The performance at the Kerry Center featured dancers hanging from the glass walls of the mega-mall, presenting a show that combines climbing, dance, acrobatic and aerial stunts.

Most Art Space performances are free to the public, though some require online reservations for an exclusive viewing position. Besides the Kerry Center compound, performances will take place in four major spaces in the downtown area: Century Square on the pedestrian street of Nanjing Road East, the lawn in front of Shanghai Concert Hall, Zhongshan Park and the Lujiazui Central Greenland in Pudong, as well as other public spaces in the 17 suburban districts and counties of Shanghai.

The cost of these outdoor performances is covered by the municipality, Liu says.

A major highlight of the Art Space project was a series of opera performances at an outdoor platform at the North Bund.

It was an unusual experience creating a show at the North Bund, says Marco Carniti, director of the La Traviata production and the concerts. The stage was set in front of the spectacular scenery of the Huangpu River, and Carniti was challenged to integrate the urban skyline of Shanghai with the opera and concert setting, while keeping audiences focused on the stage and performance.

It was like "building a cathedral in a desert", he says. Inspired by the glass skyscrapers of Shanghai, he designed a stage set consisting largely of glass.

Another festival initiative is the Youth Week at Shanghai Theater Academy. In the event, which runs through Sunday, the academy will open its doors for performances of experimental theater shows, folk operas, music and lectures all day.

Every year the festival commissions a series of young artists' creations, as part of its efforts to support original and experimental art, as well as encouraging young talents.

The commissioned projects of this year will be performed at different theaters and studios of the academy during the campus open week.

If you go

Detailed programs and other information about the festival are available on the official website: www.artsbird.com.

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