Established in 1977, Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) is a non-profit making, non-governmental and self-financed statutory arts organization, aiming at promoting contemporary performing arts, visual arts, film and video arts and providing lifelong and wide-reaching arts education.
The Centre provides different presentation spaces and venues including galleries, theatres, a cinema, classrooms, studios and offices, catering the needs from organizations of different arts and cultural industries. In the Centre, art lovers can experience different forms and media of art : Sculpture, Photography, Ceramics, Illustrations, sound and visual installations, serving as a unique platform to bridge art and the community. Hong Kong Arts Centre is a venue facilitator, an art organization as well as an art education provider.
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In the late 1960s, the City Hall was the only venue for contemporary arts in Hong Kong and there was a serious lack of space for art and cultural activities. In 1968, several art associations and groups wrote to the Hong Kong Government to request the grant of a piece of land on which to build an arts centre. S. F. Bailey, the Secretary General of the University Grants Committee, led the campaign. He officially obtained legal rights for the group in June 1971 and successfully acquired a piece of reclaimed land near Gloucester Road in Wanchai from the government after years of negotiation.
Afterwards, Bailey and the art associations campaigned to generate funds and interest in the idea of an arts centre, whilst simultaneously launching the actual construction. When only half of the required $28 million was raised construction was halted and unable to continue until Hong Kong Governor Sir Murray MacLehose applied for loans using a government warrant. Li Choh-ming, the first Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, was the first Chairman of the Arts Centre, Sir Run Run Shaw was the first Vice-chairman, and Neil Duncan was the first General Manager.
The Hong Kong Arts Centre was inaugurated by the Governor on 14 October 1977.
* agnès b. CINEMA (UB/F) The agnès b. CINEMA is professionally equipped for film shows, suitable for seminars, recitals, ceremonies and press conferences. Maximum number of audience is 193.
* McAulay Studio (LB/F) The McAulay Studio has movable seating, perfect for small-scale drama performances and workshops. The seating capacity is around 76 – 100.
*Shouson Theatre (1 & 3/F) Shouson Theatre has seats arranged at the stall (1/F) and the circle (3/F), with large-scale drama and dance performances, concerts, film shows and seminars held at the Theatre. Seating capacity for drama is 439 (Stall – 260, Circle – 179); for film show is 425 (Stall – 246, Circle – 179)
* Pao Galleries (5/F) This prestigious split-level exhibition gallery houses world-class exhibitions of art and crafts all year round.
* Experimental Gallery (3/F)
* Jockey Club Atrium (G-3/F)
Education has always been a major part of HKAC’s mission, Hong Kong Art School (HKAS) was officially established as a division of the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Closely associated with the Arts Centre’s environment of cultural venues, client art groups and creative enterprises, the School offers a unique setting for students to draw on a vast spectrum of artistic practices.
The School is an accredited institute staffed by a group of dedicated artists, who are active and distinguished practitioners in the field. The award-bearing programmes offered by the School focus on four core academic areas, namely, Fine Art, Applied Art, Media Art and Drama Education, with academic levels ranging from Foundation Diploma, Higher Diploma, Bachelor Degree to Master Degree. The short courses and the outreach projects of the School that run parallel to the award-bearing curriculum span an even wider variety of artistic disciplines. With its acquisition of a campus site in Shau Kei Wan and additional studio space at the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre in Shek Kip Mei in 2009, the School aims at further bridging art and the community.
ArtsLink ArtsLink is a publication featuring all programmes and activities held at the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Published in the last week of each month, ArtsLink keeps a close link with all art lovers, and gives them updated information about the Centre.
ArtsLink is available for free at more than 150 locations and provides detailed information about exhibition events, film programmes, theatre performances, and courses of the Arts Centre and the Hong Kong Art School.
Guided Tour helps art lovers to know more about the arts, the programmes, the architecture and the history of the Hong Kong Arts Centre. Led by the Centre’s professionally trained docents, each tour lasts 45 to 60 minutes and is free of charge.
HKAC has always been a cradle and serves as a unique “laboratory” for nurturing different arts organizations......
* The Arts with the Disabled Association (ADA) Hong Kong
ADA was formed as a non-government organization in 1986. The Association provides equal opportunity for persons with disabilities to have access to, participate in and enjoy the arts, and works with the general public to promote integration and inclusion in society through the arts.
* Art in Hospitals (AIH)
AIH was established In 1994, under full financial, administrative and office rental support of the Center, and was registered as a non-profit making charitable organization in 2003. The Centre helps serve the community and the development of hospital art in Hong Kong.
* Aesthetic Education Programme
The Programme was founded in 2001 by the Hong Kong Arts Centre's Art School, based on the model of aesthetic education that is practiced at the Lincoln Center Institute (LCI), New York, bringing art to primary and secondary schools.
* Theatre Ensemble
Theatre Ensemble, using the Centre as the home base for its theatre programmes presentation, it is a pilot scheme launched by HKAC since 2004. The Centre also helped the Ensemble run an innovative artistic concept “PIP”(Pleasure In Play), conducting drama workshops with “fun” and “educational” aspects, sharing with the community the essential joy of the arts