Les Petites Choses Production places great importance on maintaining a close connection with its audience. As artists, how we fulfill our social responsibility and strive to become a bridge between cultural institutions and the public is a critical concern for me as the Artistic Director of Les Petites Choses Production and my team.

In 2016, Les Petites Choses Production launched "Monday School", a public street-based co-learning initiative in Taiwan, where everyone can participate. Curators and artistic directors from European institutions such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, Mercat de les Flors in Barcelona, and ONE DANCE WEEK in Bulgaria have visited to observe classes on the streets of Taipei. Since 2019, we've extended the "art is for everyone" spirit of Monday School by organizing the "Own Your Style - Battle Jam," a diverse, cross-disciplinary dance competition. This event has been invited for three consecutive years to the National Theater and Concert Hall in Taiwan as part of the Taiwan International Festival of Arts (TIFA).

During my residency at the Cité internationale des arts, I visited the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch in Germany with CHANG Chien-Hao. In Paris, we invited fellow resident artists to body workshops and creative exchanges. I collaborated with European dancers on the short piece "en forme," participated in a performative concert ”Zeitfaltung” directed by LIN Ching-Tien in Leipzig, and conducted six body exploration workshops at the Juste Debout School for professional hip-hop dancers. It was an honor to interview Bruce Ykanji, founder of the Juste Debout competition, discussing the future of street dance, dance education, and the intersection of commerce and art.

Later, we were invited to the École Jeannine Manuel in Paris as resident artists, where we conducted a week-long body workshop. Additionally, we created a dance piece for the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and, together with Ambassador WU Chih-Chung, hosted international guests, showcasing Taiwan's hospitality. These collaborations have laid a solid foundation for Les Petites Choses Production's international partnerships over the next two years.

Beyond learning, the residency carried the responsibility of national diplomacy. During cultural exchanges, countries act as each other's audiences. From my perspective, the aesthetic and artistic vision of contemporary Taiwanese artists have evolved significantly. Taiwan's democratic, pluralistic values and its open, inclusive culture give us the confidence to reshape the world's perception of Taiwan. Despite Taiwan's challenging international situation, art and culture should continue to voice themselves, engage in dialogue, and build community networks. By deepening cultural and artistic influence and leveraging Taiwan's soft power, we fulfill our societal responsibilities as artists, and the world is Taiwan's audience.

Author: YANG Nai-Hsuan
Edited: Brix