Learning Programme for Youth Theatre
Zuni Icosahedron is financially supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
The “Learning Programme for Youth Theatre” in “Creative Playground – Danny Yung Experimental Theatre” is an elementary programme on the basics of experimental theatre specially designed for local young people aged 16-25, using the creative concept of Danny Yung, the pioneer of Chinese experimental arts, as blueprint, with the aim of training local artistic talents. After interviews and auditions, trainees of Creative Playground will participate in “Creative Lectures” and a series of courses on the basic skills of creativity, including lessons on the body, sounds, space, technology, symbols and structure. They will learn to get to know themselves, theatre and cultural exchange through dialogues to learn about theatre performance and creation in “Creative Education Forums”, the “Nanjing Study Tour” and “Toki Arts Week”, a creative exchange programme on Asian traditional performing arts, as well as learning from dialogues among different artists, professionals and scholars from various disciplines like theatre, arts, the creative industry and education.
Creative Courses
Producer, Curator: Mathias Woo
- Co-Artistic Director cum Executive Director of Zuni Icosahedron
- Board Member of HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity and Ko Lu Secondary School
- In 2001 co-founded the “Ngau Pang Sue Yuen” and the cultural magazine “E+E”, and became its chief editor
- Curate art and creative education projects including “National Arts Education Programme – Art & Design” Series, “Tian Tian Xiang Shang: Creativity-for-Community and School Development Programme”, “Zuni Youth” Experimental Performance, and “Black Box Exercise – Installation Art Education Programme” etc
- Pioneered the cross- and multi-media theatre, and is recognised for a portfolio of more than 60 original theatre works, which have been invited to cities around the globe including Beijing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Macau, Tokyo, Singapore, Taipei, Berlin, Brussels, Krakow of Poland, and Milan, exploring subjects as wide-range as literature, history, current political affairs, architecture and religion
- Renowned for incorporating multimedia into theatre creation. The multimedia architectural musical series “The Life & Times of Louis I . Kahn”, “Looking for Mies” and “CORBU” became the hallmark in the scene of Hong Kong theatre
- Recent productions include “Eighteen Springs”, “1587, A Year of No Significance”, “Hua-Yen Sutra”, “East Wing West Wing” Series, and Kunqu opera “Tang Xianzhu’s Dream on Dreams”, and “A Tale of The Forbidden City” etc.
- In 2009, initiated and curated “Architecture is Art Festival”, the first of its kind themed on architecture in Hong Kong, in which possibiliites of architecture, theatre and art education were explored through performances, education programme, exhibition, forum
- In 2012, Mathias with《Looking for Mies》awarded by the Hong Kong Design Centre“DFA Merit”
策劃及組織 | 監製、策劃：胡恩威
- 進念‧二十面體聯合藝術總監暨行政總裁
- 香港兆基創意書院創校董事及高雷中學校董
- 2001年參與創辦牛棚書院，並創辦文化雜誌《E+E》及擔任主編
- 策畫藝術及創意教育項目包括「國民藝術教育計劃 — 藝術與設計系列」、「天天向上」社區校園創意拓展計劃、「進念青年」實驗演出計劃 、「多媒體戲劇教育計劃」、「黑箱作業」藝術裝置教育計劃等
- 跨界及多媒體劇場先鋒，作品逾六十齣，曾應邀於北京、南京、上海、蘇州、澳門、東京、新加坡、台北、柏林、布魯塞爾、波蘭、米蘭等地演出，主題涵蓋文學、歷史、時政、建築、宗教
- 擅於運用多媒體科技從事舞台創作，多媒體建築音樂劇場系列《路易簡的時代和生活》、《Looking for Mies》及《CORBU》等，開創香港劇場先河
- 近年舞台作品包括《半生緣》、《萬曆十五年》、《華嚴經》、《東宮西宮》系列，崑劇《臨川四夢湯顯祖》及《紫禁城遊記》等
- 2009年策劃香港首個以建築為題的「建築是藝術節」，透過劇場演出、教育計畫、展覽、研討會，探索建築、劇場、藝術教育的可能性
- 2012 年憑《Looking for Mies》獲香港設計中心頒發「亞洲最具影響力優秀設計獎」
- 2013 年獲《南方都市報》頒授「深港生活大獎年度藝文人物獎」
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Curriculum Development Coordinator: Chan Pik Yu
- Graduated from Fine Arts Department of New Asia College, Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Diploma for Scenography for Film and TV, Hochschule für Film- und Fernsehen Konrad Wolf Babelsberg
- PhD, Academy for Art and Design, Tsing-hua University
- 2002-2003 as instructor of "Experimental Cross-Media" Workshops presented by Videotage, and "Multimedia Theatre Video" Workshops presented by Zuni Icosahedron
- Former visiting lecturer of Multimedia Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- 2005-2011 as Programme Leader of Multimedia Design, Deputy Department Head of Design, and Mentor for master students at Cheung Kong School of Art and Design, Shantou University
- 2013 assigned by Hong Kong Council of Accreditation for Academic and Vocational Qualifications as specialist for learning programme accreditation for three years
- 2013 managed the accreditation of the Learning Programme "Diploma for Creative Arts", HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity
- 2016 invited to be one of the module writers for new degree learning programme of Hang Seng Management College
- At present as Project Consultant for Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture, and Senior Researcher for Curriculum for HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity
Chloe Wong
- Graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with honours in Contemporary Dance, and won the Society of the Academy for Performing Arts Scholarship
- Obtained the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund scholarship to study master's degree programme jointly organised by the Hollins University & American Dance Festival (ADF) in the U.S.
