RE: Tai Kok Tsui - Urban Renewal Fund

Objective	Drawing inspiration from the uniqueness and diverse neighbourhood of Tai Kok Tsui, the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) presents the project “RE: Tai Kok Tsui” which promotes relationship-building and fosters meaningful connections among the local communities through art interventions. By engaging various community groups, stakeholders, creative talents, and professionals, the project and the process shall ultimately inspire and encourage not only the mentioned parties but also the general public to discuss, explore, envision, and take part in creating a dynamic and evolving environment in the Tai Kok Tsui community that serves as a prototype for the future community-building.
Activities	HIGHLIGHTED PROGRAMMES ‘IVY SAYS:’ – INTERGENERATIONAL MUSIC THEATRE PERFORMANCE A community performing art project that connects people and the landscape based on the current appearance of the district and the changes in the coastline. Through artistic research, experiential workshops, and theatrical performances, it integrates the memories and imaginations of old and new residents of Tai Kok Tsui about this place. This creation uses performing arts to connect the elderly, children, and young artists as co-creators, creating a performative “impression map” of this place, listening to the mark of the past and dialoguing with the future. A 90-minute journey that blends local street sounds, footsteps, metallic resonances, and human voices with the rhythmic pulse of urban music. An intergenerational lineup of community facilitators leads the way, unveiling surprises and evoking memories embedded in the community’s narrative. The journey begins and concludes at Ivy Street Rest Garden, where a grand finale surrounds participants and audience members in a fusion of environmental storytelling and immersive engagement. Performance Date: 11/1/2025 (Sat) and 12/1/2025 (Sun) Performance Venue: Ivy Street Rest Garden, 63 Ivy St, Tai Kok Tsui Click here for more information on ‘Ivy Says:’ ‘PHANTASMS FOR FUTURE ECOLOGIES’ ‘Phantasms for Future Ecologies’ presents digital projection artworks by leading Australian artist Mikala Dwyer in the neighbourhood of Tai Kok Tsui in Hong Kong. This is accompanied by a community art workshop led by artist and curator Tammy Wong Hulbert focussed on the Citizen-Artist bringing together the community through collaborative art making responding to caring for threated local biospecies. The installation and workshop are part of a broader urban renewal project led by Hong Kong Arts Centre ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’, which considers how public art can connect community, place, heritage and inspire ideas about sustainable living. The project involves a team of researchers, artists and curators from the School of Art at RMIT University, Australia: Associate Professor Kristen Sharp, Professor Mikala Dwyer and Dr Tammy Wong Hulbert. RMIT University is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program. ‘Phantasms for Future Ecologies’ develops poetic and innovative ways for creative artworks to create public space and to act as conduits for community connection and the re-imagining of urban ecological futures. The vivid, holographic-like image of the barn swallow by artist Mikala Dwyer is projected onto the environments of Tai Kok Tsui, drawing attention to the role animals play in urban spaces. It opens up a poignant space to reconsider ecological care, the connections between the human and more- than- human, and our coexistence in contemporary cities. Currently on projection at the ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’ Pavilion, Open Piazza, Olympian City 2! Projection date：25/1/2025 (Sat), 26/1/2025 (Sun) Venue:‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’ Pavilion, Open Piazza, Olympian City 2 (near Namco), Tai Kok Tsui PAVILION The HKAC launched the Open Call Competition in October 2023, it invited eligible architects, designers and artists to design a temporary pavilion, which will be an anchor programme in the overall ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’ public art and community art project. The competition seeked to foreground and support emerging ecologically conscious young designers. The ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’ Pavilion is now launched, it serves as a multi-functional space like gathering and resting, exhibition and event. PUBLIC SPACE ART IN INTERVENTION OPEN CALL 01 & 02 Public space locations in Tai Kok Tsui are selected to open call for creative proposals with its uniqueness. It aims to receive proposals that are suitable to the site context and Tai Kok Tsui community, in response to projects’ objective, vision, mission and value. More information on the Public Space Art Intervention Open Call 01 could be found here. ‘TIT SHU COMMUNITY LANE’ – ART INSTALLATION ‘Tit Shu Community Lane’ has transformed a section of Tit Shu Street in Tai Kok Tsui into a vibrant “Community Living Room” through the creative use of public furniture, sound installations, and pathway design. This design not only reconnects the sitting-out area and the previously separated streets but also fosters greater interaction among residents. The Artist added small communal tables and musical instruments to the existing balustrades, transforming them into a space where residents can relax, chat, or play music. The mini-tables are thoughtfully attached to the balustrades, enabling access from both sides of the street. This design effectively breaks down barriers between the street and the sitting-out area, fostering interaction between both spaces. Additionally, we integrated stories from the residents about this community into the flooring design, which invites visitors to explore the area’s charm and uncover its stories. ‘HEAVY METAL REMEDIATION LAB’ MYCELIUM CRAFT AND PLANTING WORKSHOP Curious about how art, design, biotechnology, and planting can enhance urban environments? The ‘Heavy Metal Remediation Lab – Mycelium Craft and Planting Workshop’ focuses on remediating heavy metals in urban soil. Participants will engage in a series of workshops to learn how to create mycelium-based plant pots and cultivate hyperaccumulator plants capable of absorbing heavy metals. ‘COMMUNITY MUSEUM SERIES – MOVE ON TO TKT’ ‘What if the city had emotions and memories, just like people?’ The community museum series ‘Move on to TKT’ embraces the past through stories, using transformed objects as symbols of life stages, accompanying their owners into new chapters. The completed works will be displayed from 26 October to 31 December at ONE BEDFORD PLACE, Tai Kok Tsui, with free admission. After the exhibition, the pieces will move to the ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui:’ co-creation space and Olympian City 2 for continued public viewing. Extended Exhibition Exhibition Dates:4/1/2025 – 23/2/2025 Opening Hours:10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Venue:1/F (near Sushiro) , Olympian City 2, 18 Hoi Ting Road, Tai Kok Tsui Click here for more information on ‘Move on to TKT’ PRELIMINARY RESEARCH IN THE COMMUNITY Since the Project commenced in April 2023, the HKAC has been focusing on its research, preliminary study and groundwork, connecting various stakeholders and understanding the community to revitalise Tai Kok Tsui through different collaborations. COMMUNITY CO-CREATION LABORATORY Creative teams assembled by artists and community members to collaborate with local organisations and shops in Tai Kok Tsui to design and implement innovative programmes, turning imagination into tangible reality. The lab fosters an environment encouraging members to delve into the interplay between art and public spaces through observations, discussions, professional skill development, collaborative experiments, and localised trials. These endeavours are intended to establish a robust foundation of valuable insights and practical knowledge for forthcoming community art experiences. Launched in late 2023, including 4 different series of workshops as follow: ‘Community Editorial and Writing Workshop’ one of the workshops in the Lab Series features editing, reporting, and writing for local publications, fostering a deeper connection with the community. Co-creating by the Lab Members, the first volume of a publication of ‘Ten Cents Paper Zine’ is launched in February 2024, sharing the captivating and inspiring stories of Tai Kok Tsui and its people. Click here to find out how to redeem the ‘Ten Cents Paper Zine’. ‘Community Bookshelves’ is the programme that local stakeholders, Lab Members, service users and artists co-create and tripartite collaborate in and for the Tai Kok Tsui community. There are 5 local organisations and shops that host one of our community bookshelves, a wide variety of reading interests as suggested by the programme participants. It inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges. The community bookshelves have already stationed at the five shops and organisations. Let’s explore and experience the healing power of words by visiting different corners of in Tai Kok Tsui. ‘Night Street Photography Workshops’ and ‘Take a Walk in Dusk’ Tour encourage people to discover the beauty of Tai Kok Tsui. Its bustling energy, dynamic atmosphere, and vibes can differ greatly depending on the time of day. ‘Take a Walk in Dusk Tour’ encourages participants to slow down their pace in the rapidly developing urban space, observe, explore, and understand the urban fabric of the Tai Kok Tsui community. In collaboration with the artist, an exclusive tour will be co-created to capture the essence of Tai Kok Tsui. Let’s take a breath and refresh ourselves in this cityscape. ‘The Clay Workshop in Tai Kok Tsui Community’ aims to facilitate community art co-creation through the participation of various local groups in crafting clay symbols representative of Tai Kok Tsui, and serving as an opportunity for connection and dialogue among community members. ‘COMMUNITY MUSEUM SERIES – HOK HOK ZAAP KOK’ The first session is formed by a series of workshops and the programme named ‘Hok Hok Zaap Kok’, which is led by artists who co-create with residents and local organisations. The workshops intend to build community unity through co-learning. Workshops begin from March to May 2024 and an exhibition showcase in June to August 2024. Click here for more information on ‘Hok Hok Zaap Kok’ series workshops. ‘DRAGON AND PHOENIX THEATRE & COMMON GROUND’ – COMMUNAL GATHERING In the 60s and 70s, there were many theatres in Tai Kok Tsui; the common ground outside the theatre was the main recreation and entertainment area for residents at that time. ‘Dragon and Phoenix Theatre & Common Ground’ takes the Tai Kok Tsui Theatre as its theme, providing the community with a cross-generational tea gathering and game experience on the Mid-Autumn Festival day, recalling the atmosphere of the common ground outside the theatre at that time. In view of the fact that Tai Kok Tsui is an old district with an older population, various stakeholders in the district (including schools, residential care homes, elderly centres, community centres, small shops, etc.) are invited to participate. This event has previously provided training workshops for secondary school students in the district, and later conducting cross-generational communication and exchanges as an inclusive ambassador at the event. Through tea gatherings and game experiences, guests will be able to try out soft meal, and learn about neighbourhood memories, local history, culture, and urban changes through the game experience area. Allowing guests to re-experience the cultural history of Tai Kok Tsui, allowing the neighbourhood relationships of Tai Kok Tsui to continue, and reconnecting the old and young residents of Tai Kok Tsui. ‘Iron Floral Scrolls’-Tai Kok Tsui Community Arts and Crafts Education Programme Dr. Ho Siu Kee is an artist who focuses on contemporary sculpture and the practice of traditional craftsmanship. He is also a resident of the Tai Kok Tsui neighbourhood.Such dual identity gives Dr. Ho a unique perspective and approach to his research and creative practices during his residency in Tai Kok Tsui. ‘Iron Floral Scrolls’ has been gradually declining due to the influence of modern manufacturing methods and changes in consumer habits. This type of labour-intensive craftsmanship thrived from 1970s to 1990s and is a unique traditional craft in Hong Kong. In the past, it could be seen everywhere in the community, such as in iron gates, fences, and window decorations, often exuding a vibrant aesthetic and cultural atmosphere. By leading students into the metal shops in Tai Kok Tsui to learn the craft of ‘Iron Floral Scrolls, the project aims to connect the past and the present. Through applying the skills being learned from the older generation of craftsmen to community life, , it gives the craft a “second life” to connect people and their daily living in Tai Kok Tsui. Emphasising on-site collaborative creation among artists, master craftsmen, and students, the project provides students with an valuable opportunity to understand Tai Kok Tsui’s past, to explore the possibilities of applying ‘Iron Floral Scrolls’ in contemporary creative practices, and thus the attempt to change the future of this community.

