Exclusive | Hong Kong arts venues may allow rehearsals by mid-month, but no live performances yet
- After months of cancelled events, arts groups are eager to resume preparing for new shows
- Officials say audiences could be back by next month, if Covid-19 situation keeps improving
The government announced last week that performance venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department would remain closed until the end of this month, but officials noted the restriction applied only to performances.
Linus Fung, the department’s assistant director, told the Post the option remained for “non-audience activities” such as rehearsals and recordings to resume, possibly before the end of the month. Concertgoers, however, will have to wait.
“Woodwind and brass players perform without masks during a concert, so we can’t take the risk and open the halls,” Fung said.
Depending on the city’s daily Covid-19 situation and advice from hygiene experts, she hoped the facilities could open as early as mid-September for internal use and for live performances next month.
The 16 venues run by the department reopened briefly on June 1, but went into lockdown again on July 15 when Hong Kong saw a surge of infections and pandemic restrictions were tightened.
The city’s third wave of infections has been tapering off in recent weeks, with just seven new cases recorded on Saturday, the lowest in more than two months, taking the city’s total to 4,857, with 94 related deaths.
The gradually improving situation has led the government to ease some restrictions, including for restaurants and cinemas.
Arts events have been on hold since January when the pandemic struck Hong Kong.
“The reopening and closing of venues has been an extremely painful experience for us as we are accountable to all hirers, including small companies and schools,” Leisure and Cultural Services Department deputy director Elaine Yeung said.
If they can transmit a virus from the back of the stage to the audience, I think they can compete in the Olympics
About 600 performing arts programmes under the department have been cancelled since late January, including visits by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from Amsterdam.
“The closure forced us to think of ways to make good use of the money saved from aborted programmes and substantial electricity expenses,” Yeung said. “Presenting programmes online is an effective alternative for the public to enjoy while practising social distancing.”
A major initiative is the Online Resources Centre, a digital platform launched in April offering free arts and education programmes showcasing local artists and events. Among about 370 clips from major arts groups and museums, 37 were new works commissioned at a cost of HK$12 million (US$1.55 million).
“The pandemic has suspended our audience development programmes, but also prompted artists to go virtual and revisit the use of new technology in arts creation,” said Heidi Chu, the department’s chief manager of festivals and audience building.
But online programmes could not replace live performances “which offer a real and unique experience for audiences to communicate and interact with artists”.
Members of the arts community said they were looking forward to the venues reopening soon, even for rehearsals.
“This is a wish come true as our new studios can only hold five to seven members at a time, and our 45 members need to perform as an ensemble,” said Hong Kong Ballet executive director Heidi Lee. “The last time we did so was at The Nutcracker, last Christmas.”
If rehearsals resumed this month, she added, the company would be able to step up preparations for five performances of Don Quixote scheduled for next month.
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Celina Chin, CEO of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, said its 91 musicians had not performed together since their European tour in February.
“We plan to resume our recording project once the Cultural Centre Concert Hall is available,” she said.
The Hong Kong Sinfonietta is still hoping for pandemic restrictions to be lifted so it can go ahead with its concert scheduled for September 26, with guest performers from Germany.
“Our two guest performers have agreed to the 14-day quarantine after landing as we are eager to play together again, even without audiences,” said emeritus conductor Yip Wing-sie.
“The concern about our wind and brass players not wearing masks during the performance is unnecessary. If they can transmit a virus from the back of the stage to the audience, I think they can compete in the Olympics,” she said.