- Represented Hollins University to attend the Monaco Dance Forum 2006
- In 2012, she completed the Acting & Performing course in Prague, Czech Republic
- Her choreographies have been staged in different countries all over the world
- Since 2013, Wong has collaborated with Japanese artists in a three-year cross cultural exchange programme “Absolute Airplane”.
- Currently teaching at HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, and Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (Applied Learning course), etc.
Photographer：Ringo Chan
Park Hobin (Seoul)
- 1986 graduated from Seoul Arts College
- In 1994, he was awarded Best Young Choreographer with the trio “Death of a Poet”
- From 1995 to 1996, his solo work “L'oiseau la tête pleine” was invited to the Swedish Cultural Centre, Paris and the Open Theatre Dance Festival, Greece
- Awarded a MAMPIST Scholarship by Samsung Foundation of Culture
- Led the Dance Company JoBac from 1996-2003 and, in 2004
- Founded Dance Theater CcadoO
- His work “Full Moon” has received the 2008 Critics Price by the Dance Critics Association of Korea
Dorotea Etzler (Berlin)
- Conceptual Artist based in Berlin, Germany
- 1980s studied architecture at Technical University Berlin, afterwards served as architect in London and Berlin
- 1990s started creating works in form of photography, video and installation, and were shown in numerous festivals in Germany and overseas, including “Transmediale”, “Microwave International Media Art Festival”, “Gwangju Biennale 2002”, “2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan”, and “ISEA 2016”, etc.
- 1998-2000 live in Hong Kong and became part of the Oil Street Artists Village
- As VJane lazyliu she interacts with the smart phone to create artistic imagery, investigating the media by means of glitch art and visual noise.
Ellen Pau
- Studied Radiography at the Hong Kong Polytechnic and became a self-taught video artist committing herself to art
- Lectured in diverse universities and colleges in Hong Kong and China, and organized numerous media art related workshops and curriculum
- Debut super-8mm work “Glove” was screened internationally in 1984 and was well-received
- Early works first appeared in local screening clubs and then resurfaced on the international arena starting in 1987. From there, Pau dedicated her life in video art to the development of media art in Hong Kong
- In 1986, she co-founded Videotage, a media art collective in Hong Kong, with Wong Chi-fai, May Fung and Comyn Mo, aiming at creating an umbrella organization for media artists, that facilitated artistic and cultural exchange and promoted video and media art in Hong Kong
- Founding director cum curator of the “Microwave International New Media Arts Festival”, which celebrates its 15th Anniversary in 2011.
- Single channel videos and video installation works have been extensively exhibited worldwide in film festivals and art biennials, including ‘Recycling Cinema’ which was selected and exhibited at the Hong Kong Pavilion in the 49th Venice Biennial
- Active as an independent cinematographer, curator, art critic and researcher focusing on Asian new media arts
- Council Member of Hong Kong Arts Development Council, and Chairlady of one of the Art Form Group “Film and Media Arts”
Shi Xiaomei (Nanjing)
- Famed National Class One performer in Kunqu opera
- Currently board member of Chinese Dramatists Association and Chinese Performing Arts Association
- Specialises in xiaosheng (young male) roles and has studied under Yu Zhenfei, Zhou Chuanying and Shen Chuanzhi
- Winner of the Plum Blossom Award and Wen Hua Award
- Has been included twice in Who’s Who In The World
- In 2002 was jointly recognised by the UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture as the devoted outstanding Kunqu artist
- In 2009 was named National Maestro of Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Was named Maestro of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Outstanding Maestro in Jiangsu province in 2010 and 2012 respectively
Zhang Jun
- National Class One performer of Kunqu opera
- Started learning Kunqu in 1986 at Shanghai Xiqu School, specialising in xiaosheng (young male) roles
- Studied under famous masters Cai Zhengren, Yue Meiti, Zhou Zhigang, and Yu Zhenfei
- Served as a professional kunqu actor since 1994 in the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe for 15 years, and became Deputy Head in 2007
- Established his own Kunqu company in 2009.
- Among his numerous acting awards is the Meihua (Plum Flower) Award, China’s most distinguished honor in the performing arts.
