Cultural Exchanges in February

The 35th Hong Kong Arts Festival offered over 150 events and performances featuring 34 performing groups plus two exhibitions over four weeks. An array of exceptional artists from 17 countries, regions and cities around the globe participated in the Festival, including approximately 875 overseas and 556 local performers and supporting staff from 23 overseas and 11 local performing groups.

As a result of strong demand the Festival put on one extra show for each of the following five programmes: Kun Opera – The Peach Blossom Fan (1699), The Actors' Gang – 1984, Soweto Gospel Choir, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra ─ Mahler's Symphony No 7 and Shu Ning Presentation Unit ─ And Then There's You.

The 2007 Hong Kong Arts Festival presented five Asian premieres and nine world premieres. There were eight Festival commissions: Cantonese Opera – Stealing the Imperial Horse; ExxonMobil Vision: Chan Fai-young – 12 Faces of Woman; On and On Theatre Workshop – Tian Gong Kai Wu: A Practical Guide to Imaginary Inventions; Shu Ning Presentation Unit – And Then There's You; Jun Kung and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta – Fly by Ng Cheuk-yin; ExxonMobil Vision: Zhu Lin and Colleen Lee Cello and Piano Duo – Exile by Melissa Hui; My Life as a Dancer – the evolution; and ExxonMobil Vision: All Theatre Company – YuYu MiMi - A Love Story. In addition, there was one Festival co-commission and co-production – Lost Village and one Festival co-production – Tango Buenos Aires.

In addition to performances, the Festival Plus events are an important component of the Festival. A total of 32 talks, lecture demonstrations, workshops, masterclasses, symposiums, exhibitions and meet-the-artist sessions were presented as part of the Festival Plus this year.

Editor: Li Jing