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ACTIVATE THE RIGHTS WITHIN
About Symphony 47
Symphony 47, inspired by the composition 1947 Overture by Tyzen Hsiao, stands as a musical manifestation of the Taiwanese culture and history, in memory of The February 28 incident. Exploring a wide range of human rights issues from Taiwan to the rest of the world, we explore the past to inspire a better vision for the future. Through a variety of events including films, music, talks, and workshops, we aim to provide a platform for the viewpoints and experiences of the marginalized and oppressed, as well as to provide our audience with the opportunity to dig deeper into these issues.
The 2022 festival theme is “activate the rights within.” We believe that human rights are plural and universal, and the key to the activation is to associate the suffering of a particular place with that of others. We seek to engender new understanding and vision by focusing on four regions and featuring six events.
Symphony 47 is co-presented by Asiania and the UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program.
About Asiania
Asiania is a one-stop online performance platform jointly created by Taiwan’s Austro and US’s Aikhun Entertainment. We empower content creators through enabling innovative and meaningful engagement online. We bring technology and cultures together while connecting Taiwan to the rest of the world.
About UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program
The Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program at the University of Washington curates and showcases Taiwan arts and culture by linking Taiwan artists and cultural organizations to American cultural institutions, as well as amplifying and propagating exhibits, performances, and events through in-person and online programming.
Guests
Gong Sheng Music Festival
Sunny Cheung
Activist and politician
Brian Hioe
Editor at New Bloom
Voice Infinity Radio Drama Studio
Nina Kehagia
Co-Director & Education Manager at shesaid.so
Miaoju Jian
Professor of Communication at National Chung Cheng University
Chen-Yu Lin
Co-curator at Symphony 47
Harry Wu
Historian of medicine
Kassy Cho
Journalist
Lev Nachman
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Harvard Fairbank Center
SCHEDULE
Feb 26–Mar 13
VOD
Panel
Opening: Taiwan’s Democracy and Music: Between Authoritarianism and the China Factor
Dr. Chen-Yu Lin
Lev Nachman
Miaoju Jian
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 26–Mar 13
VOD
Radio Play
Yanhong
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, they 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 26–Mar 13
VOD
Panel
What Does Gender Equality in Entertainment Industry Look Like: The Perspectives of a Global Community
Dr. Chen-Yu Lin
Nina Kehagia
Nina Kehagia will shares 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.
Feb 26–Mar 13
VOD
Music
Gong Sheng Music Festival: A commemoration of the February 28th Incident in Taiwan
Gong Sheng Music Festival
The 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 our belief in and pursuit of “Gongsheng” — coexistence. Anxious about the divergent identities in our island nation, we intend to commemorate the February 28th Incident by launching the music festival. 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.
Mar 4 at 5:00 p.m. PST / Mar 5 at 9:00 a.m. GMT+8
LIVE (available for VOD starting from Mar 6
Panel
How to Imagine a Brighter Future in the Face of Authoritarianism: The Cases of Hong Kong and Taiwan
Dr. Chen-Yu Lin
Sunny Cheung
Dr. Harry Yi-jui Wu
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. PST / Mar 12 at 9:00 a.m. GMT+8
LIVE (available for VOD starting from Mar 13
Panel
How to Engage an Audience about Human Rights in the Digital Age: New Bloom and Almost
Dr. Chen-Yu Lin
Kassy Cho
Brian Hioe
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.
