Hong Kong – LCSD’s “Tan Dun WE-Festival” brings West-East arts and cultural convergence to Hong Kong in December (with photos)

LCSD’s “Tan Dun WE-Festival” brings West-East arts and cultural convergence to Hong Kong in December (with photos)

******************************************************************************************


     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present the “Tan Dun WE-Festival”, curated by Tan Dun, Hong Kong’s Ambassador for Cultural Promotion and internationally renowned composer and conductor, in December. Featuring musicians, dancers and ensembles from the Mainland, Hong Kong and around the world, this West-East artistic feast will reveal brand-new approaches to music, dance and visual arts, turning the city into an international stage for cultural and arts exchanges. The Festival will also attract people from both East and West to gather in the city, showcasing the essence of Hong Kong’s East-meets-West cultural DNA.

     The programme brief is as follows:

“Tan Dun WE-Festival”: Opera and Dance Theatre
——————————————————-
Date and time: December 6 and 7 (Wednesday and Thursday), 7.30pm
Venue: Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $150 to $400

     Audiences can enjoy an opera and dance theatre filled with primitivism and ritualistic elements. The opening piece of the performance, “Shaman Tea Ritual”, originates from the ritual music and dance of a Yunnan ethnic minority. It echoes the final part of the programme, “The Rite of Spring”, a dance theatre choreographed and directed by the renowned choreographer Yang Liping, paying tribute to the century-old Western classic by famous composer Stravinsky through oriental dance and body language. The opening piece is followed by Tan Dun’s two mini operas “Deer of Nine Colours” and “Heart Sutra” which is a pairing of Western symphony with oriental Buddhist spirit, exemplifying the vocal power and the ancient music of Dunhuang that transcend language barriers, to reminisce about the thousand years of Chinese culture. Under the baton of Tan Dun, members of the New York Bard Percussion Quartet, young pipa player Han Yan, and dancers of the Peacock Contemporary Dance Company, Dazhu and Jinhua, will take part in the performances, while local young soprano Candice Chung and pianists Rachel Cheung and Tsang Hin-yat are also lined up to perform in the programme for cross-regional arts and cultural exchanges and collaborations.
 
“Tan Dun WE-Festival”: “Tan Dun: BACH Rock & Hanggai – BACH Meets GENGHIS KHAN”
———————————————————————————
Date and time: December 9 and 10 (Saturday and Sunday), 7.30pm
Venue: Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $200 to $450

     Together with renowned Mongolian rock band Hanggai and the Hunan-Changsha Symphony Orchestra, Tan Dun will take the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, dubbed “the father of classical music”, as a medium for a dialogue with the Mongolian rock music along with digital animation and multimedia technology. It will give audiences an exceptional auditory feast that connects East and West, past and future, as well as technology and nature ecology. The music pieces such as “The Rising Sun”, ” Invention – Four Seasons” and “Grassland My Beautiful Home” possesses an embodied connection to the landscapes of grassland, mountain and river that will deliver the message of protecting nature to the theatre-goers. In addition, singer-songwriter Tan Weiwei will perform the work including “Old Song” and “Crying Song”, “Water Song” and “Qin Song” in a symphonic setting with rustic traditional oriental vocal style.

     Tickets for the above programmes are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Package discounts will be available for standard ticket purchase with both “Opera and Dance Theatre” and “Tan Dun: BACH Rock & Hanggai – When BACH Meets GENGHIS KHAN” programmes. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7323 / 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1635.html.

Hong Kong – LCSD’s Cantonese Opera Day organises diverse activities to celebrate 20th anniversary today (with photos)

LCSD’s Cantonese Opera Day organises diverse activities to celebrate 20th anniversary today (with photos)

******************************************************************************************


     The annual Cantonese Opera Day, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), celebrated its 20th anniversary today (November 27) with an array of free activities at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC) and the Hong Kong Space Museum, attracting 5 000 visitors taking part in the event.



     One of the programmes “Cantonese Opera Excerpts and Cantonese Operatic Songs” was staged at the Concert Hall of the HKCC in which young Cantonese opera talents as well as winners of the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival Cantonese Opera Competition took turns to perform classic excerpts and familiar duet and solo pieces. The distinctive performance received rounds of applause from the audiences.



     To enable participants to learn more about Cantonese opera, a world intangible cultural heritage item, from multiple perspectives, a number of talks and demonstration sessions were held during this year’s Cantonese Opera Day, covering areas such as Cantonese opera make-up, costumes, percussion and traditional Cantonese singing. In addition, the “Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong” exhibition, co-ordinated by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, was held at the Foyer Exhibition Area to introduce the local development and evolution of Cantonese opera over the years. These different types of educational and recreational activities have allowed Cantonese opera lovers and participants of all ages to spend a fun-filled Sunday together.



