Xiamen's 1st Island Youth Theater Festival builds full-chain incubation platform for cross-Strait talents

The inaugural Island Youth Theater Festival was held on Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, Fujian province, in December 2025. Organizers told China.org.cn on Jan. 3 that the festival aims to build a full-chain incubation platform for young theater talents from across the Strait.

Winners, jurors and organizers gather for a group photo on stage during the pitching project program roadshow, which took place at the inaugural Island Youth Theater Festival, held on Gulangyu Island in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Dec. 30, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Majestic Tide Film]

Lin Bin, founder of Majestic Tide (Xiamen) Film Co., Ltd., said, "Gulangyu itself is a living play: its international-style architecture serves as timeless scripts, the ocean waves as an eternal soundtrack, and its lanes as natural stages. We hope theater will permeate every corner of the island."

According to her, the festival is centered on the "Theater Island" concept. It transforms the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site of Gulangyu, also known as Kulangsu in the Minnan dialect, into an immersive theatre. 

The seven-day festival broke free from the constraints of traditional stages, setting up diverse performance spaces inside historical buildings, on beaches and under banyan trees. Audiences could move between shows using the same Theater Island ticket stub.

The theater festival was initiated by Majestic Tide and co-organized by the company and Kulangsu Art Park. 

Zhang Xiaojuan, co-founder and general manager of Majestic Tide Film, revealed the company has allocated a special incubation fund. The purpose is to create an integrated support model of "funding, production and distribution."

"We refuse to be mere financial investors; instead, we will provide selected projects with in-depth services such as script doctoring, creative team matching and technical coordination," Zhang noted.

The theater festival's pitching project program featured three sections: "New Waves on Gulangyu," "Cross-Straits Co-Production" and "Experimental Domain," calling for original plays from young talents under 45. Selected works will receive full-process support including rehearsal subsidies, venue access and performance promotion.

A jury chaired by renowned director Yang Yazhou announced the winners on Dec. 30. Awards included Best Creative Project for "Above the Upward" by Xiao Yinqi, Best Theater Project award for "Slime" by Wei Jiaran, Most Promising Young Theater Director for Zhang Yucheng for "The Three Water Musketeers," and Best Theater Script Award for Zhou Ziwei for the "The Child Who Stole Sorrow."

The program also launched the "Cross-Straits Theater Dialogue" unit, inviting theater troupes from Taiwan and mainland creators to participate in a residency-based co-production program. In 2026, the "Film Commune" will launch a two-week "Theater Camp" initiative to explore innovative paths for Chinese-language theater in the context of globalization.

Majestic Tide Film has also pledged to operate the Gulangyu Theater Incubation Base, launching regular programs as well as mentor workshops, script readings and initiatives to support young directors. The company has signed agreements for the use of several historical buildings as creative spaces and will establish an "Island Resident Artists" system.

To broaden accessibility, the festival will adopt a mixed ticketing model combining public welfare and market-oriented pricing. Online live streaming and XR immersive technologies will also be utilized to allow global audiences to experience the charm of the "Theater Island."