HIGHLIGHTED PROGRAMMES

‘IVY SAYS:’ – INTERGENERATIONAL MUSIC THEATRE PERFORMANCE

A community performing art project that connects people and the landscape based on the current appearance of the district and the changes in the coastline. Through artistic research, experiential workshops, and theatrical performances, it integrates the memories and imaginations of old and new residents of Tai Kok Tsui about this place. This creation uses performing arts to connect the elderly, children, and young artists as co-creators, creating a performative “impression map” of this place, listening to the mark of the past and dialoguing with the future.

A 90-minute journey that blends local street sounds, footsteps, metallic resonances, and human voices with the rhythmic pulse of urban music. An intergenerational lineup of community facilitators leads the way, unveiling surprises and evoking memories embedded in the community’s narrative.

The journey begins and concludes at Ivy Street Rest Garden, where a grand finale surrounds participants and audience members in a fusion of environmental storytelling and immersive engagement.

Performance Date: 11/1/2025 (Sat) and 12/1/2025 (Sun)

Performance Venue: Ivy Street Rest Garden, 63 Ivy St, Tai Kok Tsui

Click here for more information on ‘Ivy Says:’

‘PHANTASMS FOR FUTURE ECOLOGIES’

‘Phantasms for Future Ecologies’ presents digital projection artworks by leading Australian artist Mikala Dwyer in the neighbourhood of Tai Kok Tsui in Hong Kong. This is accompanied by a community art workshop led by artist and curator Tammy Wong Hulbert focussed on the Citizen-Artist bringing together the community through collaborative art making responding to caring for threated local biospecies. The installation and workshop are part of a broader urban renewal project led by Hong Kong Arts Centre ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’, which considers how public art can connect community, place, heritage and inspire ideas about sustainable living. The project involves a team of researchers, artists and curators from the School of Art at RMIT University, Australia: Associate Professor Kristen Sharp, Professor Mikala Dwyer and Dr Tammy Wong Hulbert. RMIT University is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Cultural Diplomacy Grants Program.

