As the pandemic strikes wave after wave, everyone has adapted to doing everything online. So do performing artists. But getting used to the new norm is never easy for people in an industry that relies on interacting with audiences that much. From face-to-face to face-to-screen, it requires more efforts to express feelings and build deeper connections with the counterparts.
But the show must go on. To introduce local artists to the public and explain the difficulties they are facing in times of the pandemic, students of the Cultural Heritage Stream of CityU’s Department of Chinese and History (CAH) organised an online arts festival titled “Performing Our City: Mask On-Theatre” from 1 to 16 April 2021. The class of around 40 students were divided into groups that were responsible for music, Chinese opera, drama, and dance events, or supportive works such as social media promotion, webpage building and documentation, design and printing, and media relations.
A wide array of programmes were lined up for each of the four art forms. The music programmes included “Voices in the City”, a three-episode series that recorded the stories of six local musicians and music groups. Pop musician Byejack, jazz guitarist Rue, rap musician Kangaroo, the Christian Fellowship Christian Band of CityU, pop and rock music band Hardcore, and Cantonese music band TroVessional were invited to share how they overcame the hardships they encountered and made further effort to comfort Hong Kong people with their music. The students also collaborated with CityU’s Chinese Civilization Centre (CCIV) to show two exclusive talk and performance archives, helping audiences attain a comprehensive understanding of Chinese popular and classical music.
The highlights of the Chinese Opera programmes were the sharing, performance and workshop by LEUNG Fei-tung, the Department’s alumna and a young emerging Chinese Opera actress. Apart from the inspiring dialogue and splendid performance, Leung also walked the audiences through the essential elements of Chinese opera, including the background and development, stories, makeup, and costumes. The students also talked to veteran Cantonese Opera actress CHAN Wei-sze and experienced singer LO Tak-tai, who shared their insights into the future of the industry and showcased their sophisticated acting and singing skills.
Meanwhile, the drama programmes focused on the responses of two theatre companies, the White Wall Production and the Drips Creation, to the pandemic. A live sharing session and an interview with theatre practitioners were set up for the discussion of the threats of COVID-19 to their productions and outlook for the performing arts industry. “20・40”, a two-episode audio drama dedicated to today’s Hong Kong directed by YIP Wan-keung, was also debuted in this art festival.
Last but not least, there were dance performances by Heiman HO, a representative of the Hong Kong Dance Sports Elite team, and Emily WONG and Vanessa LUNG, two award-winning Chinese dance performers. The former performed three types of Latin dance–Samba, Rumba and Pasodoble, and the latter showcased three types of Chinese dance–lyrical combination, Northeast Yangko, and Mongolian dance. They also gave demonstration lectures and interviews to explain various Latin dance steps and costumes for dancing contests, and the history and culture behind different types of Chinese dance.
Professor CHING May-bo, Head of CAH and History and Director of CCIV, said that she was proud to learn that the students have been doing their best to put up an online event to demonstrate their respect to local artists amidst the pandemic. In a post-event interview, Silvia TAM Nga-lok, a coordinator of the entire festival and the music team, recounted how she spent countless hours attending meetings, keeping track of teammates’ work progress, and dealing with difficulties, including a potential copyright infringement issue related to the music performances. Yet, she treasures this valuable experience, “It is worthwhile to organise an event that broaden my horizons and enhance my problem solving skills.” Emily CHAN Ying-tung, another project coordinator, said communicating with different parties posed the biggest challenge to her. “As the leader of all teams, my responsibilities were not just making decisions but also facilitating communication between all members, and maintaining a good relationship with the guests who voluntarily collaborated with us,” she said. Both students believe this year-long hands-on event planning and management experience has helped them build the skills they need for their future career.
