Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
December 2012
Volume 4 Number 4
Youth
HONG KONG
YOUTH HONG KONG published quarterly by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups EDITORIAL BOARD Rosanna Wong Elaine Morgan (Editor) Ada Chau (Assistant Editor) Angela Ngai Lakshmi Jacot William Chung Veronica Pearson CIRCULATION (unaudited) 10,000-12,000 in Hong Kong, throughout the region and overseas VIEWS EXPRESSED are the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS without written permission from the publisher is prohibited INTERVIEWS & CONTRIBUTIONS (in alphabetical order of surname) Kanika Bali Kevin Chan Ada Chau Raymond Chang William Chung Gary Heilbronn Hsu Siu-man Lakshmi Jacota Edmond Lee Elaine Morgan Chloe Ng Students: HKFYG, CLD Students Yew Chung International School Students Arch Academy Michael Welch-Smith ARTWORK HKFYG e-Services Unit: Andrew Chiu Suki Mak Other artwork from archive, acknowledged as captioned or from public domain. DESIGN, LAYOUT & PRINTING DG3 Asia Ltd ISSN 2071-3193 WEB youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk CORRESPONDENCE to The Editor, Youth Hong Kong, 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong TEL 3755 7084, 3755 7108 FAX 3755 7155 EMAIL youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk ADVERTISING enquiries to Ada Chau (3755 7108) THE HONG KONG FEDERATION OF YOUTH GROUPS was founded in 1960 and is one of the citys largest non-profit youth organizations. Its programmes and activities at over 60 locations are attended by 5 million participants every year CORE SERVICES Counselling, Creativity Education & Youth Exchange, e-Services, Education Services, Leadership Training, Leisure, Cultural & Sports Services, Parent-child Mediation, Research & Publications, Services for Youth at Risk, Volunteer Services, Youth Employment, Youth SPOTs, www.hkfyg.org.hk, HYPERLINK "http://www.u21.hk" www.u21.hk COVER Design: Suki Mak Concept: E. Morgan Original photo: mzaletel
HIGHLIGHT
Hong Kong creative disconnect: creative industry and creative output
Editorial
Creativity takes courage, said the great artist Henri Matisse. However, creativity does not live in a vacuum and so perhaps management guru, Peter F. Druckers comment that, Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans, provides the critical balance to Matisse. With statistics revealing that the city is slipping down the charts for innovation, there is a sense that some of Hong Kongs creative can-do spirit has been lost. Is this true or has the creative spark just become disconnected and disjointed, as a result of lack of commitment and direction? These are some of issues we explore in this Christmas issue of Youth Hong Kong. Interviews with people involved in the creative arts, the leisure industry and the design world are juxtaposed with discussions and writing on creativity by young people.
INTERVIEW
Contents
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HIGHLIGHT 4 Hong Kongs creative disconnect: disquiet about commitment INTERVIEW 6 Richard Pontzious, Asian Youth Orchestra Creative imperative: give it all youve got YOUTH SPEAK 10 Impromptu ideas: the arts to medicine and IT to learning INTERVIEW 14 Allan Zeman, Lan Kwai Fong: Creating value with your own answers GUEST 18 Edmund Lee, Hong Kong Design Centre design + inspiration
YOUTH SPEAK
Impromptu ideas: a spontaneous discussion
INTERVIEW 22 Phil Benson, Hong Kong Institute of Education and Alice Chik, City University YOUTH WATCH 25 Innovation snapshots Whos a clever country then?
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INTERVIEW
Creating value Allan Zeman Lan Kwai Fong
The general outlook is optimistic, though the consensus is that Hong Kong could still dig deeper in its search for creative excellence. We look forward to hearing what you think and how you see creative expression finding an outlet wherever you are and wherever you work. Allow me to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones the blessings of the season from all of us here at Youth Hong Kong! Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP Executive Director, HKFYG
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YOUTH WATCH
Innovation Snapshots Inventiveness balance of power
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GUEST
Edmund Lee Hong Kong Design Centre
December 2012
27-45
FEATURES
At School Youth write Drama In the loop City space Arts and Culture AT SCHOOL 27 Michael Welch-Smith: LEAD 29 Raymond Chang: Early music education YOUTH WRITE 30 Students from Arch Academy and Yew Chung International School DRAMA 35 Making something out of nothing: one act play
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INTERVIEW
IN THE LOOP 38 New ideas from YBHK: Teaspoon Ltd 39 PantaRei Design Ltd CITY SPACE 40 Kids Ocean Day: Keeping seas clean ARTS & CULTURE 42 Rethinking Canto-pop Film reviews 44 The Perks of Being a Wallflower 45 Ted HKFYG 46 48 50 51 English Public Speaking Contest Youth Wellness Centre survey on parents who gamble Step Out Award: Youth Employment and Life Banking Factsheet
46-51
HKFYG
English Public
Speaking Contest Youth Wellness Centre report Step Out Award Scheme Factsheet
Highlight
Perceived obstacles
Tongue in cheek though this may be, there can be no argument against the perception of falling creative standards. That is very real. Whether in design, architecture or music, where is the next generation of internationally recognized brand names coming from, to follow in the footsteps of Vivienne Tam and Rocco Yim, classical music label Naxos, Douglas Young of G.O.D. and David Tang of Shanghai Tang?
Photo by lhl
Highlight
n a city known for its creative industry, there is disquiet about creative output. Some argue that risk-averse parents are to blame. Others claim that education is too examoriented. Still others argue about a lack of confidence or fear of failure in young people. How does the future look?
by Lakshmi Jacot
Young people need to think of creativity as part of life, and not part of a curriculum.
Arbitrary and unsystematic government policy measures6 are not helpful elther. In spite of great show being made to promote creative industries there is little strategic investment in the foundation stones of creativity and one can see a lack of connection between education, policy and services, especially to young people.7 This is already apparent in statistics such as the Global Innovation Index. In 2010, Hong Kong ranked in the top three and was first in Asia. By 2011, the city ranked fourth behind Singapore. In 2012 it was eighth. It is time to give creative imagination a freer rein. Hong Kong has the resources, the role models, the conducive environment and the opportunities to be a creative society. Bold in its assertions, it is self-conscious about its limitations.
scores of artists and design groups. Former public spaces like the Wanchai Police Station and the Former Married Police Quarters in Central are other examples now used for the annual three-week Hong Kong Ambassadors of Designs DETOUR programme. However, there is a real, sharp disconnect between innovation and creative risks taking place on the ground and the attitudes perceived in parents, education and policy. To prevent this gap from widening, there must be a resolute effort to promote creativity as part of everyday life, not only as an arts subject or a pastime. The government must implement policies not in piece-meal fashion, but deliberately, with clear focus. Only then will a positive mindset towards creativity emerge that is patient even with failure. This could help maximize Hong Kongs potential and affirm its goal of becoming the creative hub of Asia. And then who knows, Hong Kong style might be rocking the airwaves and YouTube and Terence Conran might well be speaking of 2013 and beyond. What Hong Kong needs now is genuine commitment.
2010
Terence Conran at Business Week Hong Kong organized by the HK Trade and Development Council, quoted in World stage set to showcase HK design.TDC Trader, 2 May 2008, http://www.hktrader. net/200805/lead/lead-CreativeHK200805.htm http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/creative_industries.pdf http://www.unescobkk.org/culture/culture-news/culture-news-details/article/chiang-mai-being-developed-as-a-creative-city/ and http://culture360.org/event/unesco-creative-cities-conference-in-seoul/ http://www.ymca.org.hk/eng/images/PressRelease_FINAL.pdf http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20041320 A Study on Creative Index, 2004, Home Affairs Bureau http://www.hab.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/policy_responsibilities/arts_culture_recreation_and_sport/HKCI-InteriReport-printed.pdf ; Policy Address 2005, paragraphs 83-89, http://www.policyaddress.gov.hk/2005/eng/p83.htm; CreateHK, 2009 Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, http://www.createhk.gov.hk/en/ service_createsmart.htm; Policy Address 2009-2010, paragraph 41, http://www.policyaddress.gov.hk/09-10/eng/p40.html; A Review Study on Cultural Audit: the Landscape of Hong Kongs Cultural Infrastructure, 2011, Central Policy Unit, http://www.cpu.gov.hk/tc/documents/new/press/Review%20Study%20on%20
7. 8.
