HKAPA PerformTech Symposium 2024: Staging the Future of Performing Arts

The PerformTech Exhibition transforms the successful "TechBox 2024: LEVEL 66 – The Arcade Project," staged in Summer 2024 at FreeSpace, West Kowloon Cultural District, into an immersive experience for the audience of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

A play-filled happening exploring issues of agency, performativity and the human condition, through the lens of a game

TechBox 2024: LEVEL 66 – The Arcade Project, a participatory theatre experience that transforms The Box into a human arcade game lab.

Blending elements of gameplay and performance, LEVEL 66 – The Arcade Project invites the audience to become players in a clash of ideas. Entering this liminal space – at an unspecified mid-way stage of a complex, ongoing and possibly rigged process – players are presented with scenarios and actions, and one simple question: to play or not to play.

Devised by Ip Yuk-yiu, a media artist known for incorporating computer games into his creative works, LEVEL 66 – The Arcade Project explores game as method and metaphor in experimental performance. The work was created in collaboration with students, teachers and graduates from the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, as well as the Theatre Team, Technical and Production Team at West Kowloon Cultural District.

About TechBox
TechBox is a collaborative platform established between WestK and the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The platform brings together media artists, theatre designers, faculty members and students to explore new frontiers of technology and performance and devise experimental creations in a technological context.

In 2021, the opening programme art TALKS tech presented work by audio engineers, sound artists and artists specialising in digital kinetic sculptures and multimedia. Since 2022, TechBox has offered public presentations on the research and development process for creating technological works and extended teaching content. In 2023, Techbox presented its first full production, The Travellers and The Listeners, in Freespace.

In the PerformTech Symposium, the TechBox team will participate in a panel discussion titled "TechBox: A Journey across Interdisciplinary Experimental Collaborative Learning."

Creative Team

Principal Artist: Ip Yuk-yiu

Lighting Designer: Rachel Ip Chun-lam

Sound Designer: Allison Fong Tsz-ching

Composer: Ian Tang

Moving Image Design: Homan So

Set and Costume Designer: Jessie Lam

Deputy Technical Director: Chan Wing-kit

Assistant Technical Director: Denzel Yung Cheuk-lun

Creative Coordinator: Thomas Yau*

Deputy Producer: Meredith Wong*

Co-Curator, Producer: Bobo Lee*

Co-Curator, Technical Director: Allen Fung

* Staff of West Kowloon Cultural District

The HKAPA TechBox Project Fund is sponsored by Ms Vina Cheng. 

Co-presenter:

This showcase is a work-in-progress exploration centered around the concept of the digital mirror. As humanity stands on the threshold of the digital age, coexisting with rapidly advancing technology, we are prompted to question how this evolution will affect our physical and cognitive selves. When confronted with a digital mirror that reflects our intertwined existence with technology, we must consider how we will integrate into this digital symbiosis and reshape our digital consciousness.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), often perceived as a "black box," learns not from direct human instruction but through the assimilation and organization of human actions and data. Consequently, AI-generated insights may not always align with traditional human perspectives, yet they offer fresh angles for reflection and consideration.

This work-in-progress emphasizes a collaborative process involving all members of the creative team. Our creative journey adapts and responds dynamically to the inputs and interactions, including those from AI, to create a performance that reflects this nuanced dialogue between humanity and technology. 

Creative Team
Director, Choreographer:  Chieh-Hua HSIEH
Co-creator, Multi-media Design: Dan Fong

Dancer: Leung Wai Yin Angus, Tam Tsz Yiu Ashley, Lee Sin Tung Rainbow, Zhao Yuefan Annie
Lighting Designer: Lily TSANG Pik Lam
Composer, Sound Designer: Vito TONG Tsz Hin
Costume Designer: Bacchus Lee
Multi-media Design assistant: Erin Lo
Creative Coordinator: NGUYEN Ngoc Anh

HTC VIVE Eternal Notre Dame – Immersive Experience in HKAPA

The construction of Notre Dame de Paris began in 1163 and took over a century to complete. Its iconic exterior is renowned worldwide, and the cathedral has been a witness to significant historical events, including Napoleon Bonaparte's coronation. With its rich history and intricate design, Notre Dame has made an indelible mark on cultural heritage. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1911.

In April 2019, a tragic fire devastated the cathedral, destroying its iconic spire and many invaluable relics, resulting in a profound cultural loss. This event prompted a global response, leading France to launch a campaign for restoration. It also inspired discussions about how to preserve Notre Dame's legacy beyond photographs and videos.

In collaboration with Emissive, HTC VIVE has dedicated months to creating a virtual reality (VR) recreation of Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, allowing audiences to experience its grandeur once more.

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts is honored to host the "HTC VIVE Eternal Notre Dame – Immersive Experience" on October 16 and 17 at the SPaRC Studio on the third floor of its Wanchai campus. This exceptional VR experience provides faculty and students the opportunity to virtually explore the Gothic cathedral, including its renowned rose windows and a collection of priceless artefacts. Using the world’s first 5K high-resolution all-in-one VR headset, participants will witness the cathedral's authentic colours and appreciate the intricate details of its artistic masterpieces.

This event is part of the "Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts PerformTech Symposium 2024: Staging the Future of Performing Arts," which features a diverse range of activities featuring performing arts and technology.