A New Chapter for Cantonese Opera in the Post-Pandemic Era: “Transmission of Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong amidst COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis” Research Report and Book Launch

The Hong Kong Cantonese opera industry has been profoundly impacted by the unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Performances came to a halt, and practitioners’ livelihoods were greatly affected. Spanning over two years, this research aims to investigate the impacts of the pandemic on the Cantonese opera industry, examine how practitioners and stakeholders adapted during the pandemic, and explore whether and how the pandemic influenced practitioners’ professional development attitudes.

Adopting the theoretical framework of stress-coping mechanisms and crisis management, the author conducted in-depth interviews with over 60 Cantonese opera practitioners, including extensive fieldwork. Through this monograph, the author hopes to document this historic moment while providing critical insights into the future inheritance and development of Cantonese opera. Importantly, the author also aims to raise public awareness about the value of Cantonese opera as an intangible cultural heritage and the importance of its transmission in contemporary society.

Contents of Seminar

Research report by Prof. Fanny Chung
Scholars’ responses and discussion:
Prof. Sau-yan Chan, Prof. Sidney Cheung and Prof. Fanny Chung
Round table discussion: Ms. Naomi Chung, Mrs. Marilyn To, Mr. Yun-hung Ko, Ms. Candy Tang and Prof. Fanny Chung
Cantonese operatic singing performance by Ms. Diana Tse and Mr. Yun-hung Ko
Public’s feedback and response

Date: 16 December 2023 (Sat)
Venue: Tea House Theatre, Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District

Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJ_urgN-P2eVkk990vwqt-rV86XgsqLWEl39C8Ddxc3GGn8g/viewform

Virutal Exhibition curated by students from the course of CUMT3005 Design Your Exhibition – Curatorial Planning and Practice (2022)

As the worst pandemic we have seen in a century, COVID-19 has affected nearly every aspect of life. In response to how people have reacted under the new normal, the Cultural Management Programme is presenting its first online interactive exhibition, “____ing”. The exhibition is co-curated by 11 students from the course CUMT3005 Design Your Exhibition – Curatorial Planning and Practice offered by the Cultural Management Programme in 2022.

Supervised by Professor Isaac Leung, Assistant Professor of the Cultural Management Programme, the curators brings together thirteen groups of artists to present our life experience during the pandemic. The exhibition consists of four parts: “Normal Temperature” uses “temperature” as a clue to explore how technology intervenes in everyday life; “M i k 6” reveals the tension between individuals’ desire for freedom and the search for solace; “So Close, So Far” makes use of creativity to push spatial boundaries; and “Let’s Call It A Day” challenges the definition of time and happiness. They seek to explore the processes of change and adaptation that continue to intertwine with normality.

SIU Wai Hang, Hot Shots – have you checked your temperature before entering this exhibition?

Uncertainty brings inspiration

The exhibition responds to the ever-changing normality and complex restrictions. It all sprang from unexpected challenges in life. Originally, the final course work for CUMT3005 was in the form of a physical exhibition. Due to the fifth wave of COVID-19, all courses in Term 2 of 2021-22 had to be taught online. Physical events had to be cancelled. The uncertainty in life inspired students to ponder how the pandemic affected the everyday life of Hong Kong people. They explored how the terms, such as “new normal,” had brought new meaning to people’s lives. “The unexpected challenges during moments of crisis, on the one hand, brought disruption; on the other hand, they encouraged students to critically reconsider people’s lives from different perspectives,” said Professor Leung. “During the brainstorming sessions, students came up with a list of potential works, then looked for relevant theories to frame their ideas. Despite the challenges the pandemic brought, students also discovered that people were able to come up with creative ideas to deal with the hardship.”

About “____ing”

Curated by students from the course of CUMT3005 Design Your Exhibition – Curatorial Planning and Practice, the virtual exhibition “____ing” is open to the public until August 2023. The project is supported by the Funding Scheme for Virtual Teaching and Learning.

__ing | CUHK Exhibition (ingart.co)

LINK | Details on Faculty of Arts

Date: 1 November 2022 (Tue) - 31 August 2023 (Thu)