The 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival opens today
Featuring over 1,700 artists in 129 performances with over 80% tickets already sold
(Hong Kong, 16 February 2017) The 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) officially opens today with timeless ballet La Bayadère by Bayerisches Staatsballett (Bavarian State Ballet) from Germany. The opening ceremony of the 45th HKAF will be held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and officiated by The Hon C Y Leung, Chief Executive of the HKSAR; Mr Victor Cha, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival; Dr Simon S O Ip, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mrs Betty Fung, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs; Ms Michelle Li Mei-sheung, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services; and Ms Tisa Ho, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
During the Festival, over 1,700 acclaimed artists from around the world will stage 180 performances, including 16 new works receiving world premieres, 14 Asian premieres, 48 free performances of Chorus and three performances of Danz Up 2.0, a special programme in celebrating the 45th HKAF. Over 80% of all available tickets for 129 performances have been sold as of today.
“In the Moment”, an overarching theme for this Festival, is especially pertinent for the performing arts, in which months and years of preparation and anticipation come together in a moment for both performers and audiences. Being “in the moment” also speaks to an active appreciation, which the best performances can evoke and thereby make memorable. 2017 also offers a special moment in which to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Festival and the 25th anniversary of HKAF’s youth outreach initiative, “Young Friends”. Three of the programmes have also received special funding from the government in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Hong Kong SAR.
HKAF aims to enrich the city’s cultural life both by presenting renowned international artists, including Bavarian State Ballet, National Theatre Brno, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Oslo Philharmonic and many others, and producing new work with Hong Kong’s own creative talents. New HKAF productions at the Festival include the Jockey Club Local Creative Talents Series Hong Kong Odyssey; A Floating Family (a trilogy of three plays: Hong Kong Astronaut, All Out of Love and Vacant in the City); and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Series featuring 11 new dance works created by young talented local dance makers. Danz Up 2.0, a Jockey Club-funded revival of an acclaimed HKAF production last year, forms parts of the Festival’s 45th anniversary celebrations, with three performances in Hong Kong in May 2017, followed by tours to Singapore and Shenzhen.
In addition to great performances, the 45th HKAF presents approximately 300 outreach events, including special events for Young Friends, education activities with schools and community groups, and PLUS activities for the general public.
This year’s Festival also includes free special, participatory events: SUPER POOL, an important part of the Festival’s 45th anniversary celebrations, is a creation of US interactive media artist Jen Lewin and is co-presented with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust; Chorus is a hynoptic installation by UK sound artist Ray Lee, and is also one of the events marking the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of HKSAR, with funding from the HKSAR government through the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
The 2017 Festival’s total budget is over HK$120 million. As a non-profit organisation, HKAF receives 14% of its income from the Government in the form of recurrent subvention. Another 9% is specially provided by the Government in 2017 for programmes celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the HKSAR. Box office income contributes another 28%. Over 32% of Festival income comes from sponsorship and donations from corporations, individuals, and charitable foundations. It is anticipated that the remaining 17% will come from the Government’s new matching scheme, which matches income generated through private sector sponsorship and donations.
Tickets to HKAF performances can be purchased at URBTIX outlets (online booking: www.urbtix.hk or telephone booking: 2111 5999). Tickets to performances at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts are also available at HK Ticketing outlets (online booking: www.hkticketing.com or telephone booking: 31 288 288)
ABOUT THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL (HKAF)
Launched in 1973, the Hong Kong Arts Festival is a major international arts festival committed to enriching the cultural life of the city. The Festival also commissions and produces work in theatre, music, chamber opera and contemporary dance by Hong Kong’s own creative talents and emerging artists, many of which have had successful subsequent runs both locally and overseas.
PLUS PROGRAMMES AND YOUNG FRIENDS
HKAF presents over 300 outreach and educational events in "PLUS" Programmes and as part of the Young Friends, offering diverse arts experiences to the community as well as tertiary, secondary and primary school students. The Young Friends, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, continues to provide a platform for young people in Hong Kong to be involved in performing arts, with an accumulated membership of 148,000 and participating students numbering 710,000 as of 2016.
For more information, please visit: www.hk.artsfestival.org.