‘Phantasms for Future Ecologies’ develops poetic and innovative ways for creative artworks to create public space and to act as conduits for community connection and the re-imagining of urban ecological futures. The vivid, holographic-like image of the barn swallow by artist Mikala Dwyer is projected onto the environments of Tai Kok Tsui, drawing attention to the role animals play in urban spaces. It opens up a poignant space to reconsider ecological care, the connections between the human and more- than- human, and our coexistence in contemporary cities.

Currently on projection at the ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’ Pavilion, Open Piazza, Olympian City 2!

Projection date：25/1/2025 (Sat), 26/1/2025 (Sun)

Venue:‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’ Pavilion, Open Piazza, Olympian City 2 (near Namco), Tai Kok Tsui

PAVILION

The HKAC launched the Open Call Competition in October 2023, it invited eligible architects, designers and artists to design a temporary pavilion, which will be an anchor programme in the overall ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’ public art and community art project. The competition seeked to foreground and support emerging ecologically conscious young designers.

The ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui’ Pavilion is now launched, it serves as a multi-functional space like gathering and resting, exhibition and event.

PUBLIC SPACE ART IN INTERVENTION OPEN CALL 01 & 02

Public space locations in Tai Kok Tsui are selected to open call for creative proposals with its uniqueness. It aims to receive proposals that are suitable to the site context and Tai Kok Tsui community, in response to projects’ objective, vision, mission and value.

More information on the Public Space Art Intervention Open Call 01 could be found here.

‘TIT SHU COMMUNITY LANE’ – ART INSTALLATION

‘Tit Shu Community Lane’ has transformed a section of Tit Shu Street in Tai Kok Tsui into a vibrant “Community Living Room” through the creative use of public furniture, sound installations, and pathway design. This design not only reconnects the sitting-out area and the previously separated streets but also fosters greater interaction among residents.

The Artist added small communal tables and musical instruments to the existing balustrades, transforming them into a space where residents can relax, chat, or play music. The mini-tables are thoughtfully attached to the balustrades, enabling access from both sides of the street. This design effectively breaks down barriers between the street and the sitting-out area, fostering interaction between both spaces. Additionally, we integrated stories from the residents about this community into the flooring design, which invites visitors to explore the area’s charm and uncover its stories.

‘HEAVY METAL REMEDIATION LAB’ MYCELIUM CRAFT AND PLANTING WORKSHOP

Curious about how art, design, biotechnology, and planting can enhance urban environments?

The ‘Heavy Metal Remediation Lab – Mycelium Craft and Planting Workshop’ focuses on remediating heavy metals in urban soil. Participants will engage in a series of workshops to learn how to create mycelium-based plant pots and cultivate hyperaccumulator plants capable of absorbing heavy metals.

‘COMMUNITY MUSEUM SERIES – MOVE ON TO TKT’

‘What if the city had emotions and memories, just like people?’

The community museum series ‘Move on to TKT’ embraces the past through stories, using transformed objects as symbols of life stages, accompanying their owners into new chapters. The completed works will be displayed from 26 October to 31 December at ONE BEDFORD PLACE, Tai Kok Tsui, with free admission. After the exhibition, the pieces will move to the ‘RE: Tai Kok Tsui:’ co-creation space and Olympian City 2 for continued public viewing.

Extended Exhibition

Exhibition Dates:4/1/2025 – 23/2/2025

Opening Hours:10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Venue:1/F (near Sushiro) , Olympian City 2, 18 Hoi Ting Road, Tai Kok Tsui

Click here for more information on ‘Move on to TKT’

PRELIMINARY RESEARCH IN THE COMMUNITY

Since the Project commenced in April 2023, the HKAC has been focusing on its research, preliminary study and groundwork, connecting various stakeholders and understanding the community to revitalise Tai Kok Tsui through different collaborations.

COMMUNITY CO-CREATION LABORATORY

Creative teams assembled by artists and community members to collaborate with local organisations and shops in Tai Kok Tsui to design and implement innovative programmes, turning imagination into tangible reality. The lab fosters an environment encouraging members to delve into the interplay between art and public spaces through observations, discussions, professional skill development, collaborative experiments, and localised trials. These endeavours are intended to establish a robust foundation of valuable insights and practical knowledge for forthcoming community art experiences.

Launched in late 2023, including 4 different series of workshops as follow:

‘Community Editorial and Writing Workshop’ one of the workshops in the Lab Series features editing, reporting, and writing for local publications, fostering a deeper connection with the community. Co-creating by the Lab Members, the first volume of a publication of ‘Ten Cents Paper Zine’ is launched in February 2024, sharing the captivating and inspiring stories of Tai Kok Tsui and its people.