Kong Aiping (Nanjing)
- National Class One performer of Kunqu opera
- Artistic Director of Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre
- Studied guimendan (young virtuous lady) role type with Zhang Xian, Zhang Jiqing and Zhang Xunpeng
- Winner of the Plum Blossom Award
- Numerous awards and honours including The Orchid Best Performer Award at the Chinese Young Kunqu Opera Performer Exchange and Jasmine Nomination
- Kunqu Opera Promotion Award co-presented by UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture
Curriculum Development Coordinator: Wong Yue Wai
- Master of Arts in Culture Communication and Media, Institute of Education, University of London
- Since 1990s committed himself to art administration, art education and production
- Curated and managed performances and visual arts education programmes, in which over thousand of schools and cultural institutions have participated, including “Black Box Exercise”, “Multimedia Theatre Education Programme”, “Zuni Youth” Experimental Performance, Outdoor performance in Hong Kong Arts Festival 94 “Here Here There There” etc.
- Been invited to visit and hold lectures, workshops, exhibitions and performances in cities including: Beijing, St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Nanjing, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, New York, Washington, London, Berlin, Warsaw, Rome, Russia, India, New Delhi, yeah Jakarta, etc.
- 2000 to 2006 as curator and producer of “Multimedia Theatre Education Programme” for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong SAR Government
- 2006 developed and designed the curriculum of Multi-media and Performing Arts for HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, and as instructor for Multi-media and Performing Arts of the Creative Profession-Oriented Programme from 2006 to 2009
- Represented Hong Kong as producer participating in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival that took place outdoors on the National Mall in Summer 2014
- Producer of performances in Japan Pavilion of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai
- Researcher and project manager of the first city-to-city exchange cultural festival (Festival of Vision)
- Member of ITI Music Theatre Committee of UNESCO
Project Assistance: Ricky Cheng
- In 2006 founded Youth theatre, "Shingha Theatre"
- Since 2008 engaged in administration work of Zuni Icosahedron’s educational projects
- In 2010 founded "Youth Experimental Art Festival of Macau"
- Participated in different performances from 2006 to 2015 as director and Producer, as well as co-creator in projects with diverse young artists
- Works including "How Does the Holiday Being Youth?" series, “The Nutcracker in 2D, and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” have been invited to stage in Macau and different cities in China
- In 2014, he took the leading role in the collective work “How Does the Holiday Being Youth? 3” with 100 local youth
- Collaborated with different artists and organizations over the years, including the exhibition of a local photographer Minghui “思相‧See想”, the illustration and installation exhibition curated by Leumas To “5 Patterns, 10 Patterns”, the 4th exhibition of local illustrator C Chung, and an experimental multi-media work by local sound artist K.K. Chau “Preconscious Impact” etc.
Project Coordinator: Cedric Chan
- Joined Zuni in 1998
- Participated in coordination of various Art-in-Education projects, including “Black Box Exercise – Installation Art Education Programme”, “Multimedia Theatre Education Programme”, “Zuni Youth” Experimental Performance
- Participated in creation, performance and coordination of various theatre productions, including “East Wing West Wing” series, “1587, A Year of No Significance”, “Three-letter Opera”, “Hua-yen Sutra”, “Remembrance of Karaoke Past”, “Railway is Like a Long, Winding Recollection”, “Gayamyan Sings ‘Hong Kong Song Book - Little Rascals’ Night Club” etc.
- Co-directed Children Anime Musical “The Magic Flute”, “The Magic Flute Playground” and “Bauhaus Manifesto”
- Co-founded local band Gayamyan in 2000; the band released its debut album in 2002 and participated in several music publications for “East Wing West Wing”, including “East Wing West Wing: Original Soundtrack Collection 2003-2013”; released solo debut EP “Crazy for Tutorials” in 2006
- Also lyrist for local pop music; he has written lyrics for singers including Anthony Wong, Joey Yung, HOCC, Miriam Yeung, Andy Hui, at17, Pong Nan etc.
Tobias Gremmler
- German art director and designer in digital media
- Designer for computer interface design, animation and cross-media works in the realm of commerce, culture and art
- Member of Art Directors Club Deutschland
- Lectured and held workshops in numerous universities in Euroupe, United States, China and Hong Kong, including Art Center College of Design Pasadena (Los Angeles, US), Anhalt University of Applied Sciences (Dessau, Germany), China Academy of Arts (Hangzhou, China), and Hong Kong Academy for performing Arts, etc.
- Author of “Grids for the Dynamic Image” (co-authoring), “cyberBionic - Design und Evolution digitaler Welten”, and “Creative Education and Dynamic Media”
- Digital image designer for Zuni Icosahedron’s productions, including “The Forbidden City” (2009)
- “Looking for Mies” (2002), and “Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci” (2010) ,etc.
