Application of Modern Technology in Transmission of Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong

As a local traditional art form in Hong Kong, Cantonese opera has been enlisted in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, reflecting a critical and unique position representing Chinese and Guangdong culture. In recent years, transmission of Cantonese opera has been valued by various stakeholders since it may influence the sustainability of the genre. This project aims to enhance transmission of Cantonese opera with the adoption of modern technology in school and community settings. Two individual research projects will be implemented. First, we will evaluate a newly developed tablet application for accompanying Cantonese operatic singing with a multi- case study. Five school music teachers will be invited to trial on the application by involving their students to use it in learning accompaniment in classroom settings. Observation and interviews will be used to evaluate how the students learn. Second, the research team will validate and evaluate a newly develop Cantonese Opera Body Movement (COBM) gamified software for community learning environment and to investigate if learners may benefit from the software in a three-month trial. A COBM software has been newly developed, and six learners will be invited to practice 30 movements with the software, while two veterans of Cantonese opera will be invited to assess the same set of movements. An inter-judge reliability test will be used to test the reliability of the software. Afterwards, a total of 60 learners will be invited and categorized into control and experimental group for a quasi-experimental design. Pre- and post-tests will be implemented to seek if there are any possible changes after the treatment in both groups, and if there are any significant differences between and within groups. In addition, students’ learning motivation before and after the treatment will also be measured.

Funding Source: UGC - Research Matching Grant (RMG)