EP8 | The First Interactive Theatre for Children's Character Development — Chang Chen-wei of Selah Arts Joins The Great Artist, Accompanying Children's Growth Through Immersive Performance

From a modern dancer with a decade of dance experience to founding Selah Culture and Arts: a cross-disciplinary practice

[Taipei] The Great Artist podcast (EP8) by DE Global Art Agency welcomes Chang Chen-wei, founder of Selah Culture and Arts Co., Ltd. In this episode, he shares his journey from stage performer to practitioner of children's education, and how he has made the performing arts a gentle force accompanying children in building a sound character.

Chang Chen-wei was originally a performer of modern dance, with more than a decade of dance experience. His long career in dance allowed him to accumulate deep mastery in the expression of body and emotion, yet throughout the process of performing he continually explored the self and pondered the deeper meaning and possibilities of art. For him, dance is not merely a craft, but a way of interrogating life.

The turning point of his life came from the power of faith. After coming to believe in Jesus, Chang Chen-wei, inspired by the Bible, founded "Selah Culture and Arts Co., Ltd." together with members of his small group. The word "Selah" comes from the Bible and carries the meanings of pause and meditation, echoing his original wish to guide people, through art, to still their hearts and look inward. This turning point gave his artistic practice an entirely new direction and mission.

What Selah Arts chiefly advances is immersive performance, with a particular emphasis on the character development of children. This is quite rare in Taiwan's arts and education fields: to intervene directly in the cultivation of children's character and personality through the performing arts requires not only performance expertise but also a deep understanding of education and of child psychology. Chang Chen-wei transforms his more than a decade of modern-dance expertise into one immersive interactive play after another, so that children are no longer merely passive audiences but participants who can personally experience, think, and grow within a given situation.

In this episode, Chang Chen-wei shares the inner journey from his personal dance career to the founding of Selah Culture and Arts, as well as the ideals and challenges of advancing interactive theatre for children's character development. He speaks of how, when the performing arts enter the educational setting, art is no longer merely a display upon the stage, but becomes a force that can truly touch lives and accompany growth. For him, every interactive play crafted for children is an act of sowing: planting in children's hearts the seeds of goodness, courage, and self-identity.

Chang Chen-wei's practice echoes a core concern of The Great Artist: how art may cross the boundaries of fields to create a more far-reaching social value. With academically orthodox expertise as a foundation and the vision of an international career as a horizon, he has brought the performing arts into the setting of children's education, bringing fresh and warm possibilities to this field.

The Great Artist EP8 is now available on Apple Podcasts, SoundOn, and other platforms, with each episode running about 32 minutes. You are warmly invited to listen and learn how Selah Arts safeguards children's growth through immersive performance.