“Planting rice takes a year; planting trees needs ten years and educating the mind requires a lifetime,” as the Chinese saying puts it. The Deputy Director (Academic) of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Professor Gillian Choa, has been helping to develop young artists in the city for more than two decades. Her first job in Hong Kong was as the first ever Resident Designer for Chung Ying Theatre Company. Since then she has devoted herself to the performing arts industry and education. Looking back, she professed that her 2-year experience as a freelance secondary school teacher in the 80s paved the way for her to become a fully-fledged educator eventually. “I have great passion for teaching in the Academy because it marries education and creativity. In addition, as a teacher I am able to have far-reaching impacts on my students. Based on what they have learnt, they proceed to create their own work. I am also able to observe and nurture them as they mature over the years as creative artists. This is the kind of relationship which I enjoy most,” says Professor Choa.
Before joining the Academy, Professor Choa's comprehensive artistic experience ranged from theatre and television to advertising and Hollywood movies. Her very first engagement in the Academy was a guest lecturer in the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts in 1992; and four years later, she was appointed a full-time faculty, then became the Dean of the School seven years ago. "In the beginning, I did not expect to enter into a long work relationship with the Academy. Time flies and it has been 24 years since I joined, and this is where my career has developed and my future lies. Teaching was never that straightforward, especially in the early days when the Academy was still exploring its educational direction. The long hours of work were daunting, but the satisfaction I have derived from teaching the very talented students here, and witnessing their success in what they have chosen in their careers, has made it all worthwhile."
International Exposure and Adaptability
"What would happen if there were no performing artists in the world? I think it would be very dull!" says Professor Choa, "but thankfully performing arts activities are thriving and abundant in Hong Kong, given its importance in the community and the strong support of the Government." The Academy has long been committed to generating opportunities for students to increase their international exposure. "Children in Europe have a more mature knowledge in arts because they have begun their learning when they were young by paying regular visits to museums and theatres and seeing authentic art pieces in galleries. Unlike them, Hong Kong students have to rely largely on written material to expose themselves to arts. As a result, the Academy constantly thinks of ways to allow our students to 'breathe the arts'. Students are given opportunities to go abroad and these activities are often supported by scholarships and grants. Those who have completed overseas tours, visits and internships are also encouraged to share their experience with their classmates and teachers."
"When Professor Choa was asked about the competitive edge of Hong Kong students, she talked about the East-meets-West local culture which has fostered our students with a unique quality that is different from other Asian and Western countries and territories, a quality which is naturally displayed in their creative works and becomes an artistic style of their own. "Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city where students enjoy free flow of information and new technologies, with most of them having a strong ability to adapt to new situations for studying and working in other parts of the world." Graduates from the Academy have long been welcomed by both the Mainland and foreign production/performance companies, in places such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Singapore and Japan, as well as the United States and the United Kingdom. The extensive partnership network established by the Academy with its counterparts around the world ensures that students can keep abreast with the latest development through its curricular design and development, and students' exposure via industry experience. "We don't wish our students to limit themselves within a certain area because nowadays, flexibility is of the most importance."
Learning and Teaching
Coming from the creative industry, Professor Choa always stresses the importance of "Thinking beyond one's imagination". She has a broad educational vision. "Our ultimate aim is to give students the best learning experience so that they are inspired to acquire knowledge and create independently rather than being spoon-fed. To help achieve this, the Academy strives to give students and teachers latitude to develop themselves to support their teaching and learning in order to expose them to the latest trends and technologies." Thus, the Academy encourages teachers to attend symposiums and conferences, and to immerse themselves in tasks outside the classroom. "Members of the creative industry need 'white space' in which to think and reflect on different approaches for their artistic endeavours, leading to a win-win situation for teachers and students."
Professor Choa says that the Academy is not "a skill training factory", but a place that is centred on "whole-person development". Her own experience transitioning from a stage designer to an educator and manager provides a real-life example that one should not limit oneself. "Possibilities are endless. Different opportunities to discover yourself present themselves and emerge in the least expected circumstances sometimes – an occasion that you quite often may not have dreamed about. One just has to be brave enough to take up these new challenges and act upon them."
Ploughing Ahead
The Academy has been ploughing ahead with plans to enhance its innovative teaching approaches. Professor Choa has been working closely with deans and their faculty to review their curricula as they seek to answer this fundamental question: What kind of 21st century young artists do we hope to nurture for the industry and the community? While each School looks into its own strengths and weaknesses, the overarching task is to examine the relevance of the academic structure as a whole. "Do we need more sharing of practices among Schools?" Professor Choa asks. "How about more interdisciplinary opportunities? Is our present academic structure serving our academic staff and students? The Academy doesn't work as six individual voices. We speak with one voice and walk together towards a common educational goal with the same rigour and determination."
"The years that the students spent at the Academy only provide them with the fundamental tools. There is so much more out there for one to continue to learn." When universal access to arts education is a common place, performances will not be limited to grand theatres or recital halls. The young artists who graduate from the Academy are all committed to an exciting time on the stage or behind the scene, and an exciting life of tireless learning.
(The article was published in the Jan 2020 issue of Academy News. Click here to read the original story.)
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