https://www.scmp.com/rss/501688/feed Helen So, an avid arts advocate, is a member of the Advisory Committee on Arts Development, and the Museum Advisory Committee. She holds a masters degree in musicology and ethnomusicology from the University of Oxford, and is a cellist. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau was finally set up this month, under Hong Kong’s new administration, not long after the iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant left the city and capsized. More recently, the fate of Chi Kee Sawmill and Timber, a wood factory with post-war roots that has been served with a land resumption notice, has also sparked discussion. The new bureau has been given the long-standing yet urgent task of taking cultural preservation in the city more seriously. But how? Cultural... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3186999/preserving-hong-kongs-cultural-heritage-must-start-documenting-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3186999/preserving-hong-kongs-cultural-heritage-must-start-documenting-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Jul 2022 01:15:20 +0000 Is Hong Kong about to gain a new bureau that will oversee cultural, tourism and even sporting matters? That’s what people are talking about after the chief executive spoke last month of the possibility of a major government restructuring, including the establishment of a new bureau for culture. Under the current administration, both culture and sports fall within the ambit of the Home Affairs Bureau. However, they are apparently understood to be separate from each other, not only by policymakers... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3150756/why-hong-kong-needs-plan-develop-culture-and-sports-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3150756/why-hong-kong-needs-plan-develop-culture-and-sports-together?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Oct 2021 23:15:12 +0000 The 14th five-year plan is the quinquennial national plan that establishes the strategic direction for China’s economic and social development. One short phrase in the plan has sparked copious discussions in Hong Kong’s cultural industry, and that is the mandate to develop our city into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. Yet, despite months of talking, we seem no closer to an action plan. That is because all talk so far has been empty. No one has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3144057/hong-kong-must-evolve-beyond-big-events-be-cultural-hub-digital-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3144057/hong-kong-must-evolve-beyond-big-events-be-cultural-hub-digital-era?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Aug 2021 21:00:25 +0000 As in previous years, innovation and technology has received substantial attention in the government’s budget, with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park and Cyberport the dual protagonists of this chapter. What should the strategies be in the coming year for the city’s largest and wealthiest tech hubs? After a year of stay-at-home activities and modified lifestyles, there are new industries to look out for.    In 2014, BuzzFeed’s Jonathan Perelman captured the zeitgeist of the mass media... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3123557/are-hong-kongs-tech-hubs-ready-crown-content-technology-new-queen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3123557/are-hong-kongs-tech-hubs-ready-crown-content-technology-new-queen?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Mar 2021 01:15:04 +0000 It’s official: Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced in her policy address the government’s first policies towards the development of “art tech” in Hong Kong, a much needed move for the cultural and creative industries, even more so given the Covid-19 relapse across the city. Art tech is essentially a global cultural trend driven by the growing convergence of arts and technology. Even before Covid-19, it had been disrupting cultural ecosystems worldwide. Some economies have... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112202/how-developing-art-tech-can-boost-hong-kongs-cultural-soft-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112202/how-developing-art-tech-can-boost-hong-kongs-cultural-soft-power?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Dec 2020 01:45:06 +0000 Those of us who stayed in over the long weekend will no doubt have noticed the adverts for “myTV Gold”, TVB’s online pay TV platform – that is, those of us who still watch TVB. According to a survey by Nielsen, live television viewing is still predominant among Hong Kong viewers. But they are also consuming content across a spectrum of devices and platforms, particularly the so-called post-80s generations. Government statistics show that, between 2009 and 2017, the percentage of people who had... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3104492/hong-kong-remains-disconnected-digital-lifestyle-befitting-modern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3104492/hong-kong-remains-disconnected-digital-lifestyle-befitting-modern?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2020 22:45:13 +0000 With cinemas reopening in Hong Kong last week, we are finally able to quench our thirst for silver screen experiences. The hiatus has also prompted us to rethink the future of cinema in the digital age. Hong Kong is blessed with cinematic talents. From Suk Suk (2019) and Still Human (2018) to 3 Generations 3 Days (2019), local filmmakers have continued to portray the unique spirit of our city and its people. The government, however, must offer more avenues for their work to shine. Undoubtedly,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3100231/hong-kongs-film-industry-thrive-it-must-embrace-digital-india-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3100231/hong-kongs-film-industry-thrive-it-must-embrace-digital-india-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2020 00:30:15 +0000 The smorgasbord of virtual arts and cultural offerings has helped keep people sane during this time of Covid-19 social distancing. Indeed, over the past six months, the spotlight has turned to “tech-savvy” arts institutions and universally accessible digital resources. Notably, the J. Paul Getty Museum has developed an “art generator tool” allowing any image from its open-access collection to be imported into Animal Crossing: New Horizons , Nintendo’s new community-building video game that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3090598/arts-institutions-embrace-technology-covid-19-world-where-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3090598/arts-institutions-embrace-technology-covid-19-world-where-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jun 2020 03:00:16 +0000 The buzz of the Greater Bay Area project, a government scheme to link up Hong Kong and other Chinese cities in a business hub, has spilled over into the arts and culture. Last month, a festival organised by the Hong Kong Celebrations Association in Victoria Park, featuring Belgian DJ DVLM and K-pop idol Rain and well attended by youngsters, was called the Greater Bay Festival even though it appeared to have little to do with the business park. However, this may be reflective of the intention to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3021257/how-hong-kong-can-truly-leverage-greater-bay-area-arts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3021257/how-hong-kong-can-truly-leverage-greater-bay-area-arts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Aug 2019 06:30:09 +0000