The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will hold 19 thematic talks under the "Echoing Voices: Hong Kong City Hall 60th Anniversary Arts Salon Series" from June to December. All talks are under the theme of Inheritance and topics include Cantonese opera, music, dance, theatre, film, reading, arts exhibition, arts administration and architectural aesthetics. Arts practitioners of different periods will be invited to Hong Kong City Hall (HKCH) to review local art developments, outlook and inheritance.

     Being a cradle of local culture for over 60 years, HKCH has been a stage for local artists and arts groups for generations to shine and inherit their talents. For the three talks under the series "On the Preservation and Inheritance of Cantonese Opera", veterans of Cantonese opera and their mentees are invited to share the pains and gains in their inheritance and transmission of the art form, despite the challenges from modern entertainment and popular culture.

     Four talks on music, namely, "The Hong Kong Harmonica Trilogy: Inspired · Inspiring · Inspirational", "Opera in Hong Kong: Yesterday, Today and Beyond", "Piano Masters and their Protégés" and "Embracing the Heritage · Cantonese Music in Hong Kong", invite both the masters and young talents of different music genres to share their trainings in the past, and their future prospects on the development of music in the city.

     The talk series "4 Ws about Dance" will explore the development of dance in Hong Kong in four aspects: the possibility of space, creativity in choreographic elements, dance education and community engagement. Local dancers of different generations are invited to share their experience and discuss the future of local dance industry.

     For the two talks under the theme of "Theatre: Inheritance and Development", veteran multi-disciplinary dramatists cum culturists will explore how local culture and arts and pop culture influence each other; while theatre professors will share those traditions in drama they have inherited, beliefs they are holding, and artistic skills they are passing to young practitioners.

     HKCH has been a major screening venue of film festivals and programmes in the city for decades. In the two talks entitled "From Cine Clubs to Film Festivals" and "City Hall - Hong Kong Film Culture: Now and Beyond", veteran curators, critics and renowned directors will revisit the vital role the venue has played in the development of film culture in Hong Kong over the years.

     Apart from talks related to performing arts, there is also a thematic talk on arts administration, namely "Artspeak: Words from the Arts Administrators". Veteran arts administrators who had worked at HKCH at different times are invited to share their experience and backstage stories, enriching audiences with their understanding of the arts sector.

     Since its inauguration in 1962, HKCH has provided members of the public with a public space of exhibition and reading. The place also gave birth to the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) and the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL). There will be two talks focusing on the related cultural services in the series. A talk titled "60 years in a blink: From MA to MoA" reviews the growth of the HKMoA, which has risen to become one of the world's top 100 most popular art museums in 2021, as listed by The Art Newspaper. Meanwhile, in a talk entitled "Six Decades of the Libraries", librarians serving in different periods are invited to share their work experiences and recall the transformation of the HKPL's services.

     As the finale of the series, a talk entitled "Our Youngest Monument: Architectural Aesthetics of the City Hall" will be held in December to reveal the modest and timeless architectural concept of HKCH, which has recently been upgraded from a Grade 1 historic building to a declared monument, making it the "youngest monument" in the city. Details of this talk will be announced on the website of the Arts Salon Series later.

     For event dates and details, please see the Annex. The talk on libraries will be held at the Extension Activities Room, 8/F, High Block, HKCH, while other thematic talks will be held at the Recital Hall, 8/F, High Block, HKCH. Each talk is approximately one hour and 30 minutes long and conducted in Cantonese. Admission is free. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis with free seating. Registration is required and details are as follows:

Talks on Cantonese opera, music, dance, theatre and arts administration: Open for online registration now.
Talks on film: Online registration will be open from 10am on July 20 (Wednesday).
Talk on the museum: Registration will be open from 10am on June 13 (Monday) by fax (2723 7666) and email (hkmoa_enquiries@lcsd.gov.hk).
Talk on libraries: Registration will be open from 9am on July 20 (Wednesday) online or by calling 2921 2672.
Talk on architectural aesthetics of HKCH: Details will be announced later.

     For more details of specific talks and online registration, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/60A/groups_1284.html.

     In order to comply with the requirements stipulated in the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, members of the public are required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR code with their mobile phones/other mobile devices before being allowed to enter the art performing venues managed by the LCSD for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. In accordance with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation (Cap. 599L) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, all persons entering indoor venues under the management of the LCSD must comply with the requirement of the Vaccine Pass.

Ends/Monday, May 23, 2022
Issued at HKT 15:00

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