Click here to find out how to redeem the ‘Ten Cents Paper Zine’.

‘Community Bookshelves’ is the programme that local stakeholders, Lab Members, service users and artists co-create and tripartite collaborate in and for the Tai Kok Tsui community. There are 5 local organisations and shops that host one of our community bookshelves, a wide variety of reading interests as suggested by the programme participants. It inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges. The community bookshelves have already stationed at the five shops and organisations. Let’s explore and experience the healing power of words by visiting different corners of in Tai Kok Tsui.

‘Night Street Photography Workshops’ and ‘Take a Walk in Dusk’ Tour encourage people to discover the beauty of Tai Kok Tsui. Its bustling energy, dynamic atmosphere, and vibes can differ greatly depending on the time of day.

‘Take a Walk in Dusk Tour’ encourages participants to slow down their pace in the rapidly developing urban space, observe, explore, and understand the urban fabric of the Tai Kok Tsui community. In collaboration with the artist, an exclusive tour will be co-created to capture the essence of Tai Kok Tsui. Let’s take a breath and refresh ourselves in this cityscape.

‘The Clay Workshop in Tai Kok Tsui Community’ aims to facilitate community art co-creation through the participation of various local groups in crafting clay symbols representative of Tai Kok Tsui, and serving as an opportunity for connection and dialogue among community members.

‘COMMUNITY MUSEUM SERIES – HOK HOK ZAAP KOK’

The first session is formed by a series of workshops and the programme named ‘Hok Hok Zaap Kok’, which is led by artists who co-create with residents and local organisations. The workshops intend to build community unity through co-learning. Workshops begin from March to May 2024 and an exhibition showcase in June to August 2024.

Click here for more information on ‘Hok Hok Zaap Kok’ series workshops.

‘DRAGON AND PHOENIX THEATRE & COMMON GROUND’ – COMMUNAL GATHERING

In the 60s and 70s, there were many theatres in Tai Kok Tsui; the common ground outside the theatre was the main recreation and entertainment area for residents at that time.

‘Dragon and Phoenix Theatre & Common Ground’ takes the Tai Kok Tsui Theatre as its theme, providing the community with a cross-generational tea gathering and game experience on the Mid-Autumn Festival day, recalling the atmosphere of the common ground outside the theatre at that time. In view of the fact that Tai Kok Tsui is an old district with an older population, various stakeholders in the district (including schools, residential care homes, elderly centres, community centres, small shops, etc.) are invited to participate. This event has previously provided training workshops for secondary school students in the district, and later conducting cross-generational communication and exchanges as an inclusive ambassador at the event. Through tea gatherings and game experiences, guests will be able to try out soft meal, and learn about neighbourhood memories, local history, culture, and urban changes through the game experience area.

Allowing guests to re-experience the cultural history of Tai Kok Tsui, allowing the neighbourhood relationships of Tai Kok Tsui to continue, and reconnecting the old and young residents of Tai Kok Tsui.

‘Iron Floral Scrolls’-Tai Kok Tsui Community Arts and Crafts Education Programme

Dr. Ho Siu Kee is an artist who focuses on contemporary sculpture and the practice of traditional craftsmanship. He is also a resident of the Tai Kok Tsui neighbourhood.Such dual identity gives Dr. Ho a unique perspective and approach to his research and creative practices during his residency in Tai Kok Tsui.

‘Iron Floral Scrolls’ has been gradually declining due to the influence of modern manufacturing methods and changes in consumer habits. This type of labour-intensive craftsmanship thrived from 1970s to 1990s and is a unique traditional craft in Hong Kong. In the past, it could be seen everywhere in the community, such as in iron gates, fences, and window decorations, often exuding a vibrant aesthetic and cultural atmosphere.

By leading students into the metal shops in Tai Kok Tsui to learn the craft of ‘Iron Floral Scrolls, the project aims to connect the past and the present. Through applying the skills being learned from the older generation of craftsmen to community life, , it gives the craft a “second life” to connect people and their daily living in Tai Kok Tsui. Emphasising on-site collaborative creation among artists, master craftsmen, and students, the project provides students with an valuable opportunity to understand Tai Kok Tsui’s past, to explore the possibilities of applying ‘Iron Floral Scrolls’ in contemporary creative practices, and thus the attempt to change the future of this community.