Freespace Happening returns on 11 September, bringing together local and overseas artists in a diverse programme of events

From 11 September 2016 to March 2017, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) will host the regular outdoor event Freespace Happening at the West Kowloon Nursery Park. The free event will take place every second weekend of each month, and is designed to foster an open, diverse, outdoor performing arts culture in the run-up to the opening of the West Kowloon Art Park and the Freespace venue.

WKCDA’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Duncan Pescod said, “I hope that Freespace Happening will continue to provide fun and creative opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures, families and pet lovers alike, to take part in outdoor art performances, eventually creating a community that will grow organically into a sustainable audience for the future Art Park opening in 2018 and the Freespace venue to be located in the centre of the Park.”

While this season’s Freespace Happening will be a music-centred series of events offering a wider range of music genres, there will also be activities promoting literature, dance, creativity, handicrafts and games jointly curated by WKCDA and various programme partners, including Youth Outreach, The House of Hong Kong Literature and ohmykids.

On 11 September, Freespace Happening starts the season with a programme that runs from 2pm to 7pm. Each month the event will be curated around a series of related themes. The theme for September, “Diaspora”, brings together a diverse selection of local and overseas musicians and bands to the Central Lawn of the Nursery Park. Mr Kung Chi-shing, Artistic Associate (Music), Consultant to WKCDA, said, “Along with local musicians, we also have on stage French and African performers living in Hong Kong. There’s also Sheng-Xiang & Band from Taiwan who play folk-rock and sing in Hakka, and Toy Captain with tunes sung in Chiu Chow dialect. By playing their own distinct type of music in their own language, musicians from different corners of the world will tell their stories.”

The monthly theme will also be reflected in a series of literature-based activities. Collaborating with The House of Hong Kong Literature, Freespace Happening will invite a poet to select or compose a theme-related poem. September’s event will feature recent work by local poet Cao Shuying, whose verses will be showcased in the DIY “Literary Kite” workshop and the “Let’s Fly” paper plane game. At the “Book Sharing” event, author and lyricist Yvette Wong will talk about her book “The Floating City”. The Nursery Park will also host “Reading on the Grass”, an event where visitors can take part in a form of book crossing, and share favourite books with a wider audience.

Also on the programme is the “ohmykids Market”, organised by Freespace Happening’s new partner ohmykids, where children have the chance to be stallholders and sell home-made goods or run fun activities. The market will include a photo booth hosted by local child-celebrity “Lau Siu Wah”, a fun flip-flop game stall, and lots of other creative ideas. Stall holders at the market will donate fifty percent of all profits to a local charity. 

Freespace Happening will also continue its partnership with Youth Outreach to present the “Hoikokdaytan 2046” handicraft market, with a wide range of stalls offering hand-made items produced by local designers, as well as workshops and performances. Adjacent to the market, visitors can enjoy the WE Dance programme, a series of community dance performances and workshops inspired by Big Dance Pledge 2016 Hong Kong.

The future Art Park will be an open, accessible and supportive arts venue where people can come with their pets to enjoy a variety of activities. In support of this, Freespace Happening will collaborate with several animal welfare organisations to promote responsible pet care and respect for all forms of life. In September, volunteers from the Lifelong Animal Protection Charity will talk to owners about how to improve communication with their dogs.

“With the Art Park due to open in stages from 2018 on, and the opening of Freespace planned for 2019, we are focused on honing our curatorial and operational management practices. We are also actively expanding our art community network and seeking new collaborations with artists from all fields to allow Freespace Happening to reach its full potential. Together, we are building an integrated art platform that truly belongs to Hong Kong,” stated Mr Louis Yu, Executive Director of Performing Arts of WKCDA.

To this end, Freespace Happening will partner with composer Vicky Fung in October, for a two-day film and music event. And, between November and March, visitors can expect an extraordinary music extravaganza with an array of music talents showcasing music genres from rock to jazz, classical to folk, and much more besides.

For programme details, please visit: www.westkowloon.hk/freespacehappening

Remarks

Freespace Happening September Event Schedule
Date: 11 September 2016
Venue: Nursery Park, West Kowloon Cultural District 

About The Art Park

The Art Park is scheduled to open in stages from 2018. The thoughtfully landscaped grounds will contain a rich variety of trees and plants – including native woodland species, waterfront species and urban forest species as well as a number of lawns for leisure and relaxation. Alongside the green open space for public enjoyment, the Art Park integrate a wide range of arts and cultural facilities, including the M+ Pavilion and Freespace which will house a black box theatre, providing venues for open-air performances of music, dance, theatre, art exhibitions and other cultural events.

About Freespace

Located in the centre of the Art Park, Freespace is a place where the public is invited to freely explore, encounter and be inspired by new artistic experiences through innovative programming. The venue will house a black box theatre providing a flexible performance space accommodating up to 450 people seated and 900 people standing, as well as a foyer for live performances in a café/bar environment. A large lawn will offer space for large-scale events and festivals. Freespace is scheduled to open in 2019.

About Freespace Happening

Freespace Happening is a series of free outdoor events initiated in the WKCD in August 2015. Each event features a broad range of programmes including music, literature, dance, handicraft markets, DIY workshops and other interactive art activities. The new season of Freespace Happening takes place on the second weekend of each month from September 2016 to March 2017.