It's not just seasoned professionals who are performing at the International Arts Festival. Theater students from China and abroad are also getting in on the act.

Art students perform original works

Students from the Shanghai Theater Academy put on a wide range of shows over the weekend. They included musicals, experimental dramas, and concerts. And tickets for the shows cost only 20 yuan each.

For most students, it was their first time to perform for the public.

"It's a good chance for us to practice when facing such a big audience. Actually, I feel a little bit nervous, but it's a good experience," said Dong Yucheng, Shanghai Theater Academy.

"To most Chinese art students, they need chances to perform on a real stage. They have to get familiar with markets. A good actor needs stimulation," said Wang Luoyong, director, Music Center of Shanghai Theater Academy.

"He must face an audience directly. Today we have around 300 audience members. We will never have such a big audience in our classes."

The Rising Artists Innovation Week was founded in 2012 to provide professional mentors and financing to help young artists stage shows. This year, students from 40 colleges in China and abroad performed their works during the week-long event.

"The program is good for our education practice. It also provides a platform to test the works produced by our students. At the same time, the project can cultivate original works," said Han Dong, director, Shanghai Theater Academy.

"Maybe those works are not so mature, but we can see some shining points. Also, it's a good stage to share the achievements of our art education with the public."

Organizers also commissioned 14 young artists from across the country to create works for the festival.

Young artists from around the world put on 130 shows as part of the event.

"We are providing a platform for young talented artists to cultivate their original works. We hope they can think purely about arts rather than commercial value. They don't need to consider the box office. After debuting on our stages, they can then gradually explore the commercial value of their works," said Yang Yijun, producer of Young Talent program.

Some of the best young artists from this year will have the chance to work with professionals in the future.

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