MOFA Deputy Minister Kelly Wu-chiao Hsieh (front, left) applauds FOCA’s upcoming New Southbound Policy cultural tour June 19 in Taipei City. (Staff photo/Chin Hung-hao)

FOCA members perform a scene from “The Heart of Asia” June 19 in Taipei City. (Staff photo/Chin Hung-hao)

Formosa Circus Art is set to embark on a tour of Indonesia and India as part of government efforts to deepen cultural exchanges with the New Southbound Policy target countries.
 
Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the tour will see the Taiwan performing arts troupe stage its show “The Heart of Asia” in Jakarta, June 27; Surabaya, June 30; Chennai, July 2; and New Delhi, July 6.
 
Premiered in 2016, the 75-minute production merges circus skills with traditional dance and music from diverse ethnic groups in Taiwan including Hakka and indigenous peoples.
 
Speaking at a news conference June 19 in Taipei City, MOFA Deputy Minister Kelly Wu-chiao Hsieh said that FOCA’s performance will offer audiences an insight into the rich cultural heritage of Taiwan, while spotlighting the creativity and vitality of the nation’s young artists.
 
The tour is expected to deepen the friendship and mutual understanding between Taiwan and the two countries, and pave the way for expanded exchanges in other fields, Hsieh added.
 
Founded in 2011, FOCA is committed to developing genre-spanning circus performances incorporating acrobatics, juggling, martial arts, street dance and theater arts. It has staged shows in around 20 countries and territories and performed at such renowned arts events as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the U.K. and Festival Off d’Avignon in France.
 
A key plank in the government’s national development strategy, the NSP is enhancing Taiwan’s agriculture, business, culture, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (CPY-E)