Media Enquiries
Alexia Chow (Chinese Opera, Theatre and Dance) Tel: 2828 4933 Email: alexia.chow@hkaf.org
Louis Cheung (Opera and Classical Music) Tel: 2828 4931 Email: louis.cheung@hkaf.org
Featuring over 1,700 artists in 129 performances with over 80% tickets already sold
(Hong Kong, 16 February 2017) The 45th Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) officially opens today with timeless ballet La Bayadère by Bayerisches Staatsballett (Bavarian State Ballet) from Germany. The opening ceremony of the 45th HKAF will be held at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and officiated by The Hon C Y Leung, Chief Executive of the HKSAR; Mr Victor Cha, Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Festival; Dr Simon S O Ip, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mrs Betty Fung, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs; Ms Michelle Li Mei-sheung, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services; and Ms Tisa Ho, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
During the Festival, over 1,700 acclaimed artists from around the world will stage 180 performances, including 16 new works receiving world premieres, 14 Asian premieres, 48 free performances of Chorus and three performances of Danz Up 2.0, a special programme in celebrating the 45th HKAF. Over 80% of all available tickets for 129 performances have been sold as of today.
“In the Moment”, an overarching theme for this Festival, is especially pertinent for the performing arts, in which months and years of preparation and anticipation come together in a moment for both performers and audiences. Being “in the moment” also speaks to an active appreciation, which the best performances can evoke and thereby make memorable. 2017 also offers a special moment in which to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Festival and the 25th anniversary of HKAF’s youth outreach initiative, “Young Friends”. Three of the programmes have also received special funding from the government in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Hong Kong SAR.
HKAF aims to enrich the city’s cultural life both by presenting renowned international artists, including Bavarian State Ballet, National Theatre Brno, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Oslo Philharmonic and many others, and producing new work with Hong Kong’s own creative talents. New HKAF productions at the Festival include the Jockey Club Local Creative Talents Series Hong Kong Odyssey; A Floating Family (a trilogy of three plays: Hong Kong Astronaut, All Out of Love and Vacant in the City); and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Series featuring 11 new dance works created by young talented local dance makers. Danz Up 2.0, a Jockey Club-funded revival of an acclaimed HKAF production last year, forms parts of the Festival’s 45th anniversary celebrations, with three performances in Hong Kong in May 2017, followed by tours to Singapore and Shenzhen.
In addition to great performances, the 45th HKAF presents approximately 300 outreach events, including special events for Young Friends, education activities with schools and community groups, and PLUS activities for the general public.
This year’s Festival also includes free special, participatory events: SUPER POOL, an important part of the Festival’s 45th anniversary celebrations, is a creation of US interactive media artist Jen Lewin and is co-presented with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust; Chorus is a hynoptic installation by UK sound artist Ray Lee, and is also one of the events marking the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of HKSAR, with funding from the HKSAR government through the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
The 2017 Festival’s total budget is over HK$120 million. As a non-profit organisation, HKAF receives 14% of its income from the Government in the form of recurrent subvention. Another 9% is specially provided by the Government in 2017 for programmes celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the HKSAR. Box office income contributes another 28%. Over 32% of Festival income comes from sponsorship and donations from corporations, individuals, and charitable foundations. It is anticipated that the remaining 17% will come from the Government’s new matching scheme, which matches income generated through private sector sponsorship and donations.
Tickets to HKAF performances can be purchased at URBTIX outlets (online booking: www.urbtix.hk or telephone booking: 2111 5999). Tickets to performances at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts are also available at HK Ticketing outlets (online booking: www.hkticketing.com or telephone booking: 31 288 288)
ABOUT THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL (HKAF)
Launched in 1973, the Hong Kong Arts Festival is a major international arts festival committed to enriching the cultural life of the city. The Festival also commissions and produces work in theatre, music, chamber opera and contemporary dance by Hong Kong’s own creative talents and emerging artists, many of which have had successful subsequent runs both locally and overseas.
PLUS PROGRAMMES AND YOUNG FRIENDS
HKAF presents over 300 outreach and educational events in "PLUS" Programmes and as part of the Young Friends, offering diverse arts experiences to the community as well as tertiary, secondary and primary school students. The Young Friends, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, continues to provide a platform for young people in Hong Kong to be involved in performing arts, with an accumulated membership of 148,000 and participating students numbering 710,000 as of 2016.
For more information, please visit: www.hk.artsfestival.org.
Media Enquiries
Alexia Chow (Chinese Opera, Theatre and Dance) Tel: 2828 4933 Email: alexia.chow@hkaf.org
Louis Cheung (Opera and Classical Music) Tel: 2828 4931 Email: louis.cheung@hkaf.org