Cultural%20Audit.pdfhttp://www.globalinnovationindex.org/gii/GII%202012%20Report.pdf Odyssey of the Mind Programme, LEAD (Learning through Engineering, Art & Design) and FLL Robotics are internationally recognized creative education programmes operated in Hong Kong by HKFYG
Interview
Creativity imperative
ichard Pontzious, Founder & Artistic Director of the Hong Kong-grown Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO), talks about musical talent and creative spark. As a long-term resident who now lives in Tung Chung, he doesnt think of himself as an expat and says that releasing creativity in the city is about removing obstacles and changing attitudes, not only supplying resources.
Too many in our society dont really care enough to inspire young people.
Interview
We have to release them, let their imaginations go, let them paint splashes on the wall.
Its a timely moment to talk about creativity. There are many, very creative young people in Hong Kong, but their road is often blocked. We need to inspire them, to energise them, to give them opportunities to use their talent. Providing an education that leads them to act rather than react are key factors in this process. At the AYO, which turned 22 years old this year, the process involves high expectations. Young musicians are told, You should be focused. We expect you to give all youve got. Giving everything youve got is something people in Hong Kong generally dont do, according to Mr Pontzious. Hongkongers like to achieve just so much and then become satisfied with what is just good enough.
Many young people in Hong Kong grow up as self-conscious adolescents, timid about letting it all out, understandably unwilling to reveal their inner selves, perhaps because they feel expectations are too high and they cannot match them. It seems to me that too many in our society dont really care enough to inspire them. At weekend yum cha you see parents reading the papers while the youngsters thumb their smartphones. When you do see children so thrilled to be out with Father, you know it wouldnt be like that if it happened every day. In Hong Kong we, our society, tend not to get involved with our children. Instead, we pass the baby to the helper.
Interview
National stereotypes
Without going overboard, national stereotypes do emerge, he says. The Koreans certainly have fire in their belly but are less interactive with the other nationalities in the orchestra. Partly it is because of language. Partly it is because they like to be soloists, playing passionately in the spotlight rather being one of the members of the orchestra. Reluctance to innovate is more common in the young Japanese, he says. They play by the rules. In this respect I think Hong Kong has a more enterprising culture. Where the Japanese rarely ask questions, waiting patiently for instructions, some musicians from Hong Kong will come up after a performance and ask the conductor what he thought of their performance and how they might improve. We appreciate that. It takes nerve, and enough self-confidence to be comfortable about who you are and what you can do. Those who stand out have not necessarily had an overseas education. Some come back after studying music overseas for a few years and we find they have actually slipped down the ladder when they re-audition compared to their peers.
Interview
Responding creatively
At grass roots, schools need active programmes and strong motivation from teachers. The kids should be involved in every aspect of putting on a performance from management and direction to ticketing and promotion. Seeking small venues where they can perform make use of youthful ingenuity. There are corners of shopping malls and open air venues where proprietors would love to offer entertainment. Young people have the energy to go and look, and the opportunity to discover. None of this costs money. There are lessons to be learned which range from finding out what pleases consumers to how listeners respond to presenters, and then responding creatively to the questions about what can work, innovatively in the Hong Kong environment.
Every year, the Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO) brings together in Hong Kong many of Asias most talented instrumentalists. In 2012 they came from mainland China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, to join youth in our city, the youngest of whom was 14 years old. Many meet for the first time at the beginning of an intense three weeks of training, with Master classes led by musicians from famous orchestras around the world. A tour of major Asian concert halls follows when many bridges are created between countries, young performers and audiences. This innovative approach is the dream child of Richard Pontzious, co-founder of the AYO with the celebrated violinist, Yehudi Menuhin. More information at www.asianyouthorchestra.com
Richard Pontzious
Youth speak
Arting Charlene
tu p om as pr de Im i
F
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our young people talk spontaneously, about creativity and innovation, giving examples from their own experience that range from the creative arts to medicine, and from IT to learning.
Jonathan was at Tak Sun Secondary School, Charlene went to Arting comes from Xiamen in mainland China and is now Chi Him went to Queens College and got early admission to do Medicine at HKU. majoring in Politics and Economics at HKUs Faculty of Social Sciences. the Buddhist Ma Kam Chan Memorial English Secondary School and did an Associate Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine at CUHK. graduated from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in Physics and Mathematics and is now doing an Education Diploma at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).
Youth speak
Talking freely about how creativity and innovation emerge, a group of students from HKFYGs Centre for Leadership Development, completely unprepared and unrehearsed, held a lively discussion. They talked about concepts, education, the arts and what helps and hinders creativity. The session began with a debate on definitions and ended with an impromptu concert.
Novelty in action
Arting An example is the music of modern composer, Tan Dun. He uses sounds made with water as a form of percussion. The water is in big bowls and he hits it, stirs it and splashes it, using it like a force of nature. I find it very creative, very natural and calming.
Comparing concepts
Jonathan Nowadays people in Hong Kong talk about creativity a lot and they say that kids should learn to be more creative. Actually, I think you cannot create things out of nothing, you need knowledge and inspiration. Being creative and being innovative both involve doing something new, but, I think being creative involves a persons artistic side. Charlene Although innovativeness and creativity seem to be used interchangeably in Hong Kong, I think there is a major difference. It is about the process of origination. Creativity is an early part of the process of making something new. Innovativeness describes new products or ideas that change the ways things are made or used. Arting Imagine being lost on an island. I think a creative person could take a magnet and make a compass, whereas an innovative person would point to a star and say this may help us find a way. Chi Him In my opinion, creativityis about new ideas and imagination, and then how to turn these ideas into something that can be used. On the other hand, innovation is more about using new methods to accomplish objectives, or apply existing methods in new fields. For example, a creative composer writes original, beautiful melodies and arranges them for the appropriate instrument, thus determining what to play. An innovative composer finds new techniques for different players, such as hitting snare drums with bare hands instead of using drumsticks, thus determining how to play.
Photo by RShinozaki
Jonathan My example is traditional Chinese music which is only about 200 years old. Its father was Liu Tian Hua. He was my teachers, teachers, teachers, teacher so I am among the fifth generation of his students! Liu Tian Hua composed many original pieces such as Kong Shan Niao Yu which I will play for you later on the erhu. He imitatessounds of the nature and used innovative techniques such as glissando, which inspired many later Chinese composers. Another example is the Danish scientist Niels Bohr who won the Nobel prize for physics. He gave several very creative answers to an exam question on how to calculate the height of a skyscraper with a barometer. However, he didnt create the answers out of nothing. All of them were based on his knowledge, and all of them made sense.
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Youth speak
Charlene A designer called Oscar Diaz made the Count and Learn puzzle. Each of the counters in this puzzle is made with the corresponding number of pieces, sothe counter for the number one is just made in one piece and the two is made of two pieces, and so on. Children first sort the parts by colour, and then have to count them to know which number they have to compose.It helps them learn about abstract concepts by making them tangible and the difficulty of the puzzle increases as the numbers get bigger.
Photo by the Oscar Diaz Studio
Your creations
Chi Him I like to take characters in movies or cartoons and write short stories about them. At school, I also helped other students write music. They wrote the melody and I added parts for the various instruments in the orchestra. I modify video game programmes too. Even if the original is well designed, a game can get boring if you play it over and over so I add new chapters and make the games a lot harder, then share them with other gamers. Jonathan My tutorial students get materials from me that are adjusted according to their needs. Textbooks used in secondary schools dont do this and some are clumsy or badly organized. I also enjoy composing music with my sister. When we are bored, sitting at the dining table together, we will often tap out a rhythm and start making music together. Charlene In Chinese medicine I treat every individual differently. Creating the formula for each person is a kind of art. You have to totally understand them in order to tailor-make suitable treatment. I also do Chinese calligraphy and when I was small I used my fingers instead of a brush or pen. Sometimes I drew pictures too. Now I create my own business cards with my calligraphy.
