29-1-2014 The Works

For our last show in the Year of the Snake, we're focusing on just one topic. The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest cultural projects in the world. When it's all completed it will blend art, education and open space. There are, as you might expect, going to be large cultural facilities like theatres and museums, but also planned is an area called Freespace. It is as its name suggests, going to be used for much more freeform activities, and for art that encourages public participation. The buildings won't be finished for a few years yet, but in the meantime the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, working together with a group of co-organisers, is giving us a preview of what we can expect in the Freespace area with events like the two-day Freespace Festival. The second Freespace Festival took place just last month. Along with music, dance, and outdoor performances, artists were invited to create, along with the public.
Apart from the visuals and performance art, Freespace is also about music. For December's event, several bands were invited to perform, many in an even called "Grassfest" held on the lawn area. But there's only one problem with an outdoor festival. You are at the mercy of the weather. After many performances were rained out, the co-organisers decided to arrange another event. And so, Grasscamp 2014, held just two weeks ago at Sheung Shui, was born.