New Vision Arts Festival 2021

Following the flow is easy, but there are those who refuse to be boxed in and boldly go against accepted norms. The New Vision Arts Festival welcomes these brave souls with open arms – it is our wish that our audience see beyond the usual and, subsequently, enrich their lives from what they’ve gained from the theatre.

New Vision was first presented in 2002 by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Over the past decade, pioneers and innovators from all over the world have graced our stage with mind-blowing, frontier-breaking performing arts.

This year in its 10th edition, New Vision returns with an all-new look. The freshly minted festival logo, with two animated arrows moving in opposite directions, encapsulates the ever-changing nature of performing arts as well as our determination to subvert conventions and push boundaries. Although most of our visiting programmes have to be cancelled due to COVID-induced travel restrictions, a number of live performances, mainly by local artists, will take place as scheduled at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Report ii – the illegal-i: Apes versus humans – who have more freedom?

Choreographer Ivanhoe Lam’s Report ii – the illegal-i, based on Franz Kafka’s classic novel A Report to an Academy, is an experiential theatre performance that integrates creative texts, parkour, dance, music, rap and more. The story about oppressed apes attempting to become humans to fight for freedom explores how liberty and equality really operate in the contemporary world and how easily they can be compromised.

The Up:Strike Project in action (photo by Nick Trieu)

Menú del día (Menu of the Day) by percussion group The Up:Strike Project is a brand-new concert experience seasoned with handcrafted cocktails. Celebrating the quintessential flavour of Argentina, the musicians collaborate with a mixologist on two bespoke cocktails which will be paired with a refreshing programme of contemporary music, from celebrated masters of Cage’s anti-art alea, Piazzolla’s nuevo tango, to avant-garde works of Manoury and Negri.

ArtSeats in the theatre offer audiences a newfound comfort

This year, some of our programmes will feature a special collection of ArtSeats made by local designer Dylan Kwok and three other creators, namely Eva Leung, Ivan Lai, and Brian Lee. Take a Seat is a talk on the chairs’ genesis plus experimental live performance, including Cantonese naamyam (“southern tune”) music and contemporary dance.

Dylan Kwok is also putting together an exhibition on this year’s New Vision at the Cultural Centre. Essence of the art-making process has been distilled into a tunnel and a pavilion, where visitors will find interesting titbits about our programmes.

New Vision Arts Festival 2021
23 Oct – 28 Nov 2021
Tickets available from 24 Sep 2021