The same designer created the self-updating Ink Calendar with ink gradually spreading from a bottle and colouring days of the month. The ink is absorbed slowly, and the numbers in the calendar are printed daily until they are all coloured at the end of the month. The colours of ink are based on a spectrum which relates to a color temperature scale and each months colour relates to perception of seasonal weather. The colours range from dark blue in December to three shades of green in spring and orange or red in the summer. This enhances our perception of time passing. Chi Him My examples are both from medicine. If a person has a serious intestinal infection doctors can transplant fecal bacteria from another person to restore the natural balance in the bowel. When I first heard of this new treatment being used in Hong Kong I was quite shocked but it was very effective. A similar example of innovative treatment is phage therapy, using viruses to treat bacterial infections that do not respond to conventional antibiotics. Then there was my teachers special shirt. He taught us about the anatomy of the intestine by pulling pieces of string in his shirt front to reveal pictures of the intestines at various stages of development. It was funny and gimmicky but a good way to learn.
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Chinese Medicine
Youth speak
Arting Cues from my environment help me think of creative answers. A year or two ago, I was a member of the Sociology Association Committee and I wanted to promote our activities. One day, standing in a queue for a coffee, I noticed all the other people queuing were looking at their phones. Nobody was talking. So we printed an advertisement for an activity on a small slip of recycled paper with a QR code and I handed them out to people in the queue. They got more information using the QR codes and then put the slips of paper in the recycling bin we put at the head of the queue.
Arting Partners help me be creative too. I am more enthusiastic and dont give up on an idea so easily when I have a partner with the same goal. Chi Him Following protocol can sometimes hamperthe expression of creative or innovative ideas. Teenagersoften have very good imagination and a lot of ideas, but lack the motivation orknowledge needed to perfect their ideas and make them into reality. Club committee members, for example, usually simply follow last year's scheme of work, making as few adjustments as possible, since this may require a lot of resources and manpower. On the other hand, our school Music Society and the Prefect Board allowed many new ideas to be put into practice. For example, we could organize Prefect Training Workshops and a Mentorship Programme all by ourselves.Core members of the Music Society could plan for Annual Concert programmes in detail. Such freedom of expression for new ideas is very important for developing creativity.
With thanks to all students who participated, including Hui Wai Yan and Lau Shan Shan. The students took part in HKFYGs Centre for Leadership Development (CLD) courses or activities. For more details about CLD, go to www.leadership21.hkfyg.org.hk
HKFYG QR Code
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Interview
We actually have a great opportunity to develop Hong Kong style creativity in China.
reating value A
llan Zeman says his phenomenal business success in Hong Kong began when he was looking for a place to entertain visitors in the 1980s. Faced with a dicult choice, he created his own answer which went on to become an instant hit.
I realized that Hong Kong needed a place to go to let off some steam because we work so hard here. Happy Hour in Hong Kong started in Lan Kwai Fong. Then people would stay on for dinner, then they would stay for a party, and next thing you knew it was 3am! By creating a great neighbourhood with fun bars and restaurants, the atmosphere became unique. I always say its the people that make the place so you have to make the right moves to get the right people.
Would you say that creativity in entertainment opened up as a result of that success?
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Interview
Creativity doesnt only apply to the finished product, it also plays an important part in the journey taken to get there.
Everything in Hong Kong has changed a lot since the 70s, and Lan Kwai Fong is no exception. People have become more involved with creative activities. Take Halloween as an example. When it began, it was just the westerners who were dressing up and coming to Lan Kwai Fong for a party, and the locals would come along to take photos and laugh at the crazy gweilos. Then over the years, more and more Hong Kong people started to get involved, dressing up, partying. Today its mostly the locals who go all-out with amazing costumes. If you have a creative idea, its great when you can get new people to enjoy it and participate.
I come from the fashion business, so my creativity comes from seeing what a market wants, and developing a new product that I think people will like. Always think from the customers perspective, because they will determine if you succeed or fail. I spend time with my customers, observe them, talk to them, ask them questions, and then my instinct will tell me if those people will enjoy whatever new idea I have.
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Interview
I try to help all kinds of creative ventures in Hong Kong, because its our creativity that will set us aside from other places. From the newest up-and-coming band in Lan Kwai Fong, to artists performing at Ocean Park, all the way to the West Kowloon Cultural District, I think Hong Kong should embrace all types of creativity as a way to express ourselves beyond the typical property business and finance that we see around the city.
Hong Kong has the benefit of understanding the China market and its incredibly deep artistic history, while also being exposed to international creative influences. What Ive been successful with is bringing elements from Hong Kong and elements from other countries and then tailoring them to suit Chinese tastes. Its the awareness of what they will appreciate and what they will find too extreme that is so difficult to get right.
Do people in the creative industries here see clearly the big picture, of Hong Kong against a world background?
I think Hong Kong is in the forefront of creativity around Asia, because we have the benefit of our Chinese culture blended with international experience and know-how. We actually have a great opportunity to develop Hong Kong-style creativity in China as they continue to open up. In all my projects in China I try to bring a bit of Hong Kong creativity and its always very well received. In China the customers trust a brand like Lan Kwai Fong because we are from Hong Kong, which is part of China. We have a connection.
Creativity is abundant in Hong Kong already, but there still are things we can do to help. Rent is always going to be high here because of lack of space, so we have to help our creative talent by giving a more affordable platform in order to get exposure to as many people as possible. The audience always appreciates seeing something unique or something new. We give up-and-coming artists a chance to perform in front of a live audience, and get the crowds reaction. Even if its just for three songs, it still lets them develop their talent and learn right away if the audience likes their work or not.
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Interview
Apart from lack of space, what else holds back young people here from expressing creativity?
Confidence. Its too easy to just follow trends and fads in Hong Kong. Its one thing to be inspired by something and try to evolve it and make it better. But sometimes you have to have the confidence to step off the beaten track and try something different, something you believe in. Dont be different just for the sake of being different, but dont be afraid to try something new, even just to explore it and test it out on people.
If there were no money involved in creativity, would there be less eagerness to be creative?
There is always going to be a battle between creativity and money; money sometimes gets in the way of creativity, while other times maximum creative potential cant be achieved without money. The secret is to be smart about it and make it work. Sometimes you can find alternative resources to achieve your creative goals for a lower cost. Sometimes you can find creative ways to make your ideas earn an extra income. Creativity doesnt only apply to the finished product, it also plays an important part in the journey taken to get there.
Money sometimes gets in the way of creativity, while other times maximum creative potential cant be achieved without money.
We recently used a local artist to create the construction hoarding around the new California Tower which looks much more interesting than the typical stock image hoarding you see everywhere. If everyone injected some creativity in everything they do in Hong Kong, the overall impact would boost our city as a creative hub. When I decided to redevelop the California Tower I wanted to create something really special, something that will stand out in Central. I looked into every aspect, from the glass finish to the LED lighting to the lifts and the signage, to make sure people will say Wow! when its finished. If everyone tries to do this in everything they do, Hong Kong will continue to excel!
California Tower
Dr. Allan Zeman, GBM, GBS, JP was born in Regensburg, Germany and brought up in Montreal, Canada. His father died when he was seven years old, and he started working at the age of ten. He dropped out of college, and by the age of nineteen and made his first fortune by importing clothes from Hong Kong. He eventually moved here in 1975, is married and has two grown children.
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Guest
To foster wider and strategic use of design in our society, Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) provides knowledge-sharing platforms for policy makers, designers, entrepreneurs, professionals, industrialists and students for better understanding of the power of design. Hong Kongs market is small so it is important to fully utilize our strategic advantages and expand influence in Asia and the rest of the world.
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Guest
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Hong Kong Design Centre
Guest
The broad policy environment should provide funding and encourage grass roots creativity.
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Guest
Designs in metal
Creative Ecologies+
Hong Kong is much more than Asias top shopping city. It has demonstrated its sophistication with major infrastructural developments like West Kowloon Cultural District and the revitalization of the former Police Married Quarters as a venue for creative design-preneurs. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, HKDC is hosting a Creative Ecologies+ exhibition in partnership with the Hong Kong Heritage Museum in Sha Tin from 2 November 2012 to 2 January 2013. The exhibition explores Hong Kongs creative infrastructure over decades of enterprise and brand development through collaborative and social innovation. Helping viewers understand the role of design in economic, cultural, and social development, both Hong Kong and across Asia, it shows how design leads to the creation of value in business and how it contributes to better living for people.
Dr Edmund Lee has been Executive Director of the Hong Kong Design Centre since 2010. He has a crucial role to play in raising the profile of Hong Kong as a design hub of creativity and innovation, working closely with stakeholders in the public, not-for-profit and private sectors.
The Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a publicly-funded, non-profit organization established in 2002 with the support of the design industry. Its aims are to promote creativity through design and innovation and its significant benefits for society. As organizer of Hong Kong Design Year a City Driven by Design, HKDC is a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government promoting design as a driving force for Hong Kong going forward as a creative hub in Asia. HKDCs Institute of Design Knowledge, also launched in 2012, offers the executive InnoDesign Leadership Programme. Other flagship programmes include the annual international Business of Design Week and the Design for Asia Award.
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Interview
nnovation and
on the Hong Kong pop scene
rofessor Phil Benson, Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Educations Centre for Popular Culture and Education, and Dr Alice Chik of City Universitys Department of English, talk about the local pop scene, mainstream Canto-pop, and the way independent bands, writing alternative music for young audiences, adopt a multilingual style that takes globalized pop into a new dimension.
Hong Kong pop is linguistically complex, partly because tonal Cantonese is very demanding for lyric writers. Some lyrics use more than one language, including those of creative indie musicians. There are big hurdles to clear, most of which derive from special, local conditions which make innovation difficult. Yet the indie bands have a do-it-yourself attitude which means they can retain autonomy and stay free to explore sounds and subjectsin innovative ways. Mainstream Canto-pop, on the other hand, while it has a multinational fan base, has lyrics that are restricted and very hard to write.
Innovation is about applied creativity. In pop music, it is about adding a new creative layer, about producing a new sound. If it is innovative and comes from someone well-known, who is recording for a well-known major label, it will make money.
Alice Chik
Theres a general rule in pop music. You have to create something that is both familiar and different at the same time. Something recognizable to listeners to make it marketable, but something that has an added little twist, like Psys Gangnam Style. Together with the little dance step, social commentary, and Psys personality, the result is just that little bit different. In my view some of the most innovative artistes in Hong Kong at present are My Little Airport, FAMA, Khalil Fong, and 24Herbs.
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Phil Benson
t a b il i t Y ada p
Dr Chik on linguistic complexities of mainstream Canto-pop
Singing in Cantonese means singing in the kind of Chinese that you read rather than speak. Almost all Hong Kong pop song lyrics are written by just three professionals. Wyman Wong, Lin Xi and Chow Yiu Fai. They are, in effect, music industry poets who can write lyrics in the required literary style. The local radio stations are very selective about the language of mainstream Canto-pop. Otherwise there can be complaints from the listeners. This is because Cantonese is tonal and sounds can easily be misunderstood as slang and unacceptable. Cantonese lyrics are written in the kind of flowery language that you might use to make a speech but you would not use when speaking language. It is called saam kap daistyle: Classical Chinese, Modern Standard Chinese and Cantonese. Nonetheless, many people will say HK Cantopop lyrics are definitely world class because only really talented lyric writers can write them. A different kind of adaptation to language can be found in Cantonese Opera. Although there is melody, it is difficult to detect because performers dont match the words to it. The words take priority over the tune. In Canto-pop, performers stick to the melody. This is what makes it hard to write. This has resulted in Cantonese karaoke songs which anyone can sing. It is said that the quality of Canto-pop has gone down as a result.
Interview
* The London School for Performing Arts & Technology, commonly known asThe BRIT Schoolfor Performing Arts & Technology, was established in 1991, funded by the British government, with support from theBritish Record Industry Trust. ** The APA, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts was established by government in 1984 and has Schools of Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, Theatre and Entertainment Arts, and Chinese Traditional Theatre.
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Interview
Dr Chik was born in Hong Kong and has been teaching English at the City University of Hong Kong since 2008. She is currently co-authoring a book which reports on a 3-year project exploring the historical and linguistic development of the Hong Kong pop music scene. Her passion for popular culture has also led her to explore the role of popular culture in second language learning and education.
Professor Benson, who came to Hong Kong in 1991 from Manchester in northern England, taught at the University of Hong Kong before moving to the Hong Kong Institute of Education in 2005. He is now in the Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies, and Director of the Centre for Popular Culture and Education in the Faculty of Humanities. The Centre aims to be a focal point for research on popular culture and education in Hong Kong.
My Little Airport
24HERBS
My Little Airport was named Hong Kong's Next Big Thing in late 2011 by Hong Kong multimedia cultural magazine Muse . Their sixth album was released in Autumn 2012. FAMA ( ), literally meaning farmer in Chinese, is a Hong Kong hip hop group in the mainstream Canto-pop music scene initiated by Edison Chen and LMF in the early - mid-2000s. 24HERBS is a Hong Kong hip Hop group formed in 2006 consisting of six members. Khalil Fong based in Hong Kong, sings in Mandarin, his second language after English, rather than Cantonese. He became popular in Taiwan and writes for other artists in Hong Kong and Taiwan, such as Amei Chang, Eason Chan, Fiona Sit, Andy Lau, Shiga Lin and Jacky Cheung.
Photo by Wikipedia
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FAMA
Youth watch
Innovation snapshots
South Korea
21 innovation incubation centres and 15% increase in one-person creative enterprises last year.
21
st Japan
2012 policy encourages SMEs and more technology and ICT graduate schools.
25th
Hong Kong 8
Leader in online connectivity but more young people needed with science, technology and engineering skills.
th
Taiwan
Creativity Laboratory links technologies to lifestyle and supports Taiwan's youth innovation.
Singapore 3
rd
Philippines 95
Established network of technology business incubators around the country.
th
Singapore students have one of the worlds highest entrepreneurial intention rates.
Singapore
The 2008 Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students Survey (GUESSS)2 investigated entrepreneurship in students in 19 countries and revealed that Singapore students had one of the highest entrepreneurial intention rates worldwide. 81.4% of the tertiary students surveyed indicated that they were interested in entrepreneurship, and 49.3% want to start their own business. International averages are 71.3% and 42.8%, respectively. The country assists young people get businesses off the ground with initiatives such as the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE), 3 which involves both the private and public sectors. For youth innovators, the Young Entrepreneurs Scheme for Startups provides financial assistance to get them started. The government works closely with schools and university schemes, such as the National University of Singapore Enterprise Incubator.
South Korea
Companies such as Samsung, Hyundai and LG built South Koreas pre-eminence in the hi-tech world, and these goods constitute nearly one-third of South Koreas total exports. Despite this, a negative attitude lingers towards entrepreneurship with its attendant risks and this is blocking the emergence of new ideas. The government is looking to youth with entrepreneurial spirit to solve these problems by establishing incubation centres. There are five in Seoul and around 21 in Korea in total. Almost 30,000 young South Koreans say they want to launch their own companies and according to the government, the number of one-man creative enterprises in the country has risen by 15% in the past year, to 235,000. 4 In July 2009 the government launched a Youth 1,000 CEO Project5 to provide young entrepreneurs with free office space and grants. It selects 1,000 entrepreneurs for the programme every year.
25
Youth watch
Japan
Hitoshi Suga, an entrepreneurship lecturer and one of Japans leading venture capitalists, says young people need to be trained to be willing to take more risks to achieve more than average results. Japanese students should be encouraged to divert from the conventional obsolete curriculum and in particular, have more experience outside Japan. 6 Young environmental enterprise entrepreneur Haruka Maruna, who started her own company as a teenager, says in Japanese culture, making money is not considered a good thing. Almost all Japanese schools prohibit students from taking part time jobs.7 The government agrees that entrepreneurialism is needed to fix Japan's stagnating economy. Its new policy, published in August this year8 emphasizes the need to encourage more small to medium sized enterprises and increase the number of science, technology and ICT graduate schools, create research centres of excellence and centres for concentrated global industryuniversity-government collaboration.
Taiwan
Once centred on labour-intensive industry Taiwan has also moved into a hi-tech world, partly due to the foundation in 1973 of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)9 a nonprofit research and development organization. ITRI focuses on six scientific, medical and environmental research fields. To date, it holds more than 17,659 patents, has assisted in the creation of more than 174 start-ups and spin-offs and cultivated 70 CEOs.
Philippines
The Philippines rates very low on the innovation index, but initiatives such as the first Filipino Youth Innovation11 event, organized by the InterUniversity Management Alliance and collaborating with business organizations, encourage talented young people. Designed to engage youth in social enterprise, winners ideas can be developed into business models. The Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research (DOST) partnered InWent to establish a network of technology business incubators around the country. This led to the establishment of the Enterprise Centre for Technopreneurship, which started in June 2010. The Young Entrepreneurs Society Philippines encourages aspiring and successful entrepreneurs and has a student arm affiliated with the Entrepreneurship Educators Association of the Philippines.12
It also founded the Creativity Laboratory the first establishment in Taiwan to link technologies to lifestyle and pave the way for Taiwan's young people to reach the forefront of innovation. The Laboratory held Taiwan's first annual U19 Creativity Awards competition in 2006 to encourage creativity and innovation among young people. Competitions such as the 2012 Youth Innovative Design Festival and the Taiwan International Science Fair10 also aim to engender inventiveness and originality among the young.