- 2004 as co-designer of the Multi-media Design curriculum for Cheung Kong School of Arts and Design of Shantou University, China
- Former Visiting Associate Professor, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong
- Former Visiting Professor of Shanghai Theater Academy
Steve Hui
- Studied composition and electronic music at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
- Since 2011 teaches composition and electronic music at Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
- 2007-2010 instructor for Diploma programme of Hong Kong International Institute for Music
- 2006-2007 instructor for “Multi-media and Performing Arts” of “Creative Profession-Oriented Programme” at HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity
- Participated as workshop designer and instructor in diverse Zuni Icosahedron’s art education programmes, including “Tian Tian Xiang Shang: Creativity-for-Community and School Development Programme”, Nanjing Study Tour for “Toki Arts Weeks”, and “Multimedia Theatre Education Programme”, etc.
- Works were staged in “Hong Kong Arts Festival”, “Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism \ Architecture”, “New Vision Arts Festival”, and “Microwave International New Media Arts Festival” ,etc.
- Recent works including: digital opera “The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci” (2010), “The Four Infinities” for the opening of the Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre (2011), live soundtrack of 1950s film “Family, Spring, Autumn” with Kung Chi-shing, and also as music director of “Decade” for the West Kowloon Cultural District (2013) and “1984” Cinematic Opera (2014)
Lai Tat Tat Wing
- One of the Hong Kong’s most important independent comic artists who commits himself to creative education
- Curriculum designer and instructor for local colleges, universities, education institutes and art education projects, including “Summer School” of Ngau Pang Sue Yuen (2001), “Visual Arts” at Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (2002), “Design and Visual Communications” of “Creative Profession-Oriented Programme (School-based Curriculum) (2005-2006) and “Comic Course for Summer Holidays” (2015) at HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, Creative education programme for Faith Love Hope Charitable Foundation (2008), and creative workshops for YMCArts (since 2011)
- Since 1990s participated in theatre productions and art education projects of Zuni Icosahedron, and was workshops designer and instructor, as well as interns mentor for programmes including “Black Box Exercise – Installation Art Education Programme”, “Multimedia Theatre Education Programme”, “National Arts Education Programme – Art & Design Series”, “Tian Tian Xiang Shang: Creativity-for-Community and School Development Programme”
- Artist-in-resident at Zuni Icosahedron
- His conceptual and experimental comic publications are well received in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and lately in France, which includes “Picking up A Pig Tale”, “Woody Woody Wood”, “A Parading Zoo in Taiwan”, “Stand behind the Island Line”, and a work in French “il y a 2600 ans”
- He was twice invited to the renowned Angoulême International Comics Festival in France in 2008 and 2011
Dick Wong
- A graduate of journalism
- In mid 1990s, he defected from the publishing industry, and fully engaged himself in performing arts as dancer and choreographer
- In 2004, he created “B.O.B.*” commissioned by the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and later on toured with 2 different versions of “B.O.B.*” in Europe and Asia
- In 2009, Dick Wong created 1+1 in Tokyo, and the piece was later invited by kobe International Dance Festival and Cartier Foundation of Paris for Performance; in the next year, he was selected as laureate of the International Residence Programme at Recollets, Paris,
- In 2011, commissioned by the In Transit Festival, Dick Wong premiered Be Me in Berlin’s Haus der Kulturen der Welt
- In 2014, he collaborated with Xing Liang to present “0 │2” in the New Vision Arts Festival.
- As course instructor of “Multi-media and Performing Arts” of “Creative Profession-Oriented Programme” (2007-2008), and “Performing Arts” of “Diploma for Creative Arts”
- Participated as workshop designer and instructor in diverse art education projects of Zuni Icosahedron, including “Black Box Exercise” and “Multimedia Theatre Education Programme”, etc.
- Former instructor for dance and performance workshops organized by Hong Kong University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Renaissance Foundation, Comuna de Pedra, etc.
Yu Yat-yiu@PMPS
- Graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, major in Geography and minor in Music; has been professionally trained in performing both classical Western and Chinese instruments
- Instructor at Baron School of Music since inception
- 2006-2007 as course instructor for “Multi-media andPerforming Arts” of “Creative Profession-Oriented Pgroamme”
- Since 1990s participated as workshop designer and instructor in diverse Zuni Icosahedron’s productions and art education programmes, including “Black Box Exercise”, “Multimedia Theatre Education Programme”, and “Tian Tian Xiang Shang: Creativity-for-Community and School Development Programme”, etc
- Served yearlong in the ATV Soundtrack Team
- Apart from working full time as a music director for films, video movies, TV commercials and theatres, he is also a song and lyrics writer and a record producer in the Hong Kong pop music industry for many renowned local artists such as Cass Pang, Anita Mui, Anthony Wong, Miriam Yeung, and Juno Mak etc.
- Co-founded with Anthony Wong et al. “People Mountain People Sea” in 1999, and has been composer, lyricist and producer for its singers since then
- With "Hold You Tight" and "Prince of Tears" was nominated for Best Original Score of the Hong Kong Film Awards
- With "Wanna be" won a CASH Golden Sail Music Award for Best Song Award with Eman, and Arai Soichiro in 2012
- One of the songs sung by Miriam Yeung has received a Top Ten Solid Gold Award 2002 presented by RTHK.
