Promoting social inclusion through the arts
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“I like music and the joy it brings to me. I want to share my music and the beauty of music with my audience,” visually-impaired violinist Ding Yijie said. She suffers from visual impairment but has never allowed that to stop her from pursuing her passion. On the contrary, she has excelled at playing the violin and won an array of prizes.
Unable to read, Yijie learns music by ear with her teachers’ and classmates’ help. She memorises the melody and every note before playing them on the violin. Practising for six hours every day, Yijie dreams of performing worldwide.
Yijie was one of the artists with different abilities featured in the “No Limits” project, co-presented by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
She said that participating alongside other people with differing abilities added “impetus” to her pursuit of the art. “No Limits” has acted as a platform for people with different abilities, like me, to showcase our talents and help us fulfil our dreams. “Music enriches my life, builds confidence, courage and resilience. It also brings me friends and expands my horizon.”
"No Limits" promotes social inclusion
To many, art may seem difficult to understand. Yet it is an effective channel that connects people of different abilities and backgrounds. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has supported a wide range of projects to promote the arts to the less advantaged in the community and to provide them with opportunities to enjoy and appreciate art. The programmes also help them discover their potential and express themselves.
Among these projects, “No Limits” aims to bring local and international artists from all genres of the performing arts to Hong Kong, enabling performers with various abilities to unleash their talents and promote social inclusion.
To make these productions more accessible to persons with different abilities, arts accessibility services, such as audio narrations and sign language interpretations, are provided at selected performances, ensuring that the audience can enjoy them in a barrier-free and relaxed environment. In such performances, adjustable light and sound levels minimise unwanted stimuli to those with special needs; members of the audience can also come and go, which is welcoming for children with special needs.
A mother whose daughter has special needs watched the play “King Arthur’s Night” presented by “No Limits”. She said afterwards: "This is a brilliant performance. The special arrangements were touching. When my daughter was a child, she would cry in the theatre as she was frightened by the dim lighting and loud noise. Many people did not understand these reactions. Her behaviour is nothing to be ashamed of; rather, it should be understood and empathised with."
Accessibility services have proven to help children with special needs appreciate art performances better, enabling them to gain insights into their surroundings, improve their social relationships and provide an avenue for them to express their inner feelings.
Art is a valuable tool for empowering people
Art can also be empowering. By providing ethnic minorities, the elderly and new arrivals with the opportunity to participate in and appreciate arts through different types of arts programmes, they can be exposed to the creative world, explore their hidden talents, build confidence, mutual trust, and cultivate empathy when interacting with others in the community.
The Club currently supports an arts group to curate a musical which promotes cultural inclusion. The musical provides an interactive platform for students with different cultural backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, new arrivals and locals, to enjoy the fun of performing together and enhance their communication and cooperation.
Another arts project that the Club supports is an intergenerational theatre programme which provides theatre training for the elderly, who were invited to perform at schools after going through training. Through their performances, the elderly share their own stories with students and inspire the young to face adversity with positivity.
An elderly performer, 68-year-old Sam-mui, said that she worked as a typesetter when she was young. She would never have imagined that she would present her life experiences in a drama and, through her performance, help students understand local history and culture, as well as life without digital media. The students’ enthusiastic response has made her reconnect with her self-worth. Events like these foster greater understanding among different generations.
Tai Kwun – a Centre for Heritage and Arts for All
In addition to promoting arts and culture, the Club is also committed to preserving Hong Kong’s cultural heritage. One of the key initiatives has been the revitalisation of the Central Police Station compound into Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts.
In the first year of operation since its opening in May 2018, Tai Kwun has become a new landmark for heritage, culture and arts. It has welcomed over 3.4 million visitors, becoming one of the most visited heritage sites in Hong Kong.
Tai Kwun received the Award of Excellence in the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. It is the awards’ highest recognition presented to projects that display exceptional achievement in all selected criteria and have major catalytic impact at the national or regional level. Tai Kwun was selected among 57 submissions from 14 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.
“Arts, Culture & Heritage” is one of four strategic areas of the Club’s Charities Trust donations. Over the years, the Trust has supported numerous arts and cultural events, such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Le French May Arts Festival and major exhibitions organised as part of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series, in partnership with Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
Through these channels, the Trust offers a great variety of world-class events and activities to the public. Outreach and educational programmes, accompanying these events, aim to encourage more people to participate in arts while stimulating the interest of younger audiences in arts and culture.
One of the world’s top ten charity donors, the Club’s Charities Trust is committed to the betterment of Hong Kong and encourages collaboration and innovative thinking to address different social needs. In recent years, the Club has focused on four strategic areas, namely “Youth”, “the Elderly”, “Sports” and ”Arts, Culture & Heritage”.