8 October, 2009
Marking a constructive start to the public engagement (PE) for the West Kowloon Cultural District, over 300 students and teachers joined the Opening Forum this (8 October) evening to share their views and aspirations for this unprecedented development for arts and culture. The Forum represented the official kick-off for Stage 1 of the PE, which will last from 8 October 2009 to 7 January 2010. Through the exercise, the Authority aims to understand the public’s expectation for the West Kowloon Cultural District ("WKCD") and the views of various stakeholder groups on the user requirements for the core arts and cultural facilities in WKCD.
The Forum featured an interesting conversation between Mr Henry Tang, Chief Secretary for Administration and Chairman of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and Mr Perry So, renowned young conductor in Hong Kong on arts and culture and the younger generation. This was followed by breakout focus group sessions for the school students. Samba and drum performances by percussion group 4 Gig Heads added energy and spirit to the event.
"The WKCD will provide world-class facilities to attract both local and international talent, and the Authority will also work very hard to provide quality arts and cultural programmes to make WKCD a platform for nurturing creativity and turning it into a must-visit place for both local residents and visitors from around the world,"said Mr Henry Tang. "The future WKCD will offer more channels for young people to showcase their talents and unleash their creativity," added Mr. Tang.
"In this regard, the Forum was a valuable opportunity for the Authority to listen to members of the next generation, who will be key users of the WKCD. Exposure to arts and culture is essential to a young person’s growth because it fosters pluralistic and progressive thinking. I thank the students who came today for their participation—I know all of us appreciate the insights and thoughts they shared, which will be important in shaping the future WCKD," he added.
Professor Stephen Cheung, Chairman of the Consultation Panel of the WKCD Authority, said, "We want WKCD to become everyone’s favourite place. For this to happen, I urge Hong Kong residents to participate in the public engagement. For those who cannot make it to the sessions, they can still contribute by reading the consultation leaflet and then filling in the questionnaire, both of which have been posted on the Authority's website and distributed via various channels. Photographs and descriptions about cultural districts in other parts of the world are given in the consultation leaflet. They provide food for thought on what kinds of offerings people might want to consider."
Starting from today, copies of the consultation leaflet and questionnaire will be distributed to the public at various locations, including arts and cultural venues operated by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department throughout Hong Kong, district offices and public housing estates. Completed questionnaires can be sent to the Authority online, by mail or by fax. The public can also log on to www.wkcda.hk to access and submit the questionnaire.
Apart from today’s Forum for students, three more public forums will be organised on 25 October, 8 November and 6 December, all Sundays. Members of the public may register online at www.wkcda.hk or call 2501 7920 to register.
In addition, more than 50 focus group meetings for some 1,700 stakeholders have been arranged for the coming months for stakeholders to express their views on the requirements for the facilities in the arts and cultural venues. The three Conceptual Plan Consultants and the Project Consultant who have been commissioned by the Authority to formulate conceptual plan options and a Development Plan respectively for WKCD will also attend the PE forums and focus group meetings to gain insights into the public's expectations and stakeholders’ requirements for the district and its facilities.
The audio recording of the proceedings of all the PE forums and meetings will be uploaded to the Authority’s website www.wkcda.hk.
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| During the breakout sessions of the Opening Forum, students are eager to share their thoughts and aspiration for the WKCD. | Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, Chairman of the Consultation Panel of the WKCD Authority, when wrapping up the discussions, thanks students for their bold and creative ideas. |