A Snap beyond Borders: An Online Archive and Education Project of Hong Kong Theatre and Performance Photography

 

Stage performance is instant, and its photography goes into another approach of aesthetics: documenting the present, provoking dialogues and extending imagination. The continuous accumulation of stage images in Hong Kong is an important project in the history of local art and culture.

This project is organised and curated by the International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) (IATC(HK)), and is funded by the HKSAR Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS). Stage images taken by six important Hong Kong stage photographers, YUEN Hon-wai, Ringo CHAN†, CHEUNG Chi-wai, TSANG Man-tung, TSE Ming-chong, and KWAN Pun-leung, will be documented. 

This project takes the perspective and memory of photographers as the subject matter. Through their eyes and aesthetics under the camera lens, it writes out the history of Hong Kong stage performance over the past 40 years. The bilingual digital database would be of great significance and would be the first to combine Hong Kong stage images with outlined theatre history and oral history of stage photography. 

This two-year project includes photos archive, talks, a mentorship scheme, an exhibition and a photobook. Both local and overseas theatre practitioners and the general public can understand the aesthetics of stage photography through images, which mark the development of Hong Kong stage performance.

This project is awarded the “Award for Arts Promotion and Education” of “The 16th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards”.

 

Curator: Bernice CHAN Kwok-wai

Photographers: YUEN Hon-wai, Ringo CHAN†, CHEUNG Chi-wai, TSANG Man-tung, TSE Ming-chong, KWAN Pun-leung

 

†Deceased

Copyright Disclaimer

• The copyright of all photos in “Photos” is owned by photographers.
• The copyright of all photos in “Workshops” is co-owned by photographers and International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong).

 

All photos and their information in “Photos” are provided by photographers and City Contemporary Dance Company, and supplemented by International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong). The year and venue are listed according to the time when and the location where the Performance/Event took place. Please contact us by email for any enquiries.

A Snap beyond Borders: An Online Archive and Education Project of Hong Kong Theatre and Performance Photography is financially supported by the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

The content of this programme does not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Acknowledgements

• All arts groups, artists and friends participating in this project
• HSU Wei (Photo Editor of KWAN Pun-leung’s photos)
• Maximillian CHENG (Photo Editor of CHEUNG Chi-wai’s photos)