WestK Performing Arts and Hong Kong Ballet have signed a memorandum of understanding, marking the first time a Hong Kong professional dance company is taking up long-term residency at a local performing arts venue.
HKB will become the strategic cultural partner of WestK Performing Arts, and move in as the first resident company of the WestK Performing Arts Centre in April next year.
As a strategic cultural partner, HKB will work with WestK Performing Arts to advance artistic creation, talent cultivation, audience engagement, international exchange and the development of Hong Kong’s arts and cultural sector, bringing the city’s performing arts to audiences worldwide.
The MoU was signed by Paul Tam, executive director, Performing Arts, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, and Heidi Lee, executive director of HKB on Thursday.
Under the agreement, the two organizations will establish a framework for long-term collaboration in artistic creation and performance, as well as commissioning and co-production, new artwork development, international touring, artist exchange, talent cultivation, education and community engagement, audience development and international cultural exchange.
Beyond providing HKB with a stable, professional base for creation and performance, the partnership will draw on both organizations’ networks and resources across the arts, education, business and international sectors to develop original artistic and cultural intellectual properties with a distinctive Hong Kong identity and international market potential, driving innovation and fostering commercial vitality in Hong Kong’s performing arts sector.
The development marks an important milestone for the performing arts in the city, said WKCDA Chief Executive Officer Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee.
“When the center opens in 2027, it will bring us closer to our vision of establishing Asia’s theater hub and developing the West Kowloon Cultural District as a destination for world-class performances, artistic creation and cultural exchange,” she said.
“Through this, we aspire to advance the commercialization and internationalization of Hong Kong’s arts and creative industries, while encouraging public participation and popularizing the performing arts, further strengthening the standing and influence of Hong Kong’s performing arts on the international stage.”
Daisy Ho Chiu-fung, chairman of the Hong Kong Ballet Board of Governors, said: “After 47 years, we finally have a place we can call home. It’s not only a performance venue, but also a place where artists can create and explore, where young talent can grow, and where we can build a deeper, longer relationship with the community.”
HKB and WestK will co-produce artistically transformative works and present a structured series of engagement programs, including open rehearsals, artist talks, education, and audience development, which will allow HKB “to think more boldly about the company’s future role: not only on stage, but more deeply within the cultural life of this city”, Ho said.
