Stakeholders express their views on planning for Performing Arts Facilities

In January, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) conducted five focus group meetings with arts and culture stakeholders on the artistic positioning, prioritizing, clustering, stacking and sharing of WKCD’s Performing Arts facilities.

Over 100 people attended the series as part of an ongoing engagement programme to gather key stakeholders’ views on the proposed artistic positioning and individual technical features of the 15 Core Arts and Cultural Facilities proposed for the district. Representatives from the Project Consultant, Mott MacDonald, also attended the meetings to share technical references on the proposed venues as well as answer questions on the setup of the facilities.

Feedback is invaluable for the WKCDA as it develops a viable phasing strategy and makes the most effective use of floor area and financial resources. Participating stakeholders shared their views on the need for outdoor venues to provide different performance experiences for audiences; specific requirements for acoustics, staging and seating for various types of performances; and the management and operation of the various venues. Participants also commented on the proposed educational spaces and collaboration programmes for performing arts groups in the district.

This stakeholder engagement exercise will continue with a focus on Visual Arts and Museum facilities in the next few months. The views collected in this exercise will be useful in the preparation of the final development plan once a Conceptual Plan is selected by the WKCDA Board.