Policies/Regulations

Virtually every musical entity belongs to a particular branch of government from which it receives practical support such as funding. As with any other aspect of the arts, there is within these institutions a bureaucracy to interface with other institutions and individuals. For international collaborations there is a “foreign office” which typically deals with most aspects of international collaboration.State funding is a mixed blessing. Wholly different from the European model of rewarding creative, independent initiatives or from the US structure of sophisticated development and public relations apparatus, formal musical institutions are frequently left with special obligations to their sources of support. Frequent privately arranged concerts are typically required with some level of frequency. In tandem, many government institutions have had to generate their own revenue, reflecting the government's increased market-oriented approach.To the extent that any “new” initiatives are attempted, for instance, the founding of China Philharmonic or the Beijing Modern Music Festival, many organizations find it prudent, to say the least, to keep at least one foot firmly in the traditional sphere of support. This is a macrocosm reflecting the necessity most individual musicians feel, who are compelled to maintain an official work unit even while pursuing professional activities altogether unrelated.In the end, governmental policies, whether the old state socialist model or the new one incorporating the market, tend to limit the scope of independent projects and most forms of experimentation, even when the musical interest is there. They encourage overly strong emphasis on singly large events with little resonance.Despite the economic realities that arts organizations face, in recent years, it is rare that they might experience regulation of content. Rarely, works or individuals are prohibited from performance, but there may be more self-censorship than is widely acknowledged.In the case of international performers, the program is typically submitted to the overseeing organization for approval by the cultural authorities, including visa issuance and handling of customs clearance. Depending on the type of event, this approval procedure is handled by the Ministry of Culture or a provincial city’s Bureau of Culture. The Chinese producer is responsible for the application for approval and should be in the know of all the latest regulations concerning the performances of international events.