An exercise in transition: Hong Kong foundation seeks videos to tie in with handover anniversary
WYNG Foundation wants people to chart their life changes in a bid to raise public awareness of local social issues and spur community participation
Hongkongers are being invited to submit videos of their personal life transitions by a private foundation that promotes social initiatives as part of 20th anniversary celebrations of the city’s handover.
WYNG Foundation, which was set up in 2011 by a local family, aims to raise public awareness of social issues by organising different art programmes such as photo and video contests as well as providing funding for think tanks and institutions.
“Our programmes are designed to raise public awareness of social issues in Hong Kong and spur community participation through art in its many forms,” foundation chief executive officer Yip Yan-yan said.
“We seek to give back to the community by empowering individuals and institutions through support of information exchange platforms. We want to provide opportunities to acquire, exchange, disseminate and apply knowledge to achieve a more advanced and more caring society.”
The foundation has focused on poverty, waste, air pollution, identity and mobility problems in its past five contests.
Yip pointed out they were especially focused on photography because “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
“It would be great if our programme could have an impact on government policies. But our primary goal is to spark dialogue and awareness in the community because every change starts with a discussion,” she said.
Watch: WYNG Foundation promotional video for crowdsourcing campaign
The foundation’s latest project is a crowdsourced film called 1 July 2017 – A Day in Transition, which will document changes or transitions in life as they relate to Hong Kong on July 1 – the 20th anniversary of the handover. Participants can capture their views, observations, thoughts and feelings through a smartphone camera or other recording device.
“The video doesn’t have to be political,” Yip said. “We just want participants to think what is transition. It could be anything. For example how you transit from one role to another in your life or how society changes its perspective on transgender issues.”
The videos must be two minutes long or less and shot on July 1, although they can be uploaded to transition2017.hk between July 1 and 10.
Entries can be submitted from anywhere in the world and will be accepted in any language, according to the foundation. Multiple submissions are also encouraged.
All eligible entries will be made accessible to the public on the foundation’s website and may be included in the film.
Yip stressed that professional equipment was not necessary, and there were no right or wrong concepts as the project was looking for personal interpretations and explorations of transition.
“All you need is a smart phone and an idea or two,” she said.
