"We don't want to interfere with the creative work and the running of an artistic group--and we don't have the ability to--so we don't want a group that would shut down without us," she says.
The Hsu Yuan-chih Foundation, which has chosen the Ya Yin Ensemble for long term sponsorship, frankly indicates that only companies of adequate note can expect a reply to inquiries for assistance.
"We have to make sure that the money we put in your pocket won't be wasted, and there have to be results," explained an assistant manager at the foundation who wishes to remain anonymous. They look for the person in charge of the performing company or the person recommending it to have enough reputation and reliability to ensure one thing: that the money they lay out will be put to good use.
"The hard work and the achievements of the Ya Yin Ensemble, for example, speak for themselves, and the group is also supported by the Council for Cultural Planning and Development, so they fit right in and we didn't have to mull things over one bit," the manager said.
Musical instrument makers on Taiwan used to support concerts and performances, more or less in order to spur sales, with generous abandon. But now that kind of assistance is rarely seen, and most firms have changed their thinking from spurring sales to building up a corporate image.
As part of building a corporate image, these companies first define their own special characteristics and then choose a suitable object for sponsorship accordingly.
Heineken Beer is a good example.
In line with its sales strategy, Heineken Beer defined itself as a high-class beverage for gentlemen, and the groups it sponsored had to be of a similarly high character, but when it was first being introduced to Taiwan, its public relations budget wasn't very big. Fu Pen-chun, handling Heineken PR in Taiwan, learned that the Sunny-Gate gallery was planning to hold a one-man show by an American photographer named Robert Heinecken. Fu got in touch with the owner of the gallery, they hit it off, and the company set up a sponsorship arrangement.
"The nature of a firm, its background, its community relations, and even the likes and dislikes of the boss all have a big influence on choosing an object for sponsorship," says Yin Chang-chung, a section chief at the Council for Cultural Planning and Development.
"Generally speaking, the classical and traditional performing arts are most popular with businessmen. Avant-garde and experimental art is not what they're after," Yin points out. Large American and European corporations usually support symphony orchestras and ballet companies, and businessmen in Japan are even more conservative: They consider the firm's reputation their lifeblood and are even less willing to tie the corporate image to a newcomer.
In this way, the groups that most readily earn the favor of corporate largesse are those that are already well established and widely accepted by the public, while troupes that are just getting off the ground and need help the most go begging. Is this the right way to encourage the development of the arts?
"Groups that perform well need help too," Yin Chang-chung says. First-rate art is the result of years of intensive training, and large groups in particular, like orchestras, repertory theaters, or ballet companies with lots of staff, instruments, props, and scenery, can hardly meet their expenses from box-office receipts alone. If their art is to be made available to a broader public, they need corporate support to lower their ticket prices to an affordable level.
If it seems that corporate support of the arts is more like "gilding the lily" than "bread to the hungry" that may be because there are simply too many little artistic companies that come and go. Many state and local governments in the U.S. allocate a part of their budget to help out experimental, avant-garde art groups and give them a chance to get by.
Actually, that task is the responsibility of society as a whole and not just of corporations, isn't it?
[Picture Caption]
Heineken sponsored a photography exhibition at the Sunny-Gate gallery, reinforcing visitors' impressions by making sure that beer was served in the evening. (photo courtesy of Sunny-Gate)
Because of soaring rents, many budding little theater companies urgently need business to lend a hand and provide places for them to rehearse and perform. (photo by Arthur Cheng)
Heineken sponsored a photography exhibition at the Sunny-Gate gallery, reinforcing visitors' impressions by making sure that beer was served in the evening. （photo courtesy of Sunny-Gate）
Because of soaring rents, many budding little theater companies urgently need business to lend a hand and provide places for them to rehearse and perform. （photo by Arthur Cheng）
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