Fledgling festival now an arts extravaganza

Sitting in the audience as the curtain rose on the opening show of the first Youth Arts Festival in 1993, founder Lindsey McAlister had a sudden panic attack. Face hidden behind her hands, it crossed her mind for the first time since the festival's conception that a show might not be any good. The driving force behind the first arts festival in Hong Kong devoted entirely to young people aged between five and 25, Ms McAlister realised she had not actually had time to see any of the productions. Her fears soon faded as the performance got under way and she saw that it was not only good, it was 'great stuff'. Ms McAlister hesitates as she comments. The aim of the festival she established single-handedly from a corner of her bedroom and with a personal overdraft was to create a non-competitive celebration of the arts for young people, to allow the territory's youth a breather from study and the opportunity to manifest their creativity through workshops, performances, exhibitions and outdoor events. What it was not meant to do was provide the kind of events that, while enthusiastic and fun, only attract parents, friends and family. Non-competitive the festival may be - its policy is to never say no - but that does not mean standards are low. Three years later and as the fourth month-long festival is weeks from its launch, Ms McAlister can justifiably sit back and smile at what she - and the 'young people of Hong Kong' - have achieved. Last year, there were 95 performances; this year, the number has topped 100 at venues from the Fringe Club, to the Shouson Theatre to Victoria Park, and to smaller venues throughout Hong Kong. The total audience and participant figures last year were a phenomenal 1,034,501. Participating schools numbered 208, up from 158 in 1994, while the number of artists and arts groups taking part 'exploded' from 77 to 212. Had the 36-year-old whirlwind sat and thought the idea through she is willing to admit the festival would not exist today. 'I am one of those people who thinks of an idea, gets on with it and realises later the enormity of the task,' she says. With a background in England in arts and administration, Ms McAlister arrived in Hong Kong in 1987 and was immediately overwhelmed by the energy here. She soon found herself as artist-in-residence at Quarry Bay School, where she ran a teacher-training course in dance, drama and the visual arts, which brought her in contact with schools and teachers throughout the territory. After a year, she wanted to spend more time in the community and, while also working for the English Schools Foundation, set up a youth dance company, Scrambled Legs, and a theatre company, Roundabout. 'During that time people used to say, 'It's all very easy for you. You know how to book a theatre, talk to the press, put a performance together, book an exhibition space, all the practical things you need to be able to do,' says Ms McAlister. 'After a while it appeared that the creative talent was on tap but everyone was waiting for someone to say they would facilitate, to take the financial risk and book the theatre, talk to the press and make sure there was an audience, talk to stage managers and make sure there was lighting. 'People were saying, 'If you start a youth arts festival we'll support it'.' And so, Ms McAlister says, the festival simply evolved from what she had been doing. 'I thought, 'I have organised one event, I simply need to times it by 100. I have produced one programme, all I need to do is produce 100'. ' Ms McAlister's husband, photographer Peter Inglis, secured an overdraft, an office was set up in the bedroom and off she went. At first, finance for the non-profit-making organisation was one of the hardest battles. Only at the 11th hour did Business For Art come on board and underwrite the event for the first year. It continued its support in 1994, which gave Ms McAlister the chance to grow and achieve what she said she could do. By 1995, Standard Chartered spotted the potential of the festival and came on board as the main sponsor. Delighted with the outcome, it has retained its position this year and the festival now runs on a budget of $3 million. Ms McAlister has already been approached by three companies eager to become involved in the event in 1997. Her charm attracted two of the best-known names in Hong Kong, Lavender Patten and David Tang, as patrons. Mrs Patten received a '10 reasons why you should become patron of this event' letter and Mr Tang a fax begging him every three lines not to throw the document into the bin. 'Within minutes of sending the fax I received a return fax with a big YES on it,' says Ms McAlister. While the administration of the festival has gathered its own momentum - Ms McAlister now works with two part-time helpers, visual-arts co-ordinator Katie Flowers and manager Harbans Yang - from an office at the Hong Kong Arts Centre, the changes to the festival have been qualitative as well as quantitative. 'I no longer have to suggest people get involved. The minute last year's event ended people were on the phone asking to take part.' More young people are getting involved through their own initiative, independent of schools and youth organisations and, to Ms McAlister's delight, are beginning to tackle subjects that reflect youth issues and concerns. 'What really impresses me this year is the amount of original Cantonese drama we have. Groups haven't opted for something that is easily graspable and put-on-able. 'They have actually thought about what they wanted to do, then gone away and written and produced them,' says Ms McAlister. 'One all-female dance company, Cations, is doing a piece called Male And Female which is about sexuality and about whom you choose to love. I think that's a really brave piece for young women to do. 'We also have a lot of groups who have said they don't need an adult at all and are doing the whole thing themselves. 'It's great because eventually what the Youth Arts Festival will be is all young people doing what they want to do and saying what they want to say.' Nine-year-old Olivia Lewis is the youngest event organiser. Not wanting to be outshone by her sister, Anna, who performed at last year's festival, Olivia organised her gang, the Twisters, and they have been rehearsing So Far, So Good (Nestle Dairy Farm Theatre, November 15, 7.30pm) for nearly a year. The Twisters, made up of seven girls from the Kellett School, have choreographed the entire display of dance themselves. Organising the event does not mean Ms McAlister stays away from the artistic side. In conjunction with the Inchcape Youth Theatre Initiative, she is directing Curiouser . . . And Curiouser (Drama Theatre, Hong Kong Academy For Performing Arts, 19-21 November, 8pm). 'Seen through the eyes of one girl's wonderland, her life, it looks at the things that affect young people in adolescence,' says Ms McAlister. who devised the multi-media piece. 'It looks at peer pressure, pressure from the media, parents, teachers, the idea of whether you are supposed to conform, be an individual, not liking what you look like, then liking what you look like, wondering where you come from, how you fit into a group of people. 'It uses the theme of the journey and then draws on the images in Jostein Gaarder's philosophical novel, Sophie's World,' she says. 'The moral of the tale is that you are responsible for yourself. The choices that you make are your choices. Anything you don't like about your life you have control to change.' And Ms McAlister lives what she says. 'I am totally content with what I do. I love it. I can't think of anything I'd rather do.' For full details of the Youth Arts Festival call 2511-6192