Asia+ Festival Presents 'Canvas of Sound': A Unique Fusion of Music and Live Calligraphy

Asia+ Festival's "Canvas of Sound" presents Middle Eastern music and improvisatory calligraphy for cross-disciplinary dialogue

The fourth Asia+ Festival will present the "Canvas of Sound" on October 23 and 24, a cross-disciplinary music performance in which Pakistani-born visual artist Tazeen Qayyum will join Syrian-born musicians Feras Charestan and Basel Rajoub to combine Middle Eastern music with live Arabic calligraphy, creating a stirring piece that refreshes the mind.

Charestan brings out the shimmering tones of the qanun, while Rajoub draws the resonant depth of the duclar. Together with percussion and saxophone, they weave a musical tapestry of Middle Eastern music. Qayyum's calligraphy fuses Arabic, Persian and Urdu scripts. Improvising in response to melodies, she lets sound and brushwork echo one another, bringing four themes - hope, kindness, justice and peace - to life on canvas. Each work is created spontaneously during the performance, making every canvas unique, and will be displayed the following day.

Curated by the Aga Khan Music Programme, the gallery edition of the "Canvas of Sound" premiered in 2024 at the National Museum of Qatar in Doha. Its stage edition has received an overwhelming response at the 2025 Edinburgh International Festival, and will be performed in Hong Kong as its Asian premiere.

The "Canvas of Sound" will be held at 8pm on October 23 and 24 at the Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre Theatre. Tickets priced at $260 and $400 are available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288 or use the mobile ticketing app URBTIX. A meet-the-artist session will be held after both performances.

In addition, the programme features a range of fringe activities, including a display of canvases, a workshop and an outreach performance. For details, please refer to www.asiaplus.gov.hk/2026/en/canvas-of-sound.

Presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Asia+ Festival is held annually from September to November. Themed "Traditions Recast", this year's festival brings together over 30 countries and regions, and presents more than 100 performances and related activities, showcasing the artistic essence of Asia and countries and regions along the Belt and Road. For programme enquiries and ticketing concessions, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.asiaplus.gov.hk.

Asia+ Festival's "Canvas of Sound" presents Middle Eastern music and improvisatory calligraphy for cross-disciplinary dialogue Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Asia+ Festival's "Canvas of Sound" presents Middle Eastern music and improvisatory calligraphy for cross-disciplinary dialogue Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Asia+ Festival's "Canvas of Sound" presents Middle Eastern music and improvisatory calligraphy for cross-disciplinary dialogue Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Asia+ Festival's "Canvas of Sound" presents Middle Eastern music and improvisatory calligraphy for cross-disciplinary dialogue Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Remarks by S for S at media session on official opening of Huanggang Port (with video)

Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, at a media session on the official opening of the Huanggang Port this afternoon (October 9):

Reporter: How many travellers and vehicles does the Government expect to use the port on the first day of its opening? And what will be done to ensure that there will be a smooth opening amid the expected flock of visitors?

Secretary for Security: Thank you for your questions. First of all, I think we have to look at the number of passengers and vehicles at the current port. For the current number of passengers, we have a daily average of about 40 000 and we have 65 000 at the highest, while the new port has the capacity to handle 200 000 passengers. On the first day, we already have that capacity. Regarding vehicles, we have an average of about 9 000 cars per day, and at the highest, we have about 12 000 cars. But now we have the capacity to handle up to 15 000 vehicles. That capacity will be utilised on the first day, so we have full confidence that we can handle the number of passengers and vehicles.

Regarding how to ensure there is a smooth operation of the port area, in fact, before its opening, we have done a lot of preparatory measures, including a lot of drills and exercises. We also have a stress test with up to 20 000 people per hour, which is about two or three times the maximum passenger flow currently we have. We will have maximum manpower on that day to handle unexpected numbers of passengers. We also have a robust system in handling passengers, public transport vehicles and private cars.

In fact, in the opening time, we also engage a lot of ambassadors that we call "port ambassadors", who are familiar with the operation of the port area, to assist members of the public in using the facilities. So, we have full confidence in the smooth operation of the new port.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Source: AI-found images