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International Festival of Inclusive Arts in December (with photo)
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    The Health, Welfare and Food Bureau and the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong will co-organise the first International Festival of Inclusive Arts in Hong Kong which will be held from December 2 to 10.

     The festival aims to provide opportunities for people with different challenges and abilities to collaborate in the arts, fostering a harmonious and inclusive society.

     Speaking at a press conference today (October 5), the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, said the Chief Executive had announced in his Policy Address in 2005/06 the launching of the festival to promote a harmonious and inclusive society through arts creation and exchange.

     Dr Chow said arts opened doorways to barrier-free communication.

     Through artistic creation, all people, regardless of their different abilities and challenges, could unleash their potential and develop their talents, he said.

     Arts was also an excellent means to enhance understanding and care between people.  Arts was conducive for people with disabilities to integrate into society and would also help raise the living standard of our community, he said.

     Dr Chow called on people to render their full support for the festival.  He hoped that apart from enjoying the wonderful performances and exhibitions presented by overseas and local artists of different disabilities, the public could experience through personal participation the essence of harmony and inclusive society.

     The Chairman of the Arts with the Disabled Association, Ms Ida Lam, said it was very meaningful for association to join with the bureau in organising the festival this year as 2006 also marked the 20th anniversary of the association's inception.

     She hoped that through the festival, the association would realise its vision of enhancing contact and exchange for people with and without disabilities through the international language of the arts, thereby promoting social inclusion and artistic creativity.

     To achieve such objective, the festival adopted a cross-sector collaboration approach.  In addition to the bureau and the association, the festival was fully supported and sponsored by the 18 District Councils, many charitable organisations, business corporations and enterprises, non-governmental organisations, voluntary groups, art groups, tertiary institutions and uniformed groups.

     The nine-day festival will feature a series of diversified, international and distinctive performing arts programmes, exhibitions, workshops, symposium and carnival.  The programmes would be held at various venues throughout the territory.

     To tie in with the promotion of the International Day of Disabled Persons, the opening of the festival would be held on December 2.  The highlight of the opening event, "Beat the Drum for Inclusion", would attempt to break a Guinness world record.  This would be the most extensive outdoor event of the festival.  As many as 11,000 participants from 18 districts, the commercial sector, professional and charitable organisations would gather on both sides of the Victoria Harbour to give a mass percussion performance "The Earth Shall Move" under the baton of the artistic director of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Yan Huichang.

     The opening event will also include "Saori Fashion Extravaganza" and "18-District Giant Puppet Parade".  "Saori Fashion Extravaganza" is another programme highlight with the participation and co-operation by people with different abilities.  Local students in Fashion Design would utilise the woven products by weavers from rehabilitation organisations to design a series of Saori fashion wear.  Models with or without disabilities would demonstrate the beauty of the extraordinary hand in hand.

     In the "18-District Giant Puppet Parade", each district will field people with disabilities and those without in collaboration to operate giant puppets originated from different fairy tale characters, each showing the unique features of respective districts.

     On performing arts, the festival would present five fabulous performances, fusing Chinese and Western music, dance, drama, etc.  It would showcase artistic talents of local and overseas artists with and without disabilities.  To be held on December 3, the "Gala Performance" at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre has invited star of the arts in the United Kingdom, percussionist Evelyn Glennie.  World-known virtuous violinist Yao Jue, pianist Luke Wong, visually impaired vocalist Christina Wong and soprano Poon Yeuk-foo will present "Classical Music Quartet".  Cantonese Opera singer Koi Ming-fai and Kwan Tim will sing the vocal part of the "The Death of Princess Chang Ping" while the acting part would be taken care of by the little actors from "Kim Sum Cantonese Opera".  A deaf theatre company in Hong Kong, "Theatre of Silence"; a hearing impaired African American hip-hop group, "Wild Zappers"; and a Yoga-Tribe from Hong Kong and India would stage "Deaf Theatre ¡V Park and Art".

     "Stage to Craze" to be held on December 6 at the Studio Theatre of Hong Kong Cultural Centre promises to be a night filled with diversified drama performances.  It will include a multi-media dance by a local art group "Breeze Across Us", deaf theatre "Beauty and the Beast" and pioneers of inclusive dancing art from England "Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company".

     December 8 will be the drama night for the festival, with "Theatre Mix" being staged at the theatre of Hong Kong City Hall.  Performing artists included New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association's "My Dancing Heart" Performing Art Workshop, Ricky Tse, Po Sun-yee, "FM Theatre Power", and "Epic Arts Cambodia".

     The "Jockey Club Arts for the Disabled Scheme" Annual Performance 2006 will be held at the auditorium of Sha Tin Town Hall on December 9.  The variety show would feature performances by trainees of the "Jockey Club Arts for the Disabled Scheme" as well as other rehabilitation organisations and disabled groups.

     The Festival Finale will be held on December 10 at the auditorium of Kwai Tsing Theatre.  Locally, "Dancing Heart Troupe" of St James' Settlement Rehabilitation Services and "DancingAndy Creative Workshop" would present dance performance. Wong Wing-kam, "Chosen Power" together with puppeteers with different abilities will stage the innovative performance with shadows interpreting famous paintings based on the album of painter Liu Tung-mui.  Russian deaf theatre group "Toys Theatre" will give a performance mixing visual theatrical elements such as deaf theatre, dance, clown performance, and drama to tell stories with music and body movements.  Variety show by World Disabled People's Achievement Fair award holder "China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe" would bring the Festival Finale to a close.

     The festival will organise three inclusive arts exhibitions with different themes to enable participants to appreciate the inner journeys of people with different abilities in the world of arts.  They are "Ways to Feel", "Ways to See" and "Joy to Share".  Coupling with the "Arts and Inclusion ¡V Opportunities and Challenges" Symposium, three workshops of different art forms, and the A-Mazing Carnival to be held on December 10, the festival will bring inclusive arts to people from all walks of life and every corner of society.

     Tickets of the festival performing arts programmes will be available at all URBTIX outlets from tomorrow (October 6).  Discount tickets will be available to senior citizens, people with disabilities and one minder each, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients.  Wheelchair seats are provided for all programmes.

     For programme enquiries, call the association at 2855 9548; for ticketing enquiries and reservations call 2734 9009.  Internet bookings are available at www.urbtix.hk.  For credit card telephone bookings, call 2111 5999.  Visit www.hkifia.net for more information about the festival.

Ends/Thursday, October 5, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:30

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