Hong Kong
Cultural and creative industries (CCI) in Hong Kong are a cluster of the arts and culture, creativity, technology and business. CCI are among the Six Industries earmarked by the Task Force on Economic Challenges in 2008, in response to the global financial crisis, to propose policy directions for new business opportunities and enhance Hong Kongs competitiveness. CCI add HK$77.6 billion or 4.6% to Hong Kongs GDP, via 34,000 creative industry-related establishments and more than 180,000 practitionersi. CCI comprise 11 domains in Hong Kong, classified with reference to the latest international statistical guidelines.ii [See page 28 for a list of the 11 areas domains and information on courses connected to them.] The value added by CCI increased at an average annual rate of 8.3% from 2005-2010, markedly faster than the 4.6% annual growth of the nominal GDP. Reflecting its increasing economic contribution, the value added of CCI as a percentage of GDP increased from 3.8% in 2005 to 4.6% in 2010. During that period, employment in CCI increased by 2.0% per annum. The share of CCI in total employment was 5.4% in both 2009 and 2010. Growth in value added by CCI in one year (2009-2010) was 22.8%. The value added in the software, computer games and interactive media domain increased from HK$16.5 billion in 2005 to HK$27.3 billion in 2010, representing an average annual growth of 10.6%. It is the largest component of CCI and its share of the total value added of CCI rose from 31.6% in 2005 to 35.1% in 2010.iii .
Sources
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. http://www.globalinnovationindex.org/gii/GII%202012%20Report.pdf http://www.guesssurvey.org/PDF/2009/GUESSSReport_Sg2008_30%20March09.pdf http://www.world-entrepreneurship-forum.com/Do-Tank/Members-Initiatives/Encouraging-Entrepreneurial-Venturing-in-Youths2 http://www.economist.com.hk/node/18682342 http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/04/117_44727.html http://thediplomat.com/pacific-money/2012/10/10/japans-lost-art-of-innovation/ http://www.asia.youth-leader.org/?p=2478 http://npu.go.jp/policy/pdf/20120821/20120821_en.pdf http://www.itri.org.tw/eng/ http://www.ntsec.gov.tw/en/m1.aspx?sNo=0003076 http://www.enterprise.upd.edu.ph/?p=1870 http://yesphilippines2k6.multiply.com/?&show_interstitial=1&u= www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20041320 Atkinson, R and Ezell, S Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage. Yale University Press, 2012.
26
At school
he LEAD (Learning through Engineering, Art and Design) Project, introduced to Hong Kong by HKFYG in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, captures the imagination, and builds confidence through learning by doing. It also stresses that you need to take your time to get a real taste of the creative process.
It involves a creative process, going down dead ends, maybe coming up against a wall, improvising, and eventually coming up with an answer.
Michael Welch-Smith, one of the team from MIT Media Lab who helped HKFYG start up LEAD in 2005, says the creative process involves learning through doing. Students need to be encouraged to tinker ( / ) and learn through the process of tinkering, not just focus on the outcome. This is involves being more open-minded, looking for alternative ways to solve problems, being less risk-averse and more confident.
Tinkering Time
Have you ever known someone with an inventive mind who can fix things? It could be a computer or a door. They look, play, rebuild or reload, and hey presto! It works again. It involves a creative process, going down dead ends, maybe coming up against a wall ( chuang ban) improvising, and eventually coming up with an answer. It takes time, ingenuity, and a certain open-ended way of looking at things. Its taking the time to tinker. Thats what LEAD does.
27
At school
Other courses run in Hong Kong that relate to the creative industries include the University of Hong Kong BA programme on Global Creative Industries in the School of Modern languages and Cultures, and the Hong Kong Baptist University elective on cultural and creative industries in its BA in Liberal and Cultural Studies. For more details visit http://www.smlc.hku.hk/programmes/ program.php?lang=16 http://www.cie.hkbu.edu.hk/ pdf/brochure_LCS.pdf
28
At school
by Raymond Chang
Librarian & Administrator City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong
owadays, parents place a heavy load on children outside school and its not uncommon for them to have private music lessons or go to playgroups in music centres. Parents may only have their schooling and future careers in mind, but the effects cannot be predicted. Lets look at some noted examples.
29
Youth write
Creative spark
part of who we are?
ong Kong is a business-orientated city, where fastpaced economic development is the main aim and Hong Kong people are generally considered uncreative, culturally superficial and materialistic. Nevertheless, creativity thrives, especially in design and technology.
Photo by Owen's
30
Youth write
Inventive self-expression
Netizens take to creating humorous pictures and video clips for posting on the web. Nothing escapes. They change movie posters, modify song lyrics and draw comics, changing perfectly normal posters and pictures into snarky jabs at lawmakers and the government.
Justina Lam: web outlet One example of a creative trend in Hong Kong is parody. It usually appears on the internet and it was started by the younger generation. It mocks prominent people and can be in the form of song, advertisement or any modified work of art. Government tries to stop it but it spreads anyway on the web. This is a uniquely Hong Kong form of creative art.
Photo by adihrespati
Netizens take to creating humorous pictures and video clips for posting on the web. Nothing escapes. They change movie posters, modify song lyrics and draw comics, changing perfectly normal posters and pictures into jabs at lawmakers and the government. Local architect Gary Chang made international news by designing an apartment complete with kitchen, living room, bathroom and guest bed all in just 330 square feet of space. It could be transformed into 24 different configurations for living, just by moving some walls around. And what about Chan Yik-hei, Hong Kong engineering student who created both a domestic security robot and a special mug for the blind.
Jonathan Fung
31
Youth write
HKUST Robocon
Ivan Ho
32
Youth write
Jingyi Chang: free expression Hong Kong streets, skyscrapers, shops and alleys provide inspiration. Famous artist, Stanley Wong (anothermountainman), finds value and meaning there. For him, creativity is a platform for freely expressing ideas, opinions and feelings. In his well known redwhiteblue installation series, exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2005, the basic idea is to explore the resilience and creativity of immigrants to Hong Kong and, ultimately, to celebrate the human spirit for survival.
red white blue
33
Youth write
Some people who explode with creativity use it to make money in the creative industries, whereas others use it to fulfill childhood dreams. The person I want to introduce is Prudence Mak, designer of Chocolate Rain, the woven fabric brand. Prudence Mak is an example of someone who uses creativity to fulfill her dreams: to live in a dreamland. She is a Hong Kong originalborn in Hong Kong, raised in Hong Kong and schooled in Hong Kong. She grew up in a poor family, and was deprived of toys, TV and other things her friends had, so she developed an intense interest in drawing. It was this interest that led her to discover her natural talent. But things werent simple. When the global financial crisis struck, no company was willing to employ her, and eventually she was flat broke. As Ellis Paul Torrance said, "It takes courage to be creative; just as soon as you have a new idea, you're in a minority of one." Ideas led to the creation of Fatina, a cute doll made out of patchwork, always with closed eyes. The closed eyes represent life in a dream world. With some other designs, this doll created the world-famous franchise, Chocolate Rain. Each of us has creative spark. New ideas and imagination lead to unconventional approaches, products and designs. However, to make your creative product successful, you need persistence and diligence.
Alvin Yu
Contributors to this section From Yew Chung International Secondary School are Vicky Chan, Vicki Hong, Jingyi Chang, Peter Chen, Cynthia Lai, Justina Lam and Betty Poon. Ivan Ho is at St Pauls Co-educational College, Alvin Yu is at St Josephs College, and Jonathan Fung is at the Diocesan Boys School. Ivan, Jonathan and Alvin also attend the ARCH Academy. For details of the Academy see the March 2012 issue of Youth Hong Kong.
What do you think about Hong Kong creativity? Is it part of who you are? Write to youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk and tell us.
