Second Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Forum held in Taipei (with photo)

The Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee (HKTCCC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Cultural Co-operation Committee (THKCCC) held the Second Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Forum in Taipei today (September 14).

The Hong Kong delegates who attended the Forum were the Directors of the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council (ECCPC), Mr Raymond Young and Mr John Leung; the Convenor of the HKTCCC, Mr Fredric Mao; HKTCCC members Professor Cheng Pei-kai, Dr Chan Man-hung, Mr Gabriel Pang and Mr Alan Yip; and more than 40 elites from the relevant sectors.

Addressing the Forum at its opening, Mr Mao said, "The first Forum has provided the cultural and creative sectors of the two places with a platform for dialogue. Over the past year, exchanges and visit programmes between the two places have expanded in breadth and depth. The arts and cultural organisations and practitioners have proactively taken part in performances, seminars, workshops, arts and film festivals and other events held in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

"In addition, we organised exchange tours for the cultural and creative industries by means of the exchange platform set up last year, including arranging tours for the design sector to attend the 'Taiwan-Hong Kong Design Industries Forum' and 'International Design Alliance Congress Taipei' as well as making arrangements for the Hong Kong film sector to join exchange tours to Taiwan to take part in activities such as the seminar themed 'Development of Multimedia Industry and Conversation between Hong Kong and Taiwan Filmmakers' and visits to Taiwan animation and online game production companies. We have also invited Taiwan representatives to join the Business of Design Week in Hong Kong. Participating in the mega events and exchange programmes of the industry reciprocally could foster better communication and co-operation between the industry players of the two places."

Mr Mao said that both the HKTCCC and the THKCCC accorded priority to facilitating exchanges between young practitioners of the two places. In June this year, 15 students from Taiwan's three universities joined the World Design Summer Camp in Hong Kong. The event had invited Taiwan speakers to give master talks to participants. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts has also arranged for students to take part in large-scale events in Taiwan such as the "4th Trans-Chinese Film Academy Festival" in 2012 and the "2012 daCi/WDA Global Dance Summit". Arts and cultural organisations have also arranged a number of exchange activities targeted at young people in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

During today's Forum, representatives from the two sides held group discussion sessions on nine industries, namely film, publishing, digital content and applications, digital advertising, visual communication, product design, fashion and lifestyle brands, architectural and interior design, and design education. Experts in the relevant fields shared their views at the Forum on ways to promote activities, exhibitions, competitions and awards in the cultural and creative industries. They also had discussions on ways to enhance cross-sector co-operation among branding designers of the two places, and explored opportunities to tap into the Greater China market.

The HKTCCC decided to organise the "Hong Kong Week 2012" in November in Taipei. The event will showcase to people in Taiwan Hong Kong's artworks and programmes and our cultural characteristics in a comprehensive and systematic way. During the "Hong Kong Week 2012", Taiwan troupes and artists will take part in a number of performances and talks, enabling more opportunities for the artists of the two places to strengthen ties and interaction.

The HKTCCC was established under the ECCPC as the Hong Kong counterpart of the Cultural Co-operation Committee under the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council in Taiwan. It aims to foster exchange, liaison and co-operation between the two places in the development of arts and culture and the creative industries, as well as to communicate and exchange information on issues of mutual concern.

Friday, September 14, 2012