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Ping Heng takes helm of Taiwan's premier arts venue

By Ian Bartholomew
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Sep 04, 2004, Page 16

Ping Heng and Ju Tzong-ching flank Chiu Kun-liang, the chairman of the CKS Cultural Center's board of directors. PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW, TAIPEI TIMES

The Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center, which operates the National Theater, the National Concert Hall, the Experimental Theater, the Recital Hall and runs a number of the country's major performance groups, such as the National Symphony Orchestra, got a new director yesterday when Ju Tzong-ching (朱宗慶) officially handed over the position to Ping Heng (平珩).

In the official handover ceremony at the National Theater yesterday, little was said of the reasons behind Ju's resignation three years and five months after he took over the reins, and the new incumbent contented herself by saying that people would have different expectations of her, a long time arts administrator, from the outgoing director, who comes from a performance background.

Ping, the founder and artistic director of Dance Forum Taipei (舞蹈空間) and the director of the Crowne Theater (皇冠劇場), and who is a lecturer at the Taipei National University of the Arts (國立台北藝術大學), brings with her a background of practical and creative involvement in the arts. In this respect she is a worthy successor to Ju, the founder and director of the internationally renowned Ju Percussion Group.

Ju was instrumental in making the CKS Cultural Center an incorporated administrative agency, which although still under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, now has considerably more independence than it did before. This is the first such agency to be approved by the Legislative Yuan and is a milestone for the arts in Taiwan, freeing up the management of the country's largest arts administration and venue.

Ju has also made much praised changes to the ticketing system of the CKS Cultural Center making it easier to book tickets, and also initiated still ongoing improvements to the backstage and audience facilities. Rumors that Ju clashed with members of the board wary of his big spending plans have surfaced intermittently, but few regular theater and concert goers would deny that renovation to the National Theater and the National Concert Hall were long overdue when Ju took over.

News of Ju's pending resignation have been doing the rounds of Taiwan's art circuit since March. Prior to submitting his resignation on June 28, it is reported that he had submitted two previous resignations, which were not accepted. Ju seems to have made waves in the Byzantine intrigue that dominates the politics of the CKS Cultural Center, an institution that had changed little until the beginning of his tenure three years ago.

Although strenuously denied, friction between the dynamic director and the board of directors is rumored to have played a major part in Ju's resignation. The major renovations and many new initiatives to make Taipei's premier arts venue more accessible led many to believe that Ju was with the CKS for the long haul. It remains to be seen how Ping is able to pick up the baton in administering one of Taiwan's largest arts organizations.
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