As the 13th China Literary and Art Volunteer Service Day approaches, the Zhejiang Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles launched the "Art and Beauty for Common Prosperity" volunteer service initiative in Changshan. Volunteers from provincial, municipal, and county levels performed together at the North Gate Historical and Cultural Block, offering free high-quality cultural feasts to the public through song, dance, opera, and folk music, showcasing the humanistic warmth and contemporary responsibility of art benefiting the people.
In recent years, Quzhou has continuously promoted the flow of high-quality cultural resources to grassroots levels, establishing a comprehensive, urban-rural integrated system for grassroots cultural supply. The "Art Empowers Beauty" project is carried out regularly, with over ten thousand performances annually. Government service halls, commercial districts, markets, train stations, and parks have been transformed into "mobile stages," integrating art into daily life. The "Courtesy Big Van" travels over mountains and rivers, delivering opera and folk music to village entrances and courtyards. Cultural special commissioners are stationed in towns and villages, providing one-on-one training for local artistic teams and activating the endogenous cultural vitality of rural areas.
Behind the series of data and numerous performances, as well as the laughter and joy of the masses, lies the hard work of literary and art volunteers. However, after observing multiple performances, the author notes that "delivering culture" often remains at the level of superficial excitement, with several shortcomings still present in the process.
First, there is a misalignment of needs. Some activities prioritize form over substance, with programs showing significant homogenization. The differentiated needs of different groups—such as the elderly's preference for opera, young people's fondness for pop music, and children's need for aesthetic education—are not adequately met. Taking the aforementioned "Art and Beauty for Common Prosperity" performance as an example, most programs are traditional, such as high-pitched male and female choruses, drama, and traditional instrument performances. While seemingly diverse, these primarily cater to the elderly. As a cultural performance held in the main urban area, the artistic and cultural needs of young people and children remain unaddressed.
Second, there is a lack of sustainability. Currently, most performances involving provincial, municipal, and county-level collaborations rely on the efforts of higher-level literary and art volunteer services, with limited participation from grassroots volunteers. Once higher-level volunteer services withdraw, the scene becomes "empty," making high-quality artistic performances a "luxury" for the masses and seemingly distant from the goal of shared spiritual prosperity.
Third, there is an imbalance in urban-rural distribution. To bridge the "last mile" of cultural services, the needs of people in remote mountainous villages cannot be overlooked. The author observes that suburban or easily accessible villages tend to receive more literary and art volunteer services, while some villages over an hour's drive from the city center still face a "zero" cultural service situation. Villagers who wish to watch performances must pool funds from various households to hire a troupe for a single show. This raises the question: with over ten thousand performances annually, why are these villages still not covered?
Literature and art serve as the clarion call of the times and a bridge connecting people's hearts. The author believes that promoting art to take root at the grassroots level requires sustained efforts in precision, localization, and long-term effectiveness. Establishing a demand feedback mechanism through online surveys and on-site research can help accurately match public preferences, shifting cultural supply from a "set menu" to an "à la carte" approach. Cultural services require human support, making the development of literary and art talent at all levels a crucial component. Both professional talents and folk teams are potential targets for support and cultivation. Breaking spatial limitations and truly delivering culture and art to the most grassroots levels, close to fields and vast rural areas, will allow all people to experience the charm of high-quality culture and art. In this way, art is no longer confined to grand halls but becomes spiritual nourishment at people's doorsteps.
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