The Works：Artists as district councillors in Wan Chai, "Theatre of Gods" exhibition & in the studio:

It’s Christmas Day and naturally we’re going to have something festive for you music-wise in part two, so don’t go away. First through, to echo the “glad tidings of great joy” as mentioned in the Bible, there were glad tidings of great joy for artists with an interest in the political scene this year. The landslide victory of the pro-democrat camp in last month’s District Council election also brought victory for three local artists. Standing as candidates for the first time, artists Clara Cheung, Susie Law and Wong Tin-yan won in their constituencies. In terms of the arts, that’s particularly good news in the Wan Chai district as Clara Cheung and Susie Law will now join fellow artist Clarisse Yeung, who first won her seat four years ago.

For Christians, Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is also about how God came to the world in the form of a man to atone for the sins of humanity. In other cultures and religions, the relationship between god, or gods, and man can be quite different. On show at the Rossi & Rossi gallery, “Theatre of New Gods” is a group exhibition that features 12 Cross-Strait artists from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. It looks at the idea of god and man as reflected in religious activities, rituals, and the spiritual interaction between humans and their deities.

The four members of the Hong Kong-based alternative rock band Flashback got together in 2015. Early this month, they released a single, “Awaken the Power” which they say is inspired by a 1968 John Lennon speech. They’ve also recently released another song inspired by a Beatle, this time Paul McCartney, called “Down By the River”. They say both singles are love poems dedicated to Hong Kong. And the band is here right now, with a Christmas present for us.