Hong Kong artists fear threat to artistic freedom after alleged political censorship by leisure department
Playwright Candace Chong and artistic director Chan Chu-hei worry that ban on word ‘national’ in Taipei university name in artist bio marks start of trend towards government interference
A debate on whether Hong Kong art groups were given enough freedom and resources to survive was reignited on Wednesday after the government refused to explain a controversial decision it made on a programme leaflet for the second day in a row.
On Tuesday, Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah was slammed for his “empty response” to public anger over Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) prohibiting local drama group The Nonsensemakers’ producer from publishing the full name of her Taiwanese alma mater in a leaflet as it contained the word “national”.
Is the word ‘national’ banned in Hong Kong? Leisure department accused of telling drama group to censor Taipei university name in artist’s bio
Local artists continued to press for answers yesterday, with freelance playwright Candace Chong Mui-ngam, spokeswoman for concern group Artists Action, saying that they feared that artistic freedom in the city could be under threat from political interference.
“Artists could wonder whether there are things they should not say in their work ... because many of them are government-subsidised,” Chong said on RTHK.
“I am very worried whether the shadow over the press, television and filmmaking is now spreading to us,” she added, referring to concerns over the city’s diminishing press freedom.
Chan Chu-hei, artistic director of Theatre Horizon, echoed Chong’s concern. He said: “We need to make sure if this incident is the start of a trend.”