Campus Digest

Renowned musical theatre producer Professor Li Dun shares his professional insights

Tuesday, 24 March 2026

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Professor Li Dun (middle) poses with Professor Lyu Aiping (3rd left), Professor Christy Cheung (2nd left), Professor Jiang Wei (3rd right) and Professor Wang Jie (2nd right).
Professor Li Dun’s talk is themed “The First Step Must Be Right – Standing in the Centre of the World to Tell the Story of China”.
Professor Lyu Aiping (right) presents a souvenir to Professor Li Dun (left).
The talk brings together attendees from diverse disciplines and backgrounds, fostering a rich exchange of perspectives.
The talk brings together attendees from diverse disciplines and backgrounds, fostering a rich exchange of perspectives.

 

The Institute of Creativity (IoC) hosted a campus talk on 6 March featuring Professor Li Dun, a renowned musical theatre producer and educator from the Chinese Mainland. Themed “The First Step Must Be Right – Standing in the Centre of the World to Tell the Story of China”, Professor Li shared his career journey and practical experience, offering insights into the fundamentals of musical theatre production and the broader role of art and aesthetics in shaping cultural identity across generations.

HKBU representatives attending the talk included Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) cum Dean of Graduate School; Professor Christy Cheung, Director of the Research Office and Chair Professor in Information Systems and Digital Innovation Management; Professor Jiang Wei, Associate Dean (Special Projects) of the School of Creative Arts, and Professor Wang Jie, Associate Department Head of the Music Department of the Beijing Normal - Hong Kong Baptist University.

During the talk, Professor Li noted differing tendencies in musical theatre across regions: some productions are highly standardised, while others tend to be more serious in tone. “I wanted to create something that bridges these gaps—a balance of aesthetics and entertainment. I also felt a deep ambition to reconcile the aesthetic and cultural values between East and West, especially given China’s rich history of civilisation, theory, and artistic traditions,” he said.

He believed that creativity should not be confined to musical theatre but should extend into everyday life. He added: “Creativity should inspire change in how we live and, ultimately, in society itself.”

To date, Professor Li has produced over 6,000 performances. His 1997 production, The Legend of the White Snake, pioneered the adaptation of folk tales into musicals. He has since built an extensive portfolio that includes Butterflies, Flying Apsaras, Panda The Musical, and Miwnay’s Dunhuang. Professor Li is also active in arts and musical theatre education and serves as Dean of the Musical Theatre Academy at the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music and Director of the Producers’ Committee of the China Musical Theatre Association.

Supported by a generous donation from the Hung Hin Shiu Charitable Foundation Limited, IoC is dedicated to advancing research, fostering academic exchange, and promoting engagement with world-class scholars for the University’s faculty, students, and researchers by funding research projects and activities.