     Various Cantonese opera related programmes such as film screenings, Cantonese opera performances and an exhibition were held at the same time at various LCSD venues (including the Hong Kong Film Archive, Ko Shan Theatre and the Red Brick Building) in support of the Cantonese Opera Day to share the joy and promote the art of Cantonese opera to the general public.

Hong Kong – LCSD’s response to media enquiries

LCSD’s response to media enquiries

**********************************


     In response to media enquiries about the three short-term measures to protect the safety of performers, staff members and audiences, a spokesman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) stressed today (August 2) that these are stopgap measures which would only be applicable to performing venues under the LCSD.



     The spokesman added that the LCSD had contacted major hirers who have booked its venues before the end of September before the announcement of the measures to explain these short-term measures. In fact, most of the performances under the LCSD’s performing venues in these two months will not be affected. On the allegation that the use of moving light, mirror ball and projectors at the venues will not meet the new requirements, the spokesman said that this is a misunderstanding and these kinds of installations can continue to be used. The so-called “brought-in mechanical devices” refer to facilities that are not provided by the venues and those are more complicated installations which require the approval of registered professionals. Ordinary mechanical devices will not fall within this scope and do not require checks by competent persons.



     On the requirement on hirers to conduct daily inspection of the mechanical devices by a competent person whom LCSD agrees to assure safe working, the spokesman explained that competent persons refer to those trained with actual experience commissioned by the hirers with the consent of the LCSD. Most of the arts groups can arrange qualified stage working staff and registered professional engineers are not required.

Hong Kong – LCSD’s “Water Fight Day · Tin Yip Road Park” to be held on July 1

LCSD’s “Water Fight Day · Tin Yip Road Park” to be held on July 1

***************************************************************************


     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will hold “Water Fight Day.Tin Yip Road Park” as an event of its Happy@Parks campaign in Tin Shui Wai on July 1 (Friday), offering a variety of fun water activities free of charge for members of the public to celebrate the 25th anniversary date of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). This event is under the exclusive sponsorship of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), and is one of the many initiatives supported by the HKJC’s approved donation of $630 million to the Government of the HKSAR to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, demonstrating that the HKJC is resolute in pursuing its purpose of acting continuously for the betterment of society, all in support of creating a stronger community together.



     The event will be held at the artificial turf pitch of Tin Yip Road Park from 9.30am to 12.30pm on July 1. Participants can play on a giant inflatable water slide, a fun water maze, shaking boats and bouncy water castles at the park on the summer day. There will also be other fun-filled activities such as interesting water game booths and a photo corner. People of all ages are welcome to join. Admission is free.



     People can enrol in person at any District Leisure Services Office, any recreation and sports venue with Leisure Link Services or Leisure Link Self-service Kiosks (please click “Activity Enrolment”) from 2.30 pm tomorrow (June 23). The event is conducted in two sessions. Programme numbers are 40636245 (9.30am to 11am) and 40636246 (11am to 12.30pm) respectively. A limited number of tickets are available for walk-in enrollment. For enquiries, please contact the Yuen Long District Leisure Services Office at 2478 4342 during office hours.



     In order to comply with the requirements stipulated in the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, participants are required to scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code and produce their vaccination records for the person-in-charge to carry out a visual inspection before being allowed to enter. Participants must wear masks at all times during the event in accordance with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Wearing of Mask) Regulation (Cap. 599I).



     To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, the LCSD is organising a series of Happy@Parks activities with various themes from June to December this year in six LCSD parks, allowing users to experience the joyful atmosphere with their family on holiday through a variety of activities and games. Visitors could also collect stamp collection cards at the above venues and participate in the LCSD’s souvenir redemption scheme. Upon joining selected celebration programmes, members of the public could receive a stamp and those who have collected four stamps by participating in two cultural and two leisure and sports programmes within this year could redeem a box of the commemorative LCSD Board Game for the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR designed by an illustrator, while stock lasts. For details of the LCSD activities in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, please visit the dedicated website www.25A-LCSDevents.gov.hk.



     Moreover, the Happy@Parks – “Water Fight Day.Tin Yip Road Park” has joined the “iAM Smart” Reward Scheme. There will be an “iAM Smart” registration counter at the venue, and dedicated staff will assist members of the public to register for “iAM Smart” and collect an electronic stamp. Details of the Reward Scheme and the list of relevant celebration events joining the Reward Scheme can be found on the “iAM Smart” thematic webpage (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/25a/en).