SDG11
NCKU Presents Moonlight Musical in Kaohsiung Muh-Jah Community; "The Heart's Change Through Things" Showcases Artistic Empathy
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Institute of Arts Studies & MA Program in Drama's "PERFORMING ARTS AND ADMINISTRATION" course conducted a community co-performance activity on the afternoon of June 2 at Muh-Jah Elementary School in Neimen District, Kaohsiung City. Centered around the theme of "exchange," the activity included interactive performances where stories and emotions were shared, as well as a moonlight musical by the local "集穡室 family Band". The musical narrated the story of Dr. Mackay's missionary journey to the Formosa region and his trip with Thomson to the Siraya tribe. The community felt the performance brought warmth and care, while also highlighting future local revitalization efforts. They expressed gratitude for the creative performance by NCKU's teachers and students.
Associate Professor Wei-Chien Ma from the NCKU College of Liberal Arts, who led the activity, emphasized the importance of combining humanistic care and performing arts to assist the local community. This initiative aimed to promote and practice meaningful local values and actions for the Muzha community, enhancing the social practice significance of university education. Using an interactive theater with a musical narrative, the event sought to challenge the conventional notion of "exchange," demonstrating that it can also represent an emotional and spiritual interaction.
On the afternoon of June 2, NCKU students and community members exchanged written feelings on small cards, which were then transformed into emotional music through AI. This interaction not only brought the community's voices closer but also enabled participants and audiences to deeply understand the meaningful exchanges in life, experiencing the healing power of artistic empathy.
Participating students, including Wan-Ling Wu, Jin-Yu Liao, Wen-Wen Chi from the NCKU Institute of Arts Studies, and Cheng-Yang Yuan, Wei-Huan Tsai, Hao-Kai Chen from the Master Academic Program in Drama, along with Shu-Hsuan Feng from the PhD Program in Principles and Applications of Mind Science, Yi-Jie Ting from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Kuo-Lun Huang from the Department of Psychology, Ching-Han Huang from the Department of Geomatics, and project assistants Szu-Yu Lu and Jui-Han Chang, shared their sentiments. They noted, "Even though we didn't know the audience, exchanging stories created connections that brought our hearts closer. This was an emotional exchange between hearts and a collective attempt to share our stories with the community."
The NCKU Institute of Arts Studies & MA Program in Drama is involved in the Ministry of Education's Higher Education Sprout Project and the third phase of the University Social Responsibility (USR) Practice Project, focusing on interdisciplinary performing arts and the sustainable development of science, arts, and humanities. The "PERFORMING ARTS AND ADMINISTRATION" course leads students through theoretical and practical teaching methods, using historical and cultural themes and technological equipment. Students explore cultural paths in places like Muzha, Neimen, Happy Farm, Muzhayen, and Moon World in Kaohsiung, understanding terrain and locations using drones and tracing the historical routes of Dr. Mackay and Thomson from over 150 years ago.
This course strengthens the social responsibility of higher education institutions by focusing on "talent cultivation" and "local connections." It guides universities to be human-centered, addressing local needs through theoretical and practical social practice teaching methods. The project connects with communities like Muzha and Muh-Jah Elementary School, using local humanities and cultural paths. It extends themes of "exchange" and "culture" into exhibitions, texts, hand-drawn books, and AI-generated music, actively linking cross-regional resources to support urban-rural education.
During the NCKU teachers' and students' performance, "The Heart's Change Through Things," at Muh-Jah Elementary School, actors interacted with the community, helping the audience recall and empathize with shared memories. Participants exchanged stories, experiences, and feelings, creating connections through "threads of the heart." The performance demonstrated the empathetic and contagious power of art, integrating USR practices and community interaction. It allowed participants to listen to each other's stories, share their past experiences, and transform them into unique emotional music pieces, providing a purifying and healing new artistic experience.
Associate Professor Wei-Chien Ma from the NCKU College of Liberal Arts, who led the activity, emphasized the importance of combining humanistic care and performing arts to assist the local community. This initiative aimed to promote and practice meaningful local values and actions for the Muzha community, enhancing the social practice significance of university education. Using an interactive theater with a musical narrative, the event sought to challenge the conventional notion of "exchange," demonstrating that it can also represent an emotional and spiritual interaction.
On the afternoon of June 2, NCKU students and community members exchanged written feelings on small cards, which were then transformed into emotional music through AI. This interaction not only brought the community's voices closer but also enabled participants and audiences to deeply understand the meaningful exchanges in life, experiencing the healing power of artistic empathy.
Participating students, including Wan-Ling Wu, Jin-Yu Liao, Wen-Wen Chi from the NCKU Institute of Arts Studies, and Cheng-Yang Yuan, Wei-Huan Tsai, Hao-Kai Chen from the Master Academic Program in Drama, along with Shu-Hsuan Feng from the PhD Program in Principles and Applications of Mind Science, Yi-Jie Ting from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Kuo-Lun Huang from the Department of Psychology, Ching-Han Huang from the Department of Geomatics, and project assistants Szu-Yu Lu and Jui-Han Chang, shared their sentiments. They noted, "Even though we didn't know the audience, exchanging stories created connections that brought our hearts closer. This was an emotional exchange between hearts and a collective attempt to share our stories with the community."
The NCKU Institute of Arts Studies & MA Program in Drama is involved in the Ministry of Education's Higher Education Sprout Project and the third phase of the University Social Responsibility (USR) Practice Project, focusing on interdisciplinary performing arts and the sustainable development of science, arts, and humanities. The "PERFORMING ARTS AND ADMINISTRATION" course leads students through theoretical and practical teaching methods, using historical and cultural themes and technological equipment. Students explore cultural paths in places like Muzha, Neimen, Happy Farm, Muzhayen, and Moon World in Kaohsiung, understanding terrain and locations using drones and tracing the historical routes of Dr. Mackay and Thomson from over 150 years ago.
This course strengthens the social responsibility of higher education institutions by focusing on "talent cultivation" and "local connections." It guides universities to be human-centered, addressing local needs through theoretical and practical social practice teaching methods. The project connects with communities like Muzha and Muh-Jah Elementary School, using local humanities and cultural paths. It extends themes of "exchange" and "culture" into exhibitions, texts, hand-drawn books, and AI-generated music, actively linking cross-regional resources to support urban-rural education.
During the NCKU teachers' and students' performance, "The Heart's Change Through Things," at Muh-Jah Elementary School, actors interacted with the community, helping the audience recall and empathize with shared memories. Participants exchanged stories, experiences, and feelings, creating connections through "threads of the heart." The performance demonstrated the empathetic and contagious power of art, integrating USR practices and community interaction. It allowed participants to listen to each other's stories, share their past experiences, and transform them into unique emotional music pieces, providing a purifying and healing new artistic experience.
At the event, NCKU students and community audiences first exchanged their feelings by weaving and writing them on small cards. These emotional notes were then transformed into music using AI. Through the power of interactive theater performances, they created an artistic healing energy of empathy and mutual goodwill.
NCKU "Performing Arts and Administration" course practices deep cultivation, sustainability, and the spirit of USR (University Social Responsibility), starting from "cultural paths" to foster creative ideas, and linking with the community in co-performances to weave together "threads of the heart," creating innovative artistic experiences.
