Stretch Your Imagination. Creating a Successful West Kowloon Cultural District
Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung
Chairman, Consultation Panel of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
"The West Kowloon Cultural District ("WKCD") has been talked about for over a decade, and we all consider it very important. A vision for the WKCD has been outlined and it is very good that active actions are being taken. I also want to say that the WKCD should be a starting point rather than just a key to resolving the issues related to Hong Kong’s culture or cultural policies." What I said above reflects one of the views I heard in a focus group discussion of the Stage 1 Public Engagement (PE) exercise held by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. In fact, other people also put forward many similar views. For example, some stakeholders pointed out that Hong Kong is in desperate need of the WKCD because currently Hong Kong really lacks performing arts venues. I feel greatly encouraged and I share their feelings. In the past two months or so, the WKCD Authority has held a number of public forums and dozens of focus group discussions, involving many citizens and stakeholders (including representatives of visual arts and performing arts organisations) from different sectors of society. Their well-conceived views greatly impressed me. In the discussion, views were expressed on organic development of the WKCD, what special venues should be built in the WKCD, how to improve the transportation connecting to the WKCD and the transportation within the WKCD, and how the WKCD should implement the principle of sustainable development. These innovative views show that the stakeholders have carefully considered how the WKCD should be developed, and therefore they are of significant reference value for the Conceptual Plan Consultants.
A Cultural District for All
Last Saturday, I attended a focus group discussion held for persons with disabilities. I was really moved. The participants expressed their expectations for the WKCD through many different ways (such as words, pictures and sign language). The WKCD Authority has also arranged a group discussion for senior citizens. The views of these citizens have inspired us to think about the development of the WKCD from various perspectives. Our aim is to make the WKCD a high-quality and diversified cultural district with barrier-free access – a place that all can take pride in.
The WKCD Authority has engaged the Public Policy Research Institute of the Polytechnic University to collect public views in the PE exercise through different channels (including public forums, group discussions, questionnaires, emails, written submissions, messages in my facebook group, etc.), and to conduct independent qualitative and quantitative analyses of the views, for a fair and objective result. The report on the analysis of the views will be available to the public next March.
Active Participation of the Next Generation
We fully understand that the young generation will be the main users of the WKCD in future. If you remember, the opening forum of the Stage 1 PE exercise was dedicated to students. The Youth Forum to be organised this Sunday (20 December) is the last public event of the PE exercise of this stage, and is targeted mainly at the young people at work. We hope to do all we can to encourage the young people to express their expectations for the development of the WKCD, especially how to integrate popular applied technologies into the design, so as to keep the WKCD in pace with the times.
Double-track Preparation
To give full play to the role of the high-quality facilities, it is necessary for us to develop the software for the WKCD at the same time. We have collected views of the public and stakeholders on future activities and programmes to be held in the WKCD through the questionnaires of this PE exercise. These views will be valuable reference for the future artistic directors of the WKCD in designing programmes. We believe that the Authority will work closely with the government to strengthen art education and talent training, to ensure that the design of the WKCD will contain both local and foreign cultural characteristics, and draw in artistic talents from all over the world.
Continue to collect public opinions
The three-month Stage 1 PE exercise that began on 8 October 2009 will draw to a close on 7 January 2010. I expect to receive more different views before the conclusion of the Stage 1 PE exercise. I also hope that the parties concerned will analyse the views collected from stakeholders as soon as possible after the conclusion of the exercise, and to share the cultural district with Hong Kong characteristics and lay a solid foundation for creating a successful WKCD.