- Author of “Hong Kong Talks Music”
Team
Jun to Sep
Dec
Oct
Nov
Creative Lectures
Creative Education Forum
Creation and Rehearsals
Performance of “One Table, Two Chairs”
Nanjing Study Tour
Recruitment
Creative Lectures of Danny Yung Experimental Theatre
Speakers: Danny Yung and local guest artists
- “Crossing over” is the key to Danny Yung Experimental Theatre
- Understanding the 6 basic creative elements of “crossing over”: body, sounds, space, technology, symbols and structure
- Guiding young people to get to know themselves, to know theatre, dialogues of cultural exchange, and cross disciplinary creativity through multi-media and interactive means
- Inviting artists and professionals from the local creative industry and cultural sector as guests to share their thoughts and experiences from different perspectives.
Space
Theatre space and public spaces, subversion of traditions and reconstruction of traditions
Architects and artists coming together to develop future public spaces
Get to know what theatre is, get to know the history of theatre. Theatre is a public space, and directors and architects of theatres have common responsibilities. The aim of cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary studies and collaborations is to develop more new space in order to explore and create comprehensive public spaces with a world vision. Crossing over is a means of creative criticism and self critique as well.
X
Technology
Technology and arts firing up mutual inspiration for future development
Opening up dialectical creation with the application of new technology
The relationship between theatre creation and technology: technology can be the tool of “knowledge”, just as text / words could be the tool of “knowledge”. Theatre can be the tool of “knowledge”. Creation can also be the tool of “knowledge”. If the development of technology goes hand in hand with the development of theatre, we could have more inspiration in space, sound, structure, experiments, history, understanding and creation.
Symbols
The confines of text, language, time and space are all symbols
Social politics and memories of history are all symbols as well
What are symbols? When we compare and explore the ins and outs and boundaries of symbols, we can see many different confines, and then we shall find “taboos” and “challenges”, or we may find “the future”. Symbols are the best cultural heritage that history bequeaths us, hoping we could read them creatively, give them new interpretations, then give them discourses and critiques, or even subversions, or even develop them into more visionary and enlightening new symbols; just like the developments of text, of communication, of theatre, and of arts and culture.
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Structure
Essays and texts are a medium, theatre and stage are also a medium
Medium can also be content, and interaction between medium and content can be content as well
Structure is a medium. We put content into the framework of a structure, and then we'd find that structure can be content too. We make contact with concept in the world of the medium, and we'd find the medium is concept as well. We collect messages in a world full of systems, and then we'd find systems themselves could be messages.
Body
We explore the language of theatre with body language
We develop theatre creation with collective creation
We start to understand ourselves by understanding our body. We get to know our body language, and from there we come to understand the culture of our body, the culture of language, the culture of discourse, organisational culture, and local culture. Then, we start to know about creation, personal creation and collective creation. Everything starts from the body.
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Sounds / Voice
Analyse our own voice and establish our identity
Listen to the voices of others so as to inspire in us a comprehensive vision
Learn to speak by learning to listen. Our body can make many different sounds, breathing, clapping, and the sound of our feet touching the ground...learn to listen carefully and with an open mind to each other's sounds, starting from breathing, cultivate your communication skills, learn to make exchanges, learn to collaborate. Listening, speaking and communicating are not only creating, challenges between collaborating teams are not only challenges between actors and audience, between individuals and the collective, but also communication and challenges between the you now and the future you. Everything starts from listening carefully.
Creative Lectures
12 October : Lesson 3 & 4
13 October : Lesson 5 & 6
11 October : Lesson 1 & 2
Date: 11-13 October
Time: 14:00-16:00
Venue: Multi-media Theatre of HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity
Open to public : Free admission
Nanjing Study Tour – Toki Arts Week, A Creative Exchange Programme on Asian Traditional Performing Arts
Trainees of Creative Playground will go to the “Nanjing Study Tour” and participate in “Toki Arts Week” in attending master classes and workshops by Asian performing artists and some performances.
Date: 31 October – 13 November
Place: Nanjing
Fee: Trainees will receive full funding for this tour
Criteria for Participation:
- only trainees of Creative Playground are eligible
- trainees must attend Creative Lectures of Danny Yung Experimental Theatre
- trainees must attend “workshops / study tour briefings”
Toki Project
“Toki Arts Week”, a cross-regional, cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary creative exchange programme on Asian traditional performing arts, will take place in Nanjing in November, manifesting the creative vision and space of “cross-boundary” collaborations, creations, and exchange of Danny Yung Experimental Theatre.
