Wang Ying, manager of Beijing's Children Art Theatre, could have never dreamt that she would be selected as a candidate for this year's top ten cultural people by sohu.com, one of the most important internet portals in China.

Originally a journalist for Beijing Youth Daily, Wang Ying became the manager of Beijing Children's Art Theatre Co.Ltd earlier last year. In June, a hit play Labyrinth was staged by the theatre, taking about 6 million yuan at the box office after 50 performances, a figure equaling the theatre's previous three years of revenue. It's therefore only fair that Wang Ying is now a name on many people's lips.

In a way, Wang Ying is simply the greatest beneficiary of the drastic reforms that have taken place within this former state-run-enterprise, which became a shareholding company in January of last year.

Marking its transformation into a completely market-oriented venture, the new theatre gathered together the most talented script writers, directors, choreographers it could find for the new play Labyrinth, and even managed to encourage TV stars to take part.

For the first time, the theatre established specialized departments devoted to marketing, public relations and performance management. And Wang Ying adds that various branded material was also promoted alongside the play in order to maximize the income of this newly commercialized company.

Compared to other similar cultural state-owned companies breaking away from government management and subsidies, BCAT can be seen as the main trailblazer.

The new company, which has Beijing Youth Daily and Beijing TV Station as its major shareholders, even hired a professional consultant company to help plan its future. Liu Jun is the Vice Director of Beijing Pusher Management Consulting Company, the think tank for BCAT.

BCAT is just one of many state-run theatres and cultural groups having to fend for themselves after the government decided to stop funding them.

Reforms in this area have been on-going for many years, but it was not until 2004 that the umbilical cord between government and various subsidized instutions was finally severed.

35 state-run enterprises involved in publication, TV, radio, film and theatre were named as the first to undergo experimental but systematic reforms. The government role in their management is to be fazed out, while the enterprises are either completely privatized or now have their shares partly owned by the state. As a result, these enterprises are having to learn to survive in an arena of authentic and fierce market competition.

"One of the biggest differences that cultural reform is bringing to us is that it has helped create a broader stage. It has smashed the shackles that were previously placed on the state-run enterprises," said Zhang, general manager of China Arts and Entertainment Group, which comes from a state run background, as a combination of two former government organizations.

(CRI.com January 18, 2005)