UNDER the theme of “Evolution — Adaptation and Development,” the Rising Artists’ Works (RAW) program of this year’s Shanghai International Arts Festival is encouraging innovative works by young artists who embrace a broad world view based on their experience of traditional Chinese culture.

About 14 commissioned works and 160 invited programs by young Chinese artists will be staged at the Shanghai Theater Academy, Shanghai Concert Hall and Malanhua Theater, with tickets ranging from 30 to 580 yuan. Combinations of classics and innovation is highly valued.

Initiated in 2012, the RAW program provides a platform for emerging young Chinese artists to show their talent.

Well-known artists on the Art Council will help select works for the commissioned list and help the creative artists to bring their works to the stage. The festival will provide financial support for the selected artists and also help introduce them to overseas theaters and festivals.

“Most of the well-known art festivals and art organizations take discovering and cultivating young talents as their major task, and we are working on that too,” says Liu Wenguo, artistic director of the Shanghai International Arts Festival.

A number of young artists whose works were selected have already received invitations to perform abroad, says Wang Jun, president of the Center for Shanghai International Arts Festival.

The Arts Council for RAW this year includes Oscar-winning Chinese composer Tan Dun, theater director Lin Zhaohua, choreographer Lin Hwai-min, drama director Tian Qinxin, dancer Yang Liping and composer He Xuntian

More than 100 young artists from China, the United States, South Korea and Belgium applied for the program and 14 have acquired “commissioned works” status, compared with only six last year.

The winners include:

• Zhang Zhiwei’s music theater “Jinyang,” which pictures an ancient Chinese city 2,500 years ago through music and audio effects;

• Cai Wenqi’s percussion theater “Floating,” which creates dialogues among six islands by percussion, physical acts and whispering;

• Wu Chenghao’s concerto “The Last Prairie,” which pictures the past, present and future of the Mongolian prairie with traditional Mongolian musical instruments and vocal presentation;

• Chen Jiawei’s musical “The Love of Rags,” telling the story of five rags of different characteristics when a super-rag suddenly joins in.

“Audiences may find that most of the programs are crossover works,” says Wang. “This is because young artists are encouraged to present their ideas by whatever forms that work.”

Indeed, many of the programs carry similar features as crossover, such as the puppet drama “Dragon” that combines a traditional puppet show with multimedia elements; singing group Vocal Force that merges pop and classical baritone in the songs; and musical “Miss Taiwan,” which features a cappella as the major presentation for the show.

“They may still be immature in some ways, but they have great potential,” says Wang.