Official busking show's a bust ...
It was the show that stopped before it even started.
The debut performance of the government's new Open Stage programme, scheduled for 4pm yesterday, was cancelled when the performer - Chan Kwong-yui - pulled out of the show for unspecified reasons on Tuesday.
The programme was designed to enrich the 'cultural ambience' of the city and give Hongkongers a chance to watch live street shows, similar to the vibrant busking culture in London or New York.
The two other shows planned for last night and today at the Sha Tin Town Hall plaza were also cancelled due to forecasts of bad weather.
Run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Sha Tin location was chosen - ahead of the Cultural Centre piazza in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Kwai Tsing Theatre plaza - as the only designated stage for busking, following a year-long pilot.
The choice of site was criticised by some of the city's long-time street performers, including juggler and mime artist Andrew So Chun-chau.
'Busking can be a tourist attraction but if it's in Sha Tin, it doesn't show the tourists what Hong Kong has to offer,' the 51-year-old said.
So, who was acquitted last year on charges of obstructing a public place during a performance in Times Square, said the programme was a good step but the Sha Tin location limited performers and the audience.
'The original meaning of street performance is about freedom and interaction with pedestrians, but if it's only in Sha Tin, it confines the artist,' he said.
So, who performs regularly in Causeway Bay on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, became a full-time entertainer 15 years ago and started outdoor performances in 2005 in response to the government's call for people to return to the streets after the 2003 Sars epidemic.
'I wanted to bring some joy to the street after Sars,' the former jewellery maker said.
Last month, So invited a magician from Germany to perform with him in Hong Kong, and he hopes to foster more international links.
'Hong Kong has the potential to be like overseas where you can perform on the street. But the government needs to do more,' he said.
Anybody who wants to perform in Sha Tin as part of the programme must audition for a panel, a department spokeswoman said.
However, the panel's judging criteria are unclear.
'Members [of the panel] are well aware that most applicants are amateur performers and will not apply stringent criteria on artistic standards,' she said.
Rather, the panel simply ensured that 'the performances are of suitable standard', she said. 'Audition panel members include arts experts, representatives nominated by respective district councils and venue management.'
In Hong Kong, there is no law banning street performances so long as performers do not cause a nuisance, annoyance or obstruct a public place. The Open Stage programme is set to start again next weekend, weather permitting.