Danny Yung is the Artistic Director as well as the Chief Curator of “Toki Project”, an event in collaboration with cross-regional, cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary contemporary artists and cultural workers from Tokyo, Bangkok, Hyderabad and Nidengbasa in India, Yogyakarta in Indonesia, Beijing, Nanjing, Taipei, Singapore and Hong Kong. These artists and cultural workers are from different fields, such as, Noh play, Kunqu opera, classical Thai dance, classical Balinese dance, classical Indian dance, contemporary theatre, contemporary dance, mime and acrobatic arts. Through “Toki Arts Week”, a creative exchange programme on Asian traditional performing arts, these traditional and contemporary arts practitioners from various disciplines come together for a cross-regional, cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary creative project in order to develop an extensive, dialectical and artistic exchange for Asian traditional arts.
"Toki 2016 Nanjing Study Tour" is financially supported by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Commission on Youth Secretariat
More information
The design of the curriculum of “The Basics of Creativity” is by a group of experienced artists, and there are three topics in the cross-over theatre creation for exploration:-
Body and sounds
Text and images
Space and technology
The body is the most important element in performing arts, and therefore understanding our own body is extremely essential for approaching theatre creation. We shall start from understanding our body, and slowly discover how body language is developed, and how it turns into a performance. We'll look at the process of how exercise, breathing, vocalisation turn into performing; and we shall also explore how we could form a collective from individuals through interaction and co-ordination.
Content of workshops:
- understanding the body: starting from warming up, walking and breathing exercise
- how to exercise in order to gain physical strength and flexibility: how to control and co-ordinate our body, how to find and shift focuses
- from breathing to making vocal sounds, until our body becomes an instrument
- from listening to one another to improvisation of interactive voices of a group
Workshop Instructors: Park Hobin (Seoul), Dick Wong, Steve Hui
These are not writing or painting classes, but lessons on how to read and interpret all symbols, in text or images, produced in the process of theatre creation. What are symbols? What is the relationship between text symbols and image symbols? We shall explore and experiment with the attributes of text symbols and image symbols, and see how changes in the nature of symbols could affect their definitions.
Content of workshops:
- What are texts? What are images? The possibilities of texts being manifested in sounds and other forms, and how to edit them.
- Get to know the attributes of symbols: shapes, colours, sizes, quantity, locations, distances, proportions, etc
- Study the changes in the nature of symbols and see how they could affect the meanings of the symbols
- Get to know the relationship between symbols, space and time. See how changes in time and space could affect the meanings of the symbols
Workshop Instructors: Yu Yat-yiu, Lai Tat Tat Wing
What is theatre? Why is there theatre? How theatre space is formed? How the changes in technologies affect theatre space and theatre creation. What is multi-media? What are the relationships between multi-media, technologies and theatre space? How to create, break through and reconstruct theatre space so as to increase the possibilities of theatre creation.
Content of Workshops:
- understanding the history of theatre
- understanding theatre space
- understanding the history of theatre technologies
- how technologies affect theatre space
Workshop Instructors: Ellen Pau, Dorotea Etzler (Berlin)
Dates: 14-30 November
Time: 19:00 – 22:00 (Mon – Fri)
14:00 – 18:00 and 19:00 – 22:00 (Sat and Sun)
Venue: Dance Studio of HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity
Criteria for Participation:
- only trainees of Creative Playground are eligible
- trainees must attend Creative Lectures of Danny Yung Experimental Theatre
- trainees must complete the “Nanjing Study Tour”
Fee: trainees will receive full funding for this course
With guidance by Danny Yung and other professional instructors, the 18 trainees will learn from the various series or workshops to understand anew body language, performance routines, and the merging of our body with the stage. And with that experience, each student will create a 5-minute piece, with “One Table Two Chairs” as the starting point.
'One table and two chairs' is the basic set for the stage in traditional Chinese opera, and Danny Yung has been using it as the platform for developing creative dialogues, contemporary theatre experiments and cross-cultural exchange since 1997. Over the years, more than a hundred artists and creative personnel from around the world have participated in the project of “One Table Two Chairs”, including famous directors Zhang Ping, Wang Jingsheng, Stanley Lai, Lin Zhaohua, Li Liuyi, Edward Yang, Tsai Ming Liang, Stanley Kwan, and the like.
Artistic Director: Danny Yung
Creative Instructor (body): Chloe Wong
Creative Instructor (sounds) : Steve Hui
Dates: 1 – 8 December
Time: 19:00 – 22:00 (Mon – Fri)
14:00 – 18:00 and 19:00 – 22:00 (Sat and Sun)
Venue: Dance Studio and Multi-media Theatre of HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity
Fee: Trainees will receive full funding for this course
Criteria for Participation:
- only trainees of Creative Playground are eligible
- trainees must attend Creative Lectures of Danny Yung Experimental Theatre
- trainees must complete the “Nanjing Study Tour”
- trainees must complete the course “The Basics of Creativity”
Danny Yung Experimental Theatre Education Programme “6 Waves 6 Shocks”
One table two chairs, six elements of the theatre, eighteen young peoples
In training for Danny Yung Experimental Theatre Education Programme, one should start from understanding one’s own body. What would it be like after Six Waves Six Shocks? Not one word? Two people of the same mind? All three mouths are tightly sealed? Nothing is taboo? Or just absolute nonsense?