34
Drama
Making Something
out of nothing
Setting
Apartment Hong Kong private housing estate, modern interior, two doors in backdrop Table stage right mostly cleared after an early evening meal Sofa, armchair, coffee table centre stage by Gary Heilbronn
Characters
Lynda mother, 40s, (primary school teacher), clearing table Tak father, early 40s (solicitors clerk), seated on sofa, office clothes, no jacket, reading newspaper Tim 18, elder son, neat shirt, jeans, standing behind sofa Melia 16, fashionable, attractive, in her room when scene opens Luke 14, sporty, fresh faced, in his room when scene opens
n part three of the play , there is some reversal of roles. The elder son starts earning money
35
Drama
TIM
(Taking envelope from pocket, walks to front of sofa.)
MELIA
(Enters through door nearest to table.)
TIM
(Exasperated, follows him.)
Photo by JK5854
Creative? You must be joking. Apps Hey Dad, can I show you something? are all about techie nerds playing about on computers. Why they get paid so much is beyond me. Really creative people paint, or sculpt masterpieces admired for centuries, and worth millions, according to my visual arts teacher. Hes so cool so talented. TAK Of course, what is it?
(TAK takes document out of envelope as Tim sits down in armchair.) (Walks dreamily over to table, sits opposite her mother with her back to her father and brother.)
Dad, whats wrong? Please just look at the contract...Im happy with the price so dont worry about that, but there may be something in there thats not in my interest. Youre the only person I can trust to tell me if its OK.
(TAK looks up, brighter, and starts to read again as TIM goes over and grabs the football from LUKE. They wrestle for the ball and end up on the floor between table and sofa, tossing the ball between them. TAK sits down on armchair.)
LUKE
(LUKE enters the room from other door holding a football and goes to lean on back over sofa.)
TIM Its nothing bad, just a contract Id like you to look at for me.
(TAK starts to read document and after a moment or two looks back at his son.)
LYNDA
(Ignores TIM and LUKE; To MELIA who is filing her nails.)
TAK
(TAK leans back wide-eyed, looking at TIM.)
Wrong! Really talented guys are footballers, like Ronaldo and Beckham. They are pure geniuses. You should see how they dribble and control headers. Its unbelievable! TAK Theres more to life than football Luke. All I know is that I couldnt do any of these things.
(Gets up, contract in hand, walks down stage. Luke topples over back of sofa and lies gazing at ceiling, throwing the ball into the air.)
This is a contract for the sale of an app I dont really know what that is but it is for a heck of a lot of money! Whats it all about? When did you do this? TIM Its OK Dad, its just computer programme for mobile phones. It helps people find stuff on the internet. Its got playlists and free samples of music from indie bands like the one I play with. Were trying to get a bigger fanbase. I dont think anyone else has designed an app like mine but people are inventing new ones all the time.
LYNDA
(LYNDA sits down slowly at table, facing centre stage, listens intently.)
You know dear, you can be creative in any job. You dont have to be a multi-millionaire football player or a great artist. Ive always really tried to be creative in my teaching and the children really like it and learn much better.
(MELIA stops filing and looks up, TIM and LUKE stop playing. All look at Lynda and then each other wide-eyed with amazement.)
TAK
(Aside to audience from down stage.)
Wow, Tim, its amazing that you can do these things. It sounds really creative but incredibly technical.
36
Drama
MELIA
Tut! Whats the point? You dont get paid any more for being creative. You get the same as any boring old teacher. Why bother?
(Ironically, smirking.)
TAK
(Puts contract down on coffee table and leans back in armchair.)
TIM
(Sitting down on sofa, covering his ears with his hands.)
Why do you always have to be so mean, Melia. Money isnt everything. There are lots of ways to be creative in primary schools. You just use your imagination. When I teach about words I tell stories or making up a song. If were looking at countries or geography, I show a short film clip or ask the children to draw the things they are learning about. Have you forgotten what it was like when you first went to school?
(TIM, MELIA, LUKE look at each shamefaced, and shift awkwardly, realizing their mother is offended.)
Your Mother is an idealist. Nothing wrong with that. Melia, its time you became aware of other peoples feelings But about your app, Tim, I dont know much about IT. The contract looks OK but have you thought about copyright? Will you get royalties if they develop another app out of yours? TIM Wah! Thanks Dad, I never thought of that. They just sent me this contract and asked me to sign it and send it back.
TAK I could also ask one of the IT lawyers at work to have a quick look. They draw up contracts like these and are always imagining new ways to make sure clients interests are safe, so they have to be innovative too.
Wah. This conversation is really heavy. I just wanted Dad to look at the contract to make sure I wasnt being cheated. TAK
(Looking up, placing the contract on the coffee table.)
In some ways, thats exactly what weve been doing. You cant always see things in black and white. Still, I think doing something creative is life-enhancing. Maybe thats been missing in my life. Ive always loved wood and beautiful furniture. I think Ill enroll in evening classes to learn how to do woodwork.
LYNDA Listen! There are many ways of being creative and usually creativity is good, but not always
TIM Great Dad, but I always thought the guys you work with were boring accountant types in black suits.
LUKE
(Sits down beside TIM on sofa.)
37
In the loop
New ideas in
As a cosmopolitan city, Hong Kong changes fast. Many characteristic old districts like Sham Shui Po, Sheung Wan and Yau Ma Tei are vanishing with redevelopment. Its very good that Hong Kong people are becoming more aware of the need to preserve them for the heritage they contain. Thats why we designed the MiNi City stationery series. Customers see the products and remember the changes in the Hong Kong landscape and the old buildings. The memo packs, envelopes, box files and containers can be grouped together to show what an old street looked like. They preserve the local bits so they are not forgotten.
eo Ng is a young entrepreneur who uses his design talent to produce office stationery decorated with city scenes for Teaspoon Ltd.
We believe that design can flavour daily life. When you add a teaspoon of sugar or milk to a cup of tea, it adds a touch of difference. Its the same in life, whenever you feel dull, you can always cheer yourself up by adding an interesting element of design. That is why we chose teaspoon as our company name - small things can add great value. And because we are small, we are flexible. To begin with we produced acrylic frames for mirrors and clocks, but sales were not very good and we questioned our product positioning, our competitiveness and pricing strategy. Nevertheless, we had faith in our designs and knew that was where our strength lay.
Teaspoon Limited email admin@teaspoon.com.hk address Unit A12, Block A, 9/F, Van Fat Factory Building, 20-22 Ng Fong Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. website www.teaspoon.com.hk facebook http://www.facebook. com/teaspoonlimited retail outlets G.O.D stores, Chung Nam Square, Dymocks Bonham Road, Sky Deck Ltd, Y-Loft (Youth Square), HKFYGs M21, Mansion Store, Ngong Ping 360, Pointtolife bookstore, Joint Publishing
Small things can add great value. Because we are small, we are flexible.
38
In the loop
C action
E
ontinuing our interviews with young entrepreneurs,* we meet young people running stationery and website design businesses. The founders of the companies are upbeat, but they talk of the hurdles too.
Interview by Ada Chau and Chloe Ng Professional Publications Unit and Education Services Unit, HKFYG
Everything flows
dison Wong, the founder of PantaRei, was initially a programmer but he has become a successful businessman. He shares his story of open source content management that provides innovative, unique, professional services for clients.
Everything flows
When I was studying Internet Engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, I got involved in open source content management and found it very useful. A problem for software designers is security loopholes and a good reason to use open source software is that you have expertise from the whole world to help improve and find those potential loopholes.
Photo by max_thinks_sees
39
HKFYG
o emphasize the importance of keeping the sea clean and healthy, HKFYG was delighted to co-organize the first Kids Ocean Day. It was part of the first ever Kids Ocean Week in Hong Kong, co-organized by Ocean Recovery Alliance, Bonza Pie Limited, Spectral Q Aerial Art and The Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education and others.
The ocean is a vital part of our daily lives, particularly because Hong Kong is surrounded by the sea and is an important natural harbour. But when was the last time anyone in Hong Kong walked along a beach and didnt see an old bottle, go for a swim and not have a plastic bag brush up against their leg, or sift sand through their hands and not find bits of plastic? The aim of the event, which began with a drawing competition in schools, was to help students become aware of the health of the ocean and understand its ecosystem better. The competition was won by 9 yearold Leung Man-hin from Kwai Ming Wu Memorial School of The Precious Blood. His drawing of a Chinese White Dolphin was transformed by John Quigley into an image portrayed by lines of children sitting on Repulse Bay beach that was visible from the air.
