Nom du projet: Pas de deux à Hong Kong French May, Georgina Lo
https://www.frenchmay.com/article/225,
Résumé:
What is French? What is Hong Kong? What happens when the French meets Hong Kong? What does it mean to be French in Hong Kong? Since 2013, Pants Theatre Production has advocated documentary theatre/ethnotheatre with a number of acclaimed original performances. The new documentary theatre/ethnotheatre creation "Pas de deux a Hong Kong” (previous working title:Les Francais a Hong Kong) commissioned by French May and produced by Pants Theatre Production, has begun with extensive research on the history of French connection with Hong Kong, followed by interviews with French people in Hong Kong, including different ages, status and backgrounds, so as to give a representative picture of French in Hong Kong. The materials drawn from real human stories and experiences will be transformed by Pants creative team to be a mesmerizing and thought-provoking original work accessible to both French and Cantonese audiences. The project is divided into two phases. The first phase was a stage reading performance in May 2023, as one of the French May programmes, while in May 2024, it is developed into a complete performance to be presented in French May 2024.
Valeurs clefs:
This is a documentary theatre/ethnotheatre project. One of the major values of the documentary theatre/ethnotheatre is to provide a voice for the voiceless. The voice of the French community in Hong Kong is seldom heard outside its own community. The opportunity for the interviewees to express their views and feelings always has a positive value for them since they will feel that their voices are being recognised. On the other hand, the theatre workers of this production and the audience will have an opportunity to listen to their voice, which will certainly induce them to think about such important issues as identity, home, country, etc. All in all, as said above, it is a unique, vivid and in-depth exchange of two distinctive cultures - French and Hong Kong.
A votre avis, en quoi votre projet contribue t-il au rayonnement de la France et/ou de Hong Kong ?
The French community is the biggest foreign population in Hong Kong. Its history of exchange and communication with Hong Kong has also been long and continuous. However there hasn't yet been a major and complete review of its history and people in Hong Kong theatre history. The newly created documentary theatre/ethnotheatre performance "Pas de deux a Hong Kong" has filled in this gap and provide a great opportunity to both French and non-French people in Hong Kong to reflect upon this profound subject.
Avez-vous reçu un financement pour ce projet ?
Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Hong Kong.
Décrivez les participants du projet:
In phase 1, Hoi-fai Wu, Artistic Director of Pants Theatre Production, has led a group of 12 Hong Kong Baptist University students (all Hong Kong Chinese students with one exchange students from India and another one from Mainland China) to interview about 20 French people in Hong Kong, with various ages, occupations and backgrounds. The creative team has transformed the transcripts of the interviews into a stage reading performance last year in May. In phase 2, Hoi-fai Wu is leading a team of about 30 professional Hong Kong theatre workers to create a complete performance. More interviews with French people in Hong Kong has been made between phase 1 and 2.
What is French? What is Hong Kong? What happens when the French meets Hong Kong? What does it mean to be French in Hong Kong? Since 2013, Pants Theatre Production has advocated documentary theatre/ethnotheatre with a number of acclaimed original performances. The new documentary theatre/ethnotheatre creation "Pas de deux a Hong Kong” (previous working title:Les Francais a Hong Kong) commissioned by French May and produced by Pants Theatre Production, has begun with extensive research on the history of French connection with Hong Kong, followed by interviews with French people in Hong Kong, including different ages, status and backgrounds, so as to give a representative picture of French in Hong Kong. The materials drawn from real human stories and experiences will be transformed by Pants creative team to be a mesmerizing and thought-provoking original work accessible to both French and Cantonese audiences. The project is divided into two phases. The first phase was a stage reading performance in May 2023, as one of the French May programmes, while in May 2024, it is developed into a complete performance to be presented in French May 2024.
Valeurs clefs:
This is a documentary theatre/ethnotheatre project. One of the major values of the documentary theatre/ethnotheatre is to provide a voice for the voiceless. The voice of the French community in Hong Kong is seldom heard outside its own community. The opportunity for the interviewees to express their views and feelings always has a positive value for them since they will feel that their voices are being recognised. On the other hand, the theatre workers of this production and the audience will have an opportunity to listen to their voice, which will certainly induce them to think about such important issues as identity, home, country, etc. All in all, as said above, it is a unique, vivid and in-depth exchange of two distinctive cultures - French and Hong Kong.
A votre avis, en quoi votre projet contribue t-il au rayonnement de la France et/ou de Hong Kong ?
The French community is the biggest foreign population in Hong Kong. Its history of exchange and communication with Hong Kong has also been long and continuous. However there hasn't yet been a major and complete review of its history and people in Hong Kong theatre history. The newly created documentary theatre/ethnotheatre performance "Pas de deux a Hong Kong" has filled in this gap and provide a great opportunity to both French and non-French people in Hong Kong to reflect upon this profound subject.
Avez-vous reçu un financement pour ce projet ?
Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Hong Kong.
Décrivez les participants du projet:
In phase 1, Hoi-fai Wu, Artistic Director of Pants Theatre Production, has led a group of 12 Hong Kong Baptist University students (all Hong Kong Chinese students with one exchange students from India and another one from Mainland China) to interview about 20 French people in Hong Kong, with various ages, occupations and backgrounds. The creative team has transformed the transcripts of the interviews into a stage reading performance last year in May. In phase 2, Hoi-fai Wu is leading a team of about 30 professional Hong Kong theatre workers to create a complete performance. More interviews with French people in Hong Kong has been made between phase 1 and 2.