Too Proud Workshops

“Too Proud” workshops, as one of the highlighted activities of the Hong Kong Jockey Club “H.A.D. Walk Project - Sham Shui Po Creativity & Arts For All”, was hosted by eleven experienced designers and artists this year. Over three hundred students from various local universities, tertiary institutes and secondary schools were divided into ten teams for the workshops that lasted for five months.

Chinese furniture painter Master Fung Tak Man created the artwork “138 Heroes” on an eight-foot tall wind-shield. Distinctive architectural structures and grass-roots characters in Sham Shun Po are the main elements. With guidance from Mr. Tony Chan, groups of students had collaborative artwork and transformed the artwork into animation. The animated version of“138 Heroes” told the stories of people and anecdotes in Sham Shui Po in a vivid way. Puppet artist Hoi Chiu and his students followed residents with unique characteristics in Sham Shun Po and Shek Kip Mei. These targeted residents were brought to life in the dedicated creation of puppet, which were later displayed in streets by the students. Other than these, there were also the gigantic handmade “ShamShuiPoly”, inspired by the renowned “Monopoly” board game, as well as block lamps made of recycled materials; There were also dining utensils inspired by traditional pawn shops, papier-mache artworks in an adorable and interesting style, the cartoon verson of “Sham Shui Po One Day Trip” leaflets featuring old shops and unique characters in Sham Shui Po, and diverse arts namely pop-up art making use of streets, old shops and people in Sham Shui Po. Students shared their impression and feelings after the field trip in Sham Shui Po and Shek Kip Mei, which were incorporated into their concepts of creation –“The most impressive part of the workshop is getting to experience the untold side of Sham Shui Po. Friendliness and human touch in the district deserve to be preserved. I was even given the opportunities to talk to the owners of the shops there. This is exactly the element that sets Sham Shui Po apart from other districts. ” Too Proud for designing creative cultural products consisted of pre-creation field trips, talks and a series of workshops hosted and guided by veteran mentors. It was hoped that local youngsters would be inspired to explore and uncover traditional and old shops elements in Sham Shui Po and Shek Kip Mei. A platform to showcase their power of creativity was also established. Activities were designed mainly to deepen citizens’ understanding of special features of Sham Shui Po and Shek Kip Mei, and to promote such a new direction as the integrated development of culture and creative industries. Students were allowed to better utilize their creativity and get to explore the culture and history of Hong Kong. The public were aroused to pay more attention to community heritage and environmental conservation. Expanded from the foundation of the success last year, talents from different fields were gathered for this year’s event, including local artists, designers, and over three hundred students from various universities, tertiary institutes and secondary schools.

The eleven experienced mentors who hosted the workshops were Andy Wong, Ceci Liu, Stanley Ng, Douglas Young, Lam Pei, Prudence Mak, David Lo, Tony Chan, Benny Au, Wing Lee and Hoi Chiu, who were professionals from branding, package design, product design, clothing, handicrafts, papier-mache art, production of multi-dimensional animation and puppet art. In the five- month workshops, mentors did not only share their experience in related industries, but they also stimulated students to think creatively. These young participants learnt a lot and were able to come up with numerous innovative artworks. These three hundred young talents with potential for the creative industry came from the following institutes respectively : Hong Kong Design Institute, HD in Multimedia Design and Technology, School Of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Art School, Department of Cultura and Creative Arts, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Caritas Bianchi College of Careers, Tung Wah Group Of Hospitals Kwok Yat Wai College, Tung Wah Group Of Hospitals Yow Kam Yuen College, Chi Lin Buddhist Secondary School, Tung Wah Group Of Hospitals C Y Ma Memorial College, Tung Wah Group Of Hospitals Mr. & Mrs. Kwong Sik Kwan College and Chong Gene Hang College.