9-year-old Leung Man-hin, winner of the drawing competition with aerial artist, John Quigley and co-organizers
40
HKFYG
2012
Other activities during Kids Ocean Week included talks and films on ocean protection issues at several international schools. The culmination was Kids Ocean Day 2012 on Friday 9 November with about 800 children, teachers and volunteers who joined in the Human Aerial Art event. They formed the outline of a dolphin and the word Protect with the Chinese characters for ocean. The beach was then photographed from a helicopter.
Allied World Assurance Company Hong Kong International Airport Morgan Stanley Pacific Andes Group Southern District Council, HKSARG
41
Rethinking Cant - o
ome people jump to the conclusion that Canto-pop is all about love, and they think it might give young people a negative impression of romantic relationships. This could be unfair because there can be a serious side to the lyrics. In fact some of these highly popular songs have positive impact because the lyrics reflect social norms and topical issues, as in these two examples.
Rethinking development
Li Tung Street, known as Wedding Card Street in Wan Chai, was once famous for traditional printing, especially wedding invitations. However, the government went ahead with an Urban Renewal plan in 2005 and many Hong Kong people were sad about losing another landmark for their memories and a piece of cultural heritage. In 2008, Kay Tses heartrending hit about the street had all the more impact because of the particular historical context in which it was written, at a time when irreplaceable heritage was truly being scarified for the sake of redevelopment.
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lbFn81Jj80 for a video of Kay Tse.
Photo by Nwfb1601
Kay Tse
Photo by laihiu
Photo by rc!
42
The lyrics of Wedding Card Street by Wyman Wong, awkward to translate into English, (see opposite page), describe the lost dream of marriage with emotive words like forget, torn down and good old memories. Sentimental they may be, but they also help listeners reflect on social perspective and the importance of sustaining relationships and culture in the ever-changing contemporary world.
Social commentary
Simon Frith*, a British socio-musicologist, says pop music derives meaning and relevance because it is a mass medium. He tells us that when we listen to a song we hear both the meaning of the words and the rhetoric behind it. These two songs are typical examples of how local Hong Kong Canto-pop can have deeper meaning and can encourage audiences to rethink preconceived ideas.
Photo by adifansnet
Rethinking minorities
Many claim that one of Hong Kongs core values is respecting diversity. But can we actually put this principle into practice and offer our full respect to those who may not share our values and opinions? C AllStar, a post-80s male group, sang about discrimination, interpreting Wyman Wongs lyrics beautifully. Their video portrays how various minority groups, including the physically disabled, gays and ethnic minorities, are misunderstood. The impact comes from seeing and hearing how being treated with prejudice goes deep into their inner world giving them a sense of loneliness and helplessness.
Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyvoxF6VERQ for a video of C AllStar
Wyman Wong
Minority
Everyone plays a minority role At a certain time in life Everyone knows how cruel it is To be shunned and kept from light If you were in the majority How would you treat a minority? Many give in for the common ground And forsake the castle of justice Many give up on minority groups To be part of the crowd and conform If I were in the majority Id still dare to care with all honesty.
If we believe in the principle that all men are equal, will we really walk the talk as our responsibility to others? This writer thinks there is a second kind of minority, the people who really do dare to care with all honesty. Only when such people are in the majority can society be more harmonious and just. Perhaps through listening again to pop music lyrics we can gain a better picture of our society, rethinking the local music scene and the social issues it connects us with.
*Source Frith, S. Performing rites: on the value of popular music. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1996.
43
Directed by Stephen Chbosky Featuring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller Genre Drama Original language English Rating
reviewed by Chloe Ng, Education Services Unit, HKFYG Synopsis The film opens with three young people facing difficulties. The sensitive, gifted Charlie (Logan Lerman) is overwhelmed by the death of his best friend Michael who recently committed suicide, and of his aunt who died in a car accident. Stuck in the past, he is trying to deal with sadness that has roots long ago, and has withdrawn from normal social life. Sam, (Emma Watson), free-spirited, warm-hearted but a bit wild, is the second main character. Thought to be a party girl, she actually lacks self-confidence and fears for both her grades and her future. Then there is Patrick, (Ezra Miller), Sams gay step-brother who has been dating a boy secretly, suffering greatly in private, even though he acts like the funny entertainer in public. Everything takes a turn for the better when the three become friends. Sam and Patricks acceptance of Charlie encourage him to face the deep feelings he has hidden for a long time. Review The Perks of Being a Wallflower captures the inner struggles of troubled youth in an amusing but true-to-life way. The story is set in the days when there were no internet, no iPhone, no Facebook. Instead there was taped music, parties, balls, and joyrides but they came with the same problems of today, drug abuse, pressure from studying, and confusing interpersonal relationships. Among the various characters, we will see our own reflection mirrored. The film is visually enjoyable, with a multi-layered plot, a crazy play on stage, a grand ball and wild drug parties but overall, what impressed me most, was the portrayal of precious friendship. Originally, I went to this movie because I am a big fan of Harry Potter and Emma Watson is incredible in that movie. However, Charlies fragmentary memories of his aunt, recalled throughout the whole movie really held my attention. Not only the audience but Charlie himself is shocked when he comes to terms with the sexual harassment his favourite aunt subjected him to, and which caused his mental breakdown. Charlie is too shy to tell Sam about it all, but when he falls for her she doesnt think she deserves a good guy like him and they stay just good friends until the final denouement.
Comments
Ada Besides the great plot, the performances of all young actresses and actors and the choice of music are very good. They main characters find courage and strength in their friendship and although the story covers controversial issues, like drug use and sexual abuse, its very enjoyable and gives the audience lots of laughs. I didnt face the same problems when I was their age but I could easily relate to them. Benjamin Logan, Emma and Ezra perform really well in this movie. They take you right to the heart of a young persons world and show you how they struggle with their problems. As the movie was directed by the author, its faithful to the original novel and I enjoyed both the book and movie very much.
44
Directed by Seth MacFarlane Featuring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis Seth MacFarlane Genre Fantasy comedy Original language English Rating
reviewed by Kanika Bali Synopsis The film is about a teddy bear that comes to life in answer to the wish of its child and best friend and owner, John. The plot follows their ups and downs and the effects on each others personalities, lives and relationships. Review Seth MacFarlanes debut film has proved to be an absolute delight. Mark Wahlbergs portrayal of the emotional dilemmas he faces when trying to choose between Ted and his girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis), is convincing. Lori portrays a mature, understanding girlfriend who is not too high maintenance but nevertheless has mature expectations of their four-yearold relationship. The use of 3-D motion tracking is impeccable bringing Ted (voiced by Seth Macfarlane) and his antics to life very well. The witty use of Flash Gordon also spices up the film and goes hand in hand with a variety of humorous characters, ranging from Loris lover boss, a psychotic father and son who want Ted for themselves, and Teds cashier girlfriend. The movie is extremely funny and the humour, coupled with the way it handles contemporary social issues such as the concept of faded stardom, substance abuse and mans inability to abandon adolescence is very effective. Ted mooches along beside John who hes stood by through all his thunder buddy life. However, at some point everyone needs to grow up and eventually Lori issues the ultimatum. Ted must move out and relinquish control over Johns life so that he can move on. Do the two still remain best friends? Do Lori and John last? To know more, youll have to watch the movie, wont you?
Comments
Jack It is a touching story with many funny scenes which made me laugh. The idea is very good that after the teddy bear comes alive, it grows up with the main character, Mark. It is true that no relationship remains unchanged through time. It will evolve and all of us must learn to accept changes and grow, no matter in friendship or love. Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian) Another example of the nostalgia to which screen comics are prone: the nostalgia for the student or ex-student days of messing around, talking about stupid TV shows and pop culture and having fun. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/aug/02/ted-review
45
HKFYG
Celebrating its 10 Anniversary HKFYG Standard Chartered Hong Kong English Public Speaking Contest
luency in English is a key to success. To foster self-confidence, the HKFYG Standard Chartered Hong Kong English Public Speaking Contest (EPSC) has been run with co-organizer, The English Speaking Union (Hong Kong), since 2004 and with sole sponsor, Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong), since 2005.
th
To me, this contest was more than just a personal victory. It was also an opportunity for every participant to take the first step towards infusing English into their daily lives.
