Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Symposium 2024 to Foster Collaboration and Innovation in Arts Sector.

Two-day Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Symposium 2024 of the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival to be staged in Hong Kong

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will host the Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Symposium 2024, one of the highlight events of the 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival, on October 25 and 26 (Friday and Saturday). The Symposium, organised by the International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong), brings together industry leaders from across the Bay Area and other Mainland cities to explore the latest trends in arts and cultural developments in the region. It aims to provide an interactive platform to promote close co-operation among arts and cultural practitioners, organisations and performing art venues in the Bay Area.

The Symposium will feature a diverse range of free activities for public participation, including public seminars and a roundtable conference. Details are as follows:

Public Seminars

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Date: October 25 (Friday)

Venue: Auditorium of Ko Shan Theatre New Wing

Public Seminar 1 Topic: Co- Creation: Cultural Integration and Creative Collaboration

Time: 2.45pm to 4pm

Speakers: Chen Rui, General Manager, Zhuhai Jinwan Art Center and Producer of Musical "I Am What I Am"

Naomi Chung, Head of Xiqu, Performing Arts, West Kowloon Cultural District

Moderator: Tseng Sun-man, Chairman of Advisory Group, University Arts Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Artists and producers from different cities are together exploring their creativity and producing new works. This kind of collaboration has become a new trend in the creation of performing arts. Speakers will share their valuable experiences and insights and reflect on the possibilities of co-production in the future.

Public Seminar 2 Topic: Sustainability: Cultural Tourism and Audience Development

Time: 4.45pm to 6pm

Speakers: Chang Hsien Ching, Director, Shekou Theatre Festival

Benny Lim, Associate Professor of Practice in Cultural Management and Director of the Master of Arts in Cultural Management Programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Moderator: Anna Chan, Dean, School of Dance, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Speakers will share how to transform cultural resources into sustainable tourism experiences, attract more audiences and stand out from the competition as well as their views on the benefits and challenges of integrating culture and tourism.

Roundtable Discussion

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Date: October 26 (Saturday)

Time: 10am to 1pm

Venue: Auditorium of Ko Shan Theatre New Wing

Moderator: Louis Yu, Veteran Arts Administrator

Part 1: Cultural Space: Cross-boundary Exploration of Memory and Creativity

Speakers: Annie Feng, Consultant of Beijing Nanyang Theatre and Suzhou Suyi Show Zone

Mok Sio Chong, President, Macao Theatre Culture Institute

Liu Hankun, Founder and CEO of Focustage

Liu Xiaoyi, Artistic Director, Emergency Stairs in Singapore

The four speakers will discuss the operational strategies of emerging cultural spaces in Mainland China in recent years, the advantages and challenges of site-specific creations and mobile performances in Macau, the production and theatre operation of cultural spaces, as well as the benefits of combining culture and space for cultural development from different perspectives.

Part 2: Strategies and Perspectives on Audience Development

Speakers: Li Siyao, Founder and Artistic Director of "Yao Theatre", drama educator

Joe Li, Producer of Frankenstein by Nick Dear, President of Beijing ATW Culture Media

Mia Shen, Founder of Mad Attic

Yang Xiaoluan, Founder of the drama self-media "Theater Ferris Wheel"

Erik Kuong, Managing & Creative Director, Creative Links Limited

Based on their own experiences, the five speakers will share strategies for expanding the audience for children's theatre, analyse the shift in Mainland audience consumption patterns before and after the pandemic and share how producers respond to the shift, as well as how specific themes can stimulate audience reflection and development. The speakers will also analyse the characteristics of Mainland audiences and the role of self-media in audience development, and discuss the characteristics of the Greater Bay Area audience and share how to introduce programmes to target audiences.

Admission to the above-mentioned public seminars and roundtable discussion is free and members of the public are welcome to join. Online registration is required (www.art-mate.net/doc/77002) with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. For programme details, please visit www.gbacxlo.gov.hk/en/programmes/greater-bay-area-culture-and-arts-symposium-2024. For enquiries about event registration arrangements, please contact the International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) at 2974 0542.

The Symposium has also invited industry practitioners to participate in workshops and city walks, with a view to enhancing exchanges among participants and showcasing the unique cultural expressions of Hong Kong. The four topics of the workshops are "Latest Development of Performing Arts Spaces", "Promotional Collaboration and Social Media", "Arts Festivals and Exploration of Cultural and Creative Development" and "Art Organisation in Rural Areas and the Revitalisation of Art Space". The instructors include Drama Producer and Production Director of Real Atypical Omnipotent Theatre, Wang Ruipu; Head of Marketing and Development of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Tracy Huang; Founder and Manager of Xixi and Vice President of Hangzhou Binjiang District Drama Association, Dong Yunyan; and Producer of Ergao Dance Production Group Pan Xiong. The city walks will explore four communities - Tsuen Wan, Sham Shui Po, Central and Sheung Wan, and To Kwa Wan - examining Hong Kong's cultural strategies for conservation, revitalisation and community innovation from different perspectives.

Hong Kong is the host city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival for the first time this year. It organises and co-ordinates over 260 performances and exchange activities to be held across the "9+2" cities of the Greater Bay Area. The festival aims to showcase the vibrant and diverse cultural richness of the region and foster cultural exchange and co-operation among the cities. For detailed information about the festival, please visit www.gbacxlo.gov.hk.

Notice on appointments to advisory and statutory bodies

A Government spokesman said today (January 12) that Mr Chan Kin-por recently sought approval from the Chief Executive to suspend his three public positions as appointed by the Chief Executive, until the completion of the work of the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po (Independent Committee). Mr Chan made this request to allow himself more time to dedicate to the work of the Independent Committee. After due consideration, the Chief Executive has agreed to and approved this request. The three public positions are: (1) Chairman of Independent Commission Against Corruption Advisory Committee on Corruption; (2) Non-executive Director of Urban Renewal Authority Board; and (3) Member of Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee.

On December 12, 2025, the Government established the Independent Committee to examine the causes of the incident and related issues, ascertain the facts, and make recommendations on preventing similar tragedies and on improvement measures. The Independent Committee is chaired by Mr Justice David Lok, with Mr Chan Kin-por and Dr Rex Auyeung Pak-kuen serving as members. The Independent Committee held its first meeting on December 19 last year and aims to complete its work within nine months of commencing operations.

Mr Chan Kin-por wrote earlier to the Chief Executive, expressing his wish to suspend the aforementioned three public positions until the Independent Committee completes its work, in order to dedicate more time and focus to the Independent Committee's tasks. The Chief Executive has agreed to and approved the request.

A Government spokesperson said that since the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, both the Government and the wider community have been highly concerned about the causes of the incident and the follow-up work. The scope of the Independent Committee's work is extensive, particularly concerning systemic issues related to bid-rigging and connected interests. Given the numerous issues involved and their complex nature, the Government will fully co-operate with the Independent Committee to ensure that it can complete its work and compile its report within nine months. The Government extends its gratitude to Mr Chan for accepting the appointment as a member of the Independent Committee and for his professional and conscientious approach to the Committee's work. When the Independent Committee's work is completed, the Government looks forward to Mr Chan's continuous contribution through his aforementioned public positions.

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