Six Waves Six Shocks are experiments done by the young trainees in Danny Yung Experimental Theatre Education Programme, under the guidance of Danny Yung. The materials for these experiments are six basic elements of the theatre – the body, sounds, space, technology, signs and structure – and they are all done with the minimal set of one table two chairs. One Table Two Chairs is the basic set for the stage in traditional Chinese opera, and Danny Yung, the experimental art pioneer, has been using it as the platform for developing creative dialogues, contemporary theatre experiments and cross-cultural exchange since 1997. Over the years, more than a hundred artists and creative personnel from around the world have participated in the project, including Ping Chong, Wang Jinsheng, Stanley Lai, Lin Zhaohua, Li Liuyi, Edward Yang, Tsai Ming-liang, Stanley Kwan, and the like.
Artistic Director, Director: Danny Yung
Creative Performances: Trainees of Creative Playground
Date: 9-11 December
Venue: Multi-media Theatre of HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity
Duration: about 90 minutes without intermission
Credit Card Telephone Booking: 2111 5999
Online Booking: www.urbtix.hk
Programme Enquiries: 2566 9696
Ticketing Enquiries: 3761 6661
Zuni Website: www.zuniseason.org.hk
"Invisible Cities IV – Center of Culture"
“Every city is an open stage, is also our future theatre, as well as Hong Kong. In the invisible cities, in these cities full of problems, we see each other, and we finally see ourselves.”
Inspired by the book of the same title by the Italian author Italo Calvino published in 1972, Danny Yung’s experimental theatre Invisible Cities began on ‘Dean's Master Artist Creative Education Project’ presented by Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1993. It is a series of experimental theatre collaboration between Danny and local young artists, studying their identity and the relationship between Hong Kong. In 2015 and 2016, Zuni commenced the Learning Programme for Youth Theatre ‘Creative Playground – Danny Yung Experimental Theatre’ to teach six elements of theatre art: body, sounds, space, technology, symbols and structure. Hence, the presentation performances of these programmes developed into Invisible Cities (2015) and Invisible Cities/Decameron presented by The Absolutely Fabulous Theatre Connection (AFTEC). Invisible Cities IV – Centre of Culture is a Site-Specific Performance at the foyer of Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
Date & Time :
19/03/2017 15:30 - 16:30
Venue:Hong Kong Cultural Centre Foyer
Free Admission.
Creative Education Forums
Local and overseas professionals and scholars on creative education will be invited as guest speakers for forums with creative education as the topic, and they will answer questions and provide opinions to trainees of “Creative Playground” attending the talks. Creative Education Forums present a platform for experts, scholars, the public and young people, who would will be future forces of cultural development in Hong Kong, to develop some multi-directional, interactive and experimental dialogues so they could have an opportunity to explore the issue of “discovering oneself and discovering each other” by means of a cross-boundaries learning experience of theatre creation, where they can learn from each other and discuss the future development of education, arts and culture.
Date: 12-14 December
Time: 15:00-17:00
Venue: Drama Theatre of
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Open to public Free admission
All Forums will be conducted in Cantonese,
Putonghua and English with Simultaneous
Interpretation Service.
12/12/2016
15：00 - 17：00
Education is to Experiment/ Reinvent Tradition ?
13/12/2016
15：00 - 17：00
Education is to Experience School Executive's Vision and Planning?
Forum Guest
Ms. Patravadi Mejudhon
Founder and Artistic Director，Patravadi Theatre
Ms.Peng Huiheng
Vice Department Head, Drama School of Hebei Vocational Art College
Prof. King Siu
Associate Dean of the School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Moderator
Mr. Mathias Woo
Co-artistic Director cum Executive Director,
Zuni Icosahedron
Prof. Hartmut Wickert (Zurich)
Department Head of Performing Arts and Film, Zurich University of Arts
Mr. Li Liuyi (Beijing)
Director and Playwright, Beijing People’s Art Theatre
Prof. Li Che-lan, Linda
Professor of Department of Public Policy, City University Hong Kong
Ms. Ada Wong, JP
Convenor, Make a Difference
14/12/2016
15：00 - 17：00
Public Engagement/ Advocacy is the Future of Education?
