Democracy and Music: Between Authoritarianism and the China Factor
with Miaoju Jian (Professor of Communication at National Chung Cheng University), Lev Nachman (Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Harvard Fairbank Center), and Chen-Yu Lin (Co-curator at Symphony 47)
While popular music often records historical events and national identities, it is also a catalyst for social change. From the February 28 incident to the 318 Movement, music in Taiwan resonates with the transformation of the society—seeing the transition from authoritarian rule to a democratic system. This panel will explore the link between music and movements, examining the role of music and musicians in social and political movements in contemporary Taiwan. By investigating the ways the China Factor influences music production and consumption, we will also discuss challenges and opportunities for musicians today.
Feb 27 – Mar 13 (VOD) | MUSIC FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE | Register
Gong Sheng Music Festival
Gong Sheng Music Festival is a campaign initiated and operated by a group of young people, mostly university students, since 2013. The festival is named after the belief in and pursuit of “Gongsheng”—coexistence, with the intention of commemorating the February 28th Incident and addressing the anxiety about the divergent identities in our island nation. The 228 Incident was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan in 1947 that was violently overpowered by the local government led by the Kuomintang (KMT), the Chinese nationalist party. We hope the remembrance of this incident, the greatest trauma in Taiwan’s history, can help transform the wound into an opportunity for mutual understanding, and encourage the possibility for reconciliation as well.
Feb 27 – Mar 13 (VOD) | RADIO DRAMA (in Mandarin with English subtitles) | Register
Yanhong
with Voice Infinity Radio Drama Studio
From the first sight of Yanhong, Kai Xi couldn’t take his eyes off it. The beautiful Yanhong is like an elegant whale, unable to ignore, and swimming into Kai Xi’s heart. Even though they’re in several dangerous situations, he still couldn’t restrain his desire to approach Yanhong after struggling. Pen and blasting are so different, but they are the most suitable partners. Dazhong took Kaixi’s pen, and Yanhong asked for it back for him. Outside the execution ground, he was dragging a whole car of bombs, which was also the most powerful protest.
Feb 27 – Mar 13 (VOD) | PANEL | Register
What Does Gender Equality in Entertainment Industry Look Like: The Perspectives of a Global Community
with Nina Kehagia (Co-Director & Education Manager at shesaid.so) and Chen-Yu Lin (Co-curator at Symphony 47)
Nina Kehagia will share her work advocating gender equality in the music and entertainment industry at Shesaid.so. Shesaid.so was founded by Andreea Magdalina in London in 2014, in response to the gender inequality in the music and entertainment industry Through organizing events, connecting underrepresented groups, and providing training, shesaid.so aims to make sustainable change. At this moment, the organization has nineteen locations around the world. This panel provides a comparative perspective by focusing on different countries (UK, USA, and Taiwan) and discussing the challenges that remain in the pursuit of gender equality as well as different strategies to tackle them.
Mar 4 at 5:00 p.m. PT (LIVE & VOD) | PANEL | Register
How to Imagine a Brighter Future in the Face of Authoritarianism: The Cases of Hong Kong and Taiwan
with Sunny Cheung (Activist and politician), Dr. Harry Yi-jui Wu (Historian of medicine), and Chen-Yu Lin (Co-curator at Symphony 47)
While the history of contemporary Taiwan is one with many struggles between political powers as well as pressure from China, in the past few years, Beijing has oppressed freedom and democratic values in Hong Kong. Sunny Cheung is an activist and politician who participated in the Umbrella Revolution of 2014 and the protests in the following year. Dr. Harry Yi-jui Wu is a historian of medicine as well as a song-writer that has a focus on Taiwanese literature and social movement. He also lived and worked in the higher education system in Hong Kong. These two renowned speakers will discuss the state of political and academic freedom in Hong Kong today and whether arts, culture, and music can play a role in standing against an authoritarian state.
Mar 11 at 5:00 p.m. PT (LIVE & VOD) | PANEL | Register
How to Engage an Audience about Human Rights in the Digital Age: New Bloom and Almost
with Kassy Cho (Journalist), Brian Hioe (Editor at New Bloom), and Chen-Yu Lin (Co-curator at Symphony 47)
This panel explores creative ways to engage global human rights issues through digital media. From the front lines of media, Kassy Cho and Brian Hioe share their journeys of creating the platforms New Bloom and Almost, as well as their views on global and local human rights advocacy. We will also discover how to connect Taiwan to the rest of the world through conversations about human rights.