Bringing history into focus
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) are co-organising a series of 'The Terracotta Warrior Inspired Design' public art programmes to promote the department's 'The Majesty of All Under Heaven -The Eternal Realm of China's First Emperor' exhibition.
The Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty, the world-famous artefacts from ancient China, have long fascinated the public, but how do they relate to the modern society of Hong Kong?
That is the challenge facing those participating in the Design To Empower - Animation/Video Design Competition, Discover Design 2012, the Fashion•Terracotta Warriors Inspired Fashion Design Competition, and the Parents and Kids Workshop.
For the Design To Empower programme, students will apply design thinking skills to create an animation or video clip about the warriors and the community.
It will inspire them to think about the relationship between cultural heritage and modern life and relate Chinese culture to their community. The best video clips will be shown at kiosks in 18 districts in Hong Kong from mid-July to mid-September.
The HKDC started the Design to Empower programme since 2008 to train school students in design thinking and its use in projects.
The theme of Discover Design 2012 is 'Rediscovering the Terracotta Warriors Legacy'. It offers students the opportunity to design a product with cultural elements. Discover Design is the HKDC's flagship summer youth programme and comprises design workshops, Meet-the-Designers sessions and visits for senior secondary students who are interested in design.
Young fashion designers from Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland are invited to take part in the Fashion•Terracotta Warriors Inspired Fashion Design Competition.
The Parents and Kids Workshop is open to all families with children aged 6 to 12 years old, and will help people appreciate how modern product design and technologies can be applied to support creativity.
HKDC Executive Director Dr Edmund Lee hopes these programmes inspire young people to learn about design thinking. 'The programmes are targeted at those from 6 to 30 years old. I want to let them know, design is not only about art. Design is a step-by-step thinking process that includes research and analysis. It is an approach that students should take to solve problems in their daily life,' he says.
Lesley Lau, Chief Curator of the Art Promotion Office, thinks the programmes are a great way for participants to explore art and creativity. 'They involve students and participants visually experiencing their heritage, interpreting its historical background and messages, and creating unique heritage-related design works through a process of creative thinking,' she says. 'We want not only to arouse interest in the Terracotta Warriors, but also to provide opportunities for the future generation to cultivate artistic and cultural literacy.'
