Where Lighting, Sound and Media Converge.
The Department of Media Design and Technology empowers students to shape how audiences engage with performance, entertainment, exhibitions and immersive environments through the creative integration of lighting, sound and media.
Learning is grounded in practice, collaboration and innovation within HKAPA’s interdisciplinary performing arts environment. Through Academy productions, creative projects and experimentation, students combine creative vision, design thinking, Arts Tech innovation and production technical expertise to connect people, stories and spaces.
Supported by dedicated, inspiring faculty and state-of-the-art facilities, students gain hands-on experience across live and digital contexts. The curriculum integrates design aesthetics, production practices and emerging Arts Tech applications, including immersive audio, XR, virtual production, artificial intelligence, interactive programming and media networking. Graduates are prepared to contribute to the future of performing arts, entertainment and the wider cultural and creative industries.
Audio Arts develops creative practitioners who specialise in the creation, production and exploration of sound for performance, entertainment and emerging creative contexts. Within HKAPA's interdisciplinary performing arts environment, students learn through productions, collaborative projects and studio practice while developing expertise in music production, composition and arrangement, sound design, recording and mixing, immersive audio, live sound, sonic arts and emerging audio technologies.
Building on HKAPA's strong tradition in music and audio production, the specialisation explores sound as a medium for storytelling, artistic expression and audience engagement. Students investigate contemporary sound practices ranging from music production and audio content creation to sonic arts, digital performance, sound installations and immersive media experiences. Learning takes place within HKAPA's interdisciplinary performing arts environment, where students contribute to productions across Dance, Drama, Cantonese Opera and Music, developing practical experience in theatre sound, live sound reinforcement and studio audio. Through practice-based learning, they develop both creative and technical capabilities for diverse careers across the creative, entertainment and cultural industries.
Who Should Apply?
Audio Arts is suitable for students who are passionate about sound, music and audio creation, and interested in how sound shapes storytelling, performance and audience experience. Whether your interests include music production, sound design, sonic arts, immersive audio or live sound, the specialisation offers opportunities to develop creative and technical skills through productions, collaborative projects and studio practice within HKAPA's interdisciplinary performing arts environment.
Graduate Futures
• Audio Producer
• Music Producer
• Sound Designer
• Live Sound Specialist
• Recording & Mixing Engineer
• Sonic Artist
• Audio Content Creator
• Creative Technologist
Media Scenography develops creative designers who shape audience experiences through the integration of lighting, sound and media. Within HKAPA's interdisciplinary performing arts environment, students learn through productions, collaborative projects and creative experimentation, developing an integrated understanding of contemporary performance, scenography and experience design.
Combining aesthetics, storytelling and emerging technologies, the specialisation explores how lighting, sound, video and interactive media can work together to create meaningful experiences and new forms of performance. Students build foundations in lighting, sound and media design while developing individual strengths and interdisciplinary skills through collaborative production practice. In Years 3 and 4, students focus on one of three disciplines: lighting, sound, or video and media, while continuing to collaborate across disciplines as part of a scenography team.
Through Academy productions and practice-based learning, students gain experience in design development, production workflows, technical implementation and systems integration. Alongside creative design practice, students develop technical skills in areas such as CAD drafting, lighting control and rigging, sound system design and mixing, media systems, playback technologies and creative programming. They also explore immersive audio, 3D tracking, extended reality (XR), virtual production and artificial intelligence (AI) as creative tools for performance, entertainment, exhibitions and immersive experiences, preparing them for the future of Arts Tech and contemporary experience design.
Who Should Apply?
Media Scenography is suitable for students who are interested in creating experiences for audiences through lighting, sound and media. A background or interest in visual storytelling, live events, sound, lighting, media creation, creative technology or performance design can provide a strong foundation for the programme. Through productions, collaborative projects and practice-based learning, students develop both creative and technical skills within HKAPA's interdisciplinary performing arts environment.
Graduate Futures
• Lighting Designer
• Sound Designer
• Video / Media Designer
• Projection Designer
• Scenographer
• Experience Designer
• Production Designer
• Show Designer
• Entertainment Systems Designer
• Creative Technologist
Interactive Media is designed for creative practitioners interested in the relationship between performance, technology and audience engagement. The specialisation explores how interaction can transform experiences, enabling new forms of participation, communication and creative expression in live and hybrid environments.
Rooted in HKAPA's interdisciplinary performing arts environment, students develop self-directed projects through practice-led research, critical reflection and creative experimentation. They explore interactive programming, motion capture, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) as Arts Tech tools that connect audiences, performers, spaces and digital systems. Focusing on interaction as a live and embodied experience, students develop original approaches to interactive practice and transform ideas into interactive works, performance projects and immersive experiences.
Supported by advanced laboratories and Arts Tech facilities, students extend their practice beyond traditional studio-based creation into interactive performance, immersive experiences, digital media works and interdisciplinary projects. The specialisation encourages forward-looking creative and research practices at the intersection of performance, technology and audience engagement.
Who Should Apply?
The specialisation welcomes practitioners from artistic, design and technology backgrounds who wish to expand their creative practice and research through interdisciplinary exploration. Applicants may come from creative technology, interaction and user experience design, media arts, performance and theatre, music and sound, computer science and programming, XR and immersive media, digital and computational arts, or related creative disciplines.
Graduate Futures
• Creative Technologist
• Interactive Media Designer
• Experience Designer
• XR Designer
• Interactive Artist
• Digital Performance Maker
• Innovation Consultant
• Media Researcher
• Creative Director
Media Scenography is designed for experienced practitioners seeking to expand and reimagine their creative practice beyond a single discipline. Through the integration of lighting, sound and media, students investigate new approaches to scenography, storytelling, performance and audience experience across theatre, entertainment, exhibitions and immersive environments.
Rooted in HKAPA's interdisciplinary performing arts environment, the specialisation combines practice-led research, critical reflection, creative experimentation and production-based inquiry. Through self-directed creative projects and research, students develop original methodologies while exploring how lighting, sound, spatial composition, digital media and Arts Tech can shape performance and audience experience. Students are encouraged to translate research and experimentation into original creative works, developing distinctive approaches to contemporary scenographic practice.
Evolving from the Projection Design specialisation, Media Scenography expands its scope from a single design discipline to the integrated practice of lighting, sound and media. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students explore experience design and emerging forms of performance, opening up new possibilities for live performance, entertainment and immersive experiences.
Who Should Apply?
The specialisation welcomes practitioners from artistic, design and technology backgrounds who wish to expand their creative practice through interdisciplinary exploration. Applicants may come from lighting design, sound design, media and projection design, theatre and performance design, exhibition and experience design, architecture and spatial design, creative technology, live events and entertainment production, or related creative disciplines.
Graduate Futures
• Creative Director
• Scenographer
• Experience Designer
• Exhibition Designer
• Media Designer
• Production Designer
• Design Researcher
• Creative Producer
• Educator and Researcher