Guling Street Avant-garde Theatre Introduction
The Taipei Theater on Guling Street was originally built in 1906 as a wooden building serving as a Japanese dormitory. In 1990, it was renamed the Zhongzheng Second Police Precinct of the Taipei City Government. After the precinct relocated to a new space, the Taipei City Government, together with cultural and artistic figures, decided to transform the site into a cultural theater. The "Zhongzheng Second Precinct Police Station Small Theater" was inaugurated in October 1998, marking the first instance of repurposing an idle space for cultural use. According to the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Taipei City Government designated the space as a "Historic Building" (Yamen) on April 8, 2014. "When the lights are on, the theater comes alive" depicts another view of the Guling Street area at night. When there are performances or events at the small theater, the red light that signifies the former police station above the entrance will illuminate. In the past, citizens were generally reluctant to enter this building due to its history as a police station, but after its transformation into a small theater, it became a gathering place. During events, it attracts creators and workers from both Taiwan and abroad, as well as audiences, and remains open to curious local and foreign visitors at all hours, allowing them to enter, tour, and leave messages, significantly reflecting the transformation of the space's meaning. The Body Weather Bureau was founded in 1991 by Wang Molin, a pioneer of Taiwanese small theater, and has been managed by Yao Li-chun since 2007. It is a non-profit arts organization aimed at promoting cross-cultural exchange. Since its establishment, it has engaged in experimental performances with artists from various countries. Over nearly thirty years, the Body Weather Bureau has explored and reflected on the bodily performances showcased in different cultures, gradually introducing a rich vocabulary of aesthetics constructed from various cultural and social contexts to enhance the foundation of theater arts in Taiwan. Since 2005, it has been responsible for managing the Guling Street Small Theater, operating under conditions of self-sufficiency as commissioned by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Taipei City Government. The operation's spirit aims to carefully consider the influence and trajectory of small theaters within the overall cultural context, striving to promote the convergence, interaction, and expression of the zeitgeist, while supporting the development of new theatrical creativity by representative performing artists of the new era to exhibit genuine cultural publicness. From the beginning, the operational team and its members have showcased their abundant curatorial capabilities by organizing numerous programs: performance art, disabled performers, international performance connections, experimental films, cultural forums, and various types of theater publications. Using the Guling Street Small Theater as a base, they aim to radiate outwards, turning this alternative cultural space into an internationally renowned center of theatrical creativity. Over the past two decades, the Body Weather Bureau has adhered to the principles of respecting historical culture, enriching urban life, and responding to social movements, effectively transforming the theater into a new location where humanities and arts coexist. Through various experiences and a sense of mission, the team has completed a health report for the Guling Street Small Theater, subsequently collaborating with the Cultural Bureau to promote the investigation of historical buildings, ensuring the continuous maintenance and repair of the small theater building, thereby elevating this former police station turned theater into a cultural heritage site.
Songlin Bookstore Sharing Session
Gravity of Life Workshop
