Cantonese opera is one of the most important performing arts in the Lingnan region. It was included in the "Representative List of Human Intangible Cultural Heritage" by UNESCO in 2009. It is a traditional art recognized by local society as worthy of preservation and inheritance. The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong As a professional organization for Cantonese opera practitioners, it has a duty to inherit the art of Cantonese opera. Over the years, it has been committed to cultivating a new generation of actors and continuing the "tradition" of Cantonese opera.
The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong has been supported by the Yau Ma Tei Theatre Venue Partner Program since 2012 and has launched a rookie training platform. Over the past fourteen years, it has accumulated rich performance and training experience and has trained more than 180 emerging actors. Many of them have become independent pillars or devoted themselves to Cantonese opera education work, becoming the backbone of Cantonese opera's inheritance.
With The Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong being selected as the "Venue Partner" of Yau Ma Tei Theatre for the fifth time in 2026, the project has entered a new stage and was officially renamed "Cantonese Opera Young Talent Showcase". Six senior Cantonese opera celebrities, Wong Chiu-Kwan, Leung Siu-Ming, Chan Wing-Yee, Chan Hung-Chun, Sun Kim-Long and Lung Koon-Tin, serve as artistic directors to personally guide the emerging talents. A training strategy committee and a steering committee have been established to provide strategic suggestions on training course planning and supervise the overall operations, in order to provide a more complete structure to support the growth of emerging talents.
Different from the past, the new plan changes the training policy from "quantity" to "quality", concentrates resources to cultivate 45 outstanding rookies in the plan (26/27), and divides the training into two major categories: "performance" and "course": in terms of performance, 50 long-play performances are selected, focusing on trainees, Dan, Jing, Chou and other six pillar actors, and a performance model of "using the old with the new" is developed to allow the rookies to interact with Cantonese opera Seniors or famous actors share the stage to communicate, inherit the legacy, and nurture new voices; the curriculum covers compulsory content such as basic skills, body posture, singing, etc., as well as elective courses such as cultural classes and master classes. There are more than 50 classes throughout the year to ensure that rookies can steadily improve through solid training.
The plan also retains audience development projects such as student promotion venues to allow the public to get to know emerging talents through multiple channels. At the same time, it will continue the rookie performances and annual scholarships to encourage rookies to strive for excellence and pass on Cantonese opera, the local intangible cultural heritage.
