At the beginning of Art March, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) pulled together the efforts of the six Schools and various units and held its annual Open Day today. Filled with over a hundred free performing arts activities, with highlights on artificial intelligence (AI) and art technology, the event drew about 8,500 visitors to the Main Campus in Wanchai and the Bėthanie Landmark Heritage Campus in Pokfulam.
Professor Gillian Choa, Director of the Academy remarked, “This annual Open Day is one of the Academy’s most significant community events as it allows us to spread the fun as well as the latest developments of performing arts in the Academy to thousands of members of the public over the years. We are committed to continue to embrace educational innovation to nurture young talents and contribute to the art and cultural development in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and the region.”
A wide array of performing arts activities included a performance by Junior Symphony Orchestra, concerts of Chinese and Western music, excerpt performances of musicals, drama, Cantonese opera, dance open classes, film and television screenings, and guided tours for immersive performing arts activities. Furthermore, visitors went backstage to discover the secrets behind the scenes, including stage design, props and costume making, as well as stage effects exhibitions, indulging themselves in the world of performing arts on the day. The “On Stage @ HKAPA Digital” of the Academy Library also allowed visitors to step onto different stages virtually and take digital photos of themselves as characters in Academy productions.
About The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (www.hkapa.edu)
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), established by The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Ordinance in 1984, is a leading tertiary institution in the performing arts in Asia. It provides professional undergraduate education and practice-based postgraduate studies. The study encompasses Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Its educational philosophy reflects the cultural diversity of Hong Kong with emphasis on Chinese and Western traditions, and interdisciplinary learning. Since 2008, the Academy has attained the Programme Area Accreditation (PAA) status awarded by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) to self-monitor and accredit its own undergraduate and post-secondary programmes in the five programme areas of Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Since 2016, the PAA status has been extended to cover Master’s Degree programmes and below; and since 2023, the programmes operated by the School of Chinese Opera accredited by HKCAAVQ has also received PAA status for its post-secondary and undergraduate programmes.
Besides the main campus in Wanchai, Béthanie, the site of the Academy’s Landmark Heritage Campus in Pokfulam, has housed training facilities for the School of Film and Television since 2006.
In the QS University Rankings announced in 2023, the Academy ranks 1st in Asia and 13th in the world in the Performing Arts category.