Background
The Hong Kong Arts Festival will present an interactive and immersive opera Laila as part of the highlighted programmes to celebrate the Festival’s 50th anniversary in 2022. This HKAF 50th Anniversary Special Project Laila and the complementary education and outreach programmes are solely sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Laila is a co-production of the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet (“FNOB”) and it was winner of FNOB’s Opera Beyond Initiative, which openly calls for forward-looking Art and Tech ideas that pushes beyond the tradition of performing arts.
Extending this vision in local community, the HKAF called for young creative minds to propose daring and creative concepts to redefine performing arts through the use of technology. In this specially curated Arts X Tech Creative Competition, we welcome students from different backgrounds to propose all kinds of inventive concepts that promote the convergence of arts and technology, a development also known as Arts X Tech.
Young participants were given access to educational video resources and the opportunity to further develop their concepts in more comprehensive blueprints. After two rounds of selection, the outstanding teams will be provided with relevant training and mentorship by local artists and professionals. Their concepts will be realised and featured at the competition showcase exhibition, presented in close proximity to the 50th Hong Kong Arts Festival programme, Laila, offering the public a new type of artistic experience.
Extending this vision in local community, the HKAF called for young creative minds to propose daring and creative concepts to redefine performing arts through the use of technology. In this specially curated Arts X Tech Creative Competition, we welcome students from different backgrounds to propose all kinds of inventive concepts that promote the convergence of arts and technology, a development also known as Arts X Tech.
Young participants were given access to educational video resources and the opportunity to further develop their concepts in more comprehensive blueprints. After two rounds of selection, the outstanding teams will be provided with relevant training and mentorship by local artists and professionals. Their concepts will be realised and featured at the competition showcase exhibition, presented in close proximity to the 50th Hong Kong Arts Festival programme, Laila, offering the public a new type of artistic experience.
Rules & Regulations
THEME
“Breakthrough” refers to an important discovery or development that helps to improve an existing situation. Advances in technology have long had a huge impact on humans’ socio-cultural circumstances through bringing convenience to daily life and creating greater possibilities of breaking through conventions. These technological advances can take many forms—shadow puppets might give way to holographic displays, burning incense can be replaced by smoke machines as a means of creating smoke on stage—technology is a tool to embrace new ideas, to cut through tradition, and to change and redefine existing conventions.
Laila, a co-production of the HKAF and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, offers audiences a completely new immersive and interactive opera experience, which breaks with the conventions of traditional opera performances. In a Hong Kong context, how might technology alter the public’s understanding, appreciation and experience of the arts? How might it revolutionise traditional presentation models and frameworks of performing arts?
OBJECTIVES
This competition aims to :
DIVISIONS
FORMAT
The format includes but not limited to installation art, digital art, interactive media, sound art, AR-VR, stage arts, etc. The “outcome” is expected to be displayed in an indoor area not exceeding 4m (width) x 4m (length) x 4m (height).
AWARDS
There are Gold, Silver, Bronze and Most Popular Concept Award. Trophy and certificates will be presented to the outstanding participants as an encouragement.
ADVISORY PANEL
JURY PANEL
Hong Kong Baptist University
City University of Hong Kong
The Education University of Hong Kong
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Hong Kong Design Institute
Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Lee Wai Lee)
Representative of the Hong Kong Arts Festival
And more…
TIMELINE AND MILESTONES
May - July 2021
Application and First Round of Proposal Submission
July 2021
First Round of Shortlisting
August - September 2021
Webinar Series
Early-October 2021
Second Round of Proposal Submission
November 2021
Second Round of Shortlisting
November 2021 - February 2022
Consultation, Coaching and Content Development
March 2022
Two-week-long Grand Final Presentation and Exhibition
April 2022
Awards Presentation Ceremony
Past Event
2021
May - Jul
Application and First Round of Proposal Submission
Jun
Promotion video shooting
Zeno, Outreach Ambassador, engaged in promotion video shooting in June to call for students application. He also invites students to set off for the journey of Arts X Technology, exploring its potential with their creative minds.
Interviews with advisory panel
Zeno’s conversations with Keith Lam and The Collective provide students with a preliminary understanding of the concept of Arts X Technology, and the rationale behind the creative process.
Jul
First Round of Shortlisting
Aug - Sep
Webinar Series
Four sessions of online talks hosted by local artists and curator were held for the first-round selected teams. Setting off from the basics, artists shared their experience of developing preliminary ideas to well-prepared production plan with students, hence concerning to enhance concepts with technology, eventually producing mature artworks.
The webinar series were expected to inspire and help first-round selected teams to deepen their understanding of arts and technology and facilitate satisfactory performance in the second-round proposal writing.
Session 1: Creative Process I: From Concept to Realization
Host: Keith Lam (new media artist) and Chris Cheung (new media artist)
Session 2: Creative Process II: Cross-disciplined Production
Host: Ms Anita Lam and Mr Andy Strokes (co-founder of The Collective, a cross-disciplined creative agency)
Session 3: Spatial and Audio Design
Host: Mr Fung King Hong (audio designer)
Session 4: What Makes an Outstanding Proposal?
Host: Ms Kwong Kai-ling (curator of new media art)
Sep
Consultations aimed at assisting participating teams to develop their creative idea for a satisfactory performance with a comprehensive proposal in the following round of competition.
Online Consultation
Consultations aimed at assisting participating teams to develop their creative idea for a satisfactory performance with a comprehensive proposal in the following round of competition.
Early-Oct
Second Round of Proposal Submission
Nov
Second Round of Shortlisting
Dec
Matchups of advisory panel and finalists were completed in accordance with proposed art medium. In the first consultation, groups further elaborated their idea into a more sophisticate creative proposal, and drafted a preliminary production plan with the guidance of their corresponding advisors.
Second Round of Proposal Submission
Nov
Second Round of Shortlisting
Dec
First Production Consultation
Matchups of advisory panel and finalists were completed in accordance with proposed art medium. In the first consultation, groups further elaborated their idea into a more sophisticate creative proposal, and drafted a preliminary production plan with the guidance of their corresponding advisors.
2022
Nov - Feb
Consultation, Coaching and Content Development
Mar
Two-week-long Grand Final Presentation and Exhibition
Apr
Awards Presentation Ceremony