Hubert Cruz, Champion, Senior Division, 2012
This public speaking involved a lot of experience, a lot of thinking and most importantly a lot of speaking! The fact that we had to go through a couple of rounds meant each round was a confidence booster. Asia Bibi, Merit Award, Senior Division, 2009
46
I learned from many skilled and gifted public speakers that good public speaking does not come naturally. While some may be talented in speaking, it takes years of painstaking practice to truly grasp the art of public speaking and to hone ones skills. John Chan, 1st runner-up, Senior Division, 2011
HKFYG
Our Journey
2004 First Hong Kong English Public Speaking Contest. 684 participants. Generous support and encouragement from Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) as Sole Sponsor. Mainland China & Hong Kong English Public Speaking Winners Performance 2006 established. Junior Division incorporated. Overwhelming response from teachers, parents and students in Hong Kong. Over 5,000 participants. Generous donation from Dr Jack Tang helped to set up The Sir TL Yang English Ambassadors Outreach, a tribute on Sir TL Yangs 80th birthday. Past winners become English Language Ambassadors. Two Revival Rounds introduced to allow judges and public to give contestants a second chance through interview voting. Participants exceeded 10,000 Polling in Online Revival Round. attracted over 4,500 votes. Two Speaking Enhancement Workshops over-subscribed. 94% say EPSC sharpens English skills.
3000
2005
90 11 28 12
2250
47
11
14
53
2006
1500
83 91 7 1
83
95
2007 2008
0 97 94 2 4
750
68
6 67
72
59
2004
2005
2006
2007
56
2009
2008
0
2009
2010
2011
2012
Supporters
I encourage you to use every opportunity to sharpen your skills in public speaking and to master both [Chinese and English] languages as well.
Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, GBS, JP Chief Secretary for Administration, Government of the HKSAR
The future
In 2013 a mainland collaboration with the 21st Century Cup National High School and Primary School English Speaking Competition will take place for the first time. Winners of Junior and Senior Divisions may have the opportunity to represent Hong Kong at the National Contest in mainland China or at the annual International Public Speaking Competition 2013 in London. A week-long International English Public Speaking Week will be organized by HKFYG in July 2013 with lots of English public speaking learning and practising opportunities. This will coincide with the publication of a book on public speaking with contributions from experienced teachers and past EPSC winners.
2010
2011
2012
We have seen this event inspire many thousands of Hong Kong young people. It has been immensely valuable in encouraging vital confidence and fluency skills in English, the global language of communication, and also in fostering accomplished public discourse.
Mr Benjamin Hung, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd
Learning to speak, speaking to learn, this is the vision we have when organizing this English public speaking contest.
Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP, Executive Director, HKFYG
EPSC organizes annual Speaking Enhancement Workshops conducted by a professional trainer for participants in both divisions. They will be at Ki-tec on 22 December 2012. The HKFYG Standard Chartered Hong Kong English Public Speaking Contest 2013 is open for applications until 28 December 2012. The Grand Final-cum- Awards Ceremony will be on 23 February 2013 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Visit http:// leadership21.hkfyg.org.hk/eps now!
47
HKFYG
35 3 0 32 15 19
gamble
by Hsu Siu-man Supervisor, Youth Wellness Centre by HKFYG
Figure 1 Gambling involvement
5 17 34 6 27 1 2 2 3 36 21
ncreased opportunities have made gambling more socially acceptable in Hong Kong in the past few decades. Attention to the adverse effects on family life has grown in parallel. HKFYGs survey on the impact of parental gambling on mental health status and gambling behaviour of 12-20 year olds has implications for preventive initiatives, intervention strategies and future research.
8 23 10 5 30 11
This survey1 was conducted by the HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre to examine the impact of gambling from an adolescent perspective. The specific research objectives were to explore the perceived effects of parental gambling on adolescents mental health, and to identify the negative consequences of parental gambling.
Male
Non-gamblers
Female
56.6%
Total
55.5%
53.6%
40.2%
40.9%
40.5%
4.6%
2.3%
3.5%
Pathological gamblers
1.5%
0.2%
0.9%
48
Note: Using DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, 0.9% (n=8) could be classified as probable pathological gamblers, 3.5% (n=31) could be classified as at-risk gamblers and 40.5% (n=364) were social or recreational gamblers.3
HKFYG
A total of 46.5% of the respondents year and 16.7% of them said they had a parent with a gambling problem. Compared to adolescents with no such problems, they were significantly more stressed, anxious and depressed. They also said their parents showed less interest in them and paid less attention to their developmental needs. They reported witnessing more marital discord and said they faced financial problems. As shown in Figure 2, the most common forms of gambling in these respondents are mahjong and cards, followed by video games and the Mark Six lottery.
33.0%
Mark Six
13.9%
Video gaming
27.8%
Conflicts between parents Changed relationship with parents Less time interacting with gambling parent(s) Gambling parent(s) spent less time at home Gambling parent(s) failed to fulfill responsibilities Gambling parent(s) could not be trusted with money Sense of insecurity at home Financial problems at home Gambling parent(s) begged family members for the chance to change Diminished learning at school Negative effect on social activities Gambling parent(s) borrowed money to pay off debts Fewer basic needs (such as food and clothing) filled Gambling debts resulted in threatening phone calls
Conclusion
Adolescents who reported parental gambling were more likely to gamble themselves and to develop gambling problems. They were also more susceptible to anxiety, depression, stress and other psychological problems and perceived low levels of family support. Many were distressed about damaged family relationships, family financial difficulties and diminished fulfillment of basic needs. These young people need professional help to cope with family, school and mental health problems. Unfortunately, they are not always included in the process of treating compulsive gamblers. The study also indicates the need for improved parent education and school-based secondary prevention programs which target at-risk adolescents. To minimize gambling-related problems, gaming operators and the government should provide funds for further gambling studies, especially on important areas such as the resultant social ills and the impact on family life. These two key stakeholders should also ensure the availability of funds for implementing preventive and intervention services.
Research for the study was done by Hsu Siu-man and Charlene Lam Lok-man (HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre), and Irene Wong Lai-kuen, Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Results were presented at The First Asia Pacific Conference on Gambling & Commercial Gaming Research, held in Macau. 5-8 November 2012.
1. The survey of 1,095 randomly selected students in Secondary 1-Secondary 5 at 11 co-educational secondary schools took place from February-April 2012. The 926 completed questionnaires indicated a response rate of 84.5%. The tables give details for the 12 months preceding the survey. 2. Wong, ILK. Gambling behavior among underage adolescents in Hong Kong. Asian Journal of Gambling Issues and Public Health, 1, 2010, 47-60. 3. Fisher, SE. Developing the DSM-IV-MR-J criteria to identify adolescent problem gambling in non-clinical populations. Journal of Gambling Studies, 16, 2000. 253-273.
49
HKFYG
Step
up out
step
he Step Out Award Scheme, co-organized by HKFYGs Youth Employment Network and Education First, encourages senior secondary students to plan their future careers. The scheme offers 5 lucky winners a 2-week sponsored study tour in Sydney, Australia, in August 2013.
How to apply
From now till 31 January 2013 any full-time student in Secondary 4 or above* who has not visited a foreign country in the past three years can be nominated by a teacher at their school for the award.
Award benefits
round-trip air ticket to Sydney 2-week study-tour fees accommodation and meals with Australian host families activities in Sydney with opportunities to improve English skills chance to broaden horizons, meet people and develop career aspirations
4 steps
download form at YEN Website http://yen.hkfyg.org.hk ) complete application form with nomination by teacher essay by applicant, in English or Chinese, on career of choice, approximately 1,000 words send documents to HKFYG Youth Employment Network, 7-10, G/F., Wing Lok House, Fuk Loi Estate, Tsuen Wan, NT, Hong Kong to arrive before 6pm on 31 January 2013
Mailing address: HKFYG Youth Employment Network, 7-10, G/F, Wing Lok House, Fuk Loi Estate, Tsuen Wan, NT, HK Website: yen.hkfyg.org.hk Enquiries: 3113 7999
*Note Award winners will need to be in possession of valid travel document and be 15 or over at the time of departure.
50
Factsheet
Youth
HONG KONG
51
Publisher : The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups www.hkfyg.org.hk www.u21.hk Youth Hong Kong : 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel: 3755 7084 3755 7108 Fax: 3755 7155 Email: youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk Website: youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk The title of this journal in Chinese is Xiang Gang Qing Nian