Mr. Kok Heng Leun (Singapore)
Member of Parliament, Singapore and Artistic Director, Drama Box
Prof. Chen Pi-han (Taipei)
Associate Professor, National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, Acrobatics and Dance
Prof. Li Siu Leung
Dean of School of Chinese Opera, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Mr. Simon Wong
Artistic Director, Ming Ri Institute for Arts Education
Ms. Lynn Yau
Chief Executive Officer (Planning & Arts Learning), The Absolutely Fabulous Theatre Connection
Creative Lectures
Nanjing Study Tour
Basic Courses on Creativity
Creation and Rehearsals
Performance
Creative Education Forum
Recruitment of Trainees
- Targets: young people keen on local performing arts aged 16 – 25 (Capacity: 18 trainees)
Deadline： 19/8/2016
Interviews / Auditions：3-4/9/2016
Announcement of Results for Interviews：12/9/2016
Trainees are obligated to attend the followings:
- Creative Forums
- Nanjing Study Tour
- The Basics of Creativity
- Creations and Rehearsals
- Performances of “One Table Two Chairs
Trainees will receive full funding for Nanjing Study Tour
Trainees will receive full funding for the above classes
Contact
Course Content
Contact︰ Mr Ricky Cheng
Tel：852-2566 9696
Mobile︰852-9270 2462
Fax：852-2838 7527
Email：ricky@zuni.org.hk
Press
Contact︰Mr Luka Wong
Tel︰852-2566 9696
Mobile︰852-6301 6569
Fax︰852-2838 7527
Email︰luka@zuni.org.hk
Basic Courses on Creativity
Artistic Director, Director: Danny Yung
- In 2016, Yung was awarded the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2015 Artist of the Year (Drama) presented by Hong Kong Arts Development Council.
- In 2014, Yung was awarded the Fukuoka Prize – Arts and Culture Prize.
- In 2009, Yung was bestowed the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his contributions towards the arts and cultural exchange between Germany and Hong Kong.
- In 2008, with Tears of Barren Hill he garnered the Music Theatre NOW Award presented by the UNESCO’s International Theatre Institute.
An experimental art pioneer and one of the most influential artists in Hong Kong, Yung is a founding member and Co-Artistic Director of Zuni Icosahedron. In the past 40 years, Yung involved extensively in multifarious fields of the arts, including theatre, cartoon, film and video, visual and installation art.
Endeavours in Experimental Arts
In the past 40 years, Yung has been involved in over 100 theatre productions as director, scriptwriter, producer and/or stage designer. His theatre works were staged in cities across the world, including Tokyo, Yokohama, Toga, Singapore, Taipei, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Brussels, Berlin, Munich, London, Lisbon, Rotterdam and New York. In 2008, Yung created the commissioned theatre work by Hong Kong Arts Festival, Tears of the Barren Hill which reflects on the innovation of traditional Chinese theater and the institution of cultural exchange. It won him the Music Theatre NOW Award given by the International Theatre Institute of UNESCO. At the Shanghai Expo in 2010, he presented in cooperation with the renowned Japanese theatre director Makoto Sato The Tale of the Crested Ibis as a cultural exchange project, which combined for the first time the elements of Noh and Kun theatres, as well as traditional arts and cutting-edge (robot) technology. Yung developed on the concept of the Crested Ibis, or Toki, and has curated the annual Toki Festiva” since 2012, as an effort to enrich young Kun performers’ experience, and to promote exchanges between contemporary and traditional performing arts in Asian regions.
Yung is among the pioneers of Hong Kong experimental film and video artists. His short film, video and installation art pieces have been shown in Berlin, New York, London, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Tokyo and Hong Kong since 1980s. His Tian Tian Xiang Shang conceptual comics, figurines and sculptures have been exhibited in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Taipei, Singapore, Ann Arbor, Paris, Milan, Washington DC, Seattle, Toronto and Mexican City and etc.
Policy, Research, Planning and Education
Yung keeps a close watch on the arts and cultural policy and education development in Hong Kong as well as in the Asia Pacific regions. Yung currently serves as Chairperson of the Hong Kong–Taipei–Shenzhen–Shanghai City-to-City Cultural Exchange Conference, and a member of Design Council of Hong Kong. He was appointed the inaugural Dean’s Master Artist in Drama of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2013. He currently sits on the Management Board of HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, the advisory boards of Department of Cultural Studies of Hong Kong Lingnan University, School of Drama of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Cultural and Heritage Management of City University of Hong Kong.
Cultural Exchanges
In 2009, Yung was bestowed the Merit Cross of the Order of Merit on Ribbon of the Federal Republic of Germany by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his achievement and contributions on cultural exchanges between Germany and Hong Kong. In 2000, Yung organized the Festival of Vision – an 11-week program of cross-cultural festivals and conferences held in Berlin (Haus der Kulturen der Welt) and Hong Kong (Tamar Site) respectively. The festivals engaged the participation of over 1,000 artists and cultural practitioners from 35 cities in Asia and Europe. In 2014, commissioned by the 48th Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Yung designed the “Gateway – Tian Tian Xiang Shang” broad-scale flower plaque bamboo installation, featuring the Lingnan cultural heritage of flower plaque. The installation, which measures 35 meter broad, 10 meter high and 6 meter deep, stands on the National Mall of Washington DC during the Festival.
