Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought unprecedented and unpredictable changes to the way industries work, including the performing arts. But the emotionality, life experiences and resonance between performers and their audiences, which make up the soul of the performing arts, are things AI could never replace.
As the No. 1 ranked performing-arts tertiary education institution in Asia, HKAPA unites its six Schools – Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts – under a single, shared purpose. Together, they harness creative wisdom to empower budding artists, building seamless bridges from rigorous training into thriving professional careers.
Six young men and women, one from each of the Schools, share how the Academy has shaped their lives and put them on the path towards the career of their dreams.
Lam Wai-hung: The Operatic Magician
Lam Wai-hung, a third-year major in Cantonese opera, is a professional magician whose aim is to bring the surreal sleight of hand of his trade into Cantonese opera. While he was not particularly interested in Chinese opera before enrolling at HKAPA, that has changed.
"One of the subjects I particularly enjoy is gong and drum language design, in other words, crafting the music according to the storyline, the scenes, the characters, and the actions," he says. "The process involves a lot of changes, and is way more exhilarating than I imagined." Wai-hung enjoys the interdisciplinary mix of his creative practice. Designing for the School's Anime in Viaggio – Cantonese Opera x Italian Jazz Concert earlier this year allowed him to work with a mix of Chinese and Italian melodies, rhythms and styles. "My advice is: Don't worry about making mistakes," he continues. "Be brave, venture out, and new experiences will find you."
Beyond the classroom, Wai-hung infuses original magic routines with dialogue from Cantonese opera. "The marriage of tradition and innovation sets off fireworks," he notes. Positive feedback from the audience has boosted his confidence, he says, adding that his next endeavour will be enhancing Cantonese opera sets with magic.
Annie Zhao: Finding a Professional Calling
Annie Zhao Yuefan, a final-year contemporary dance major, hails from Wuhan in Hubei province. Though she never underwent systematic dance training in her younger years, Annie has managed to turn a personal interest into a professional calling through sheer passion and hard work.
"I used to take leisure classes in dance every week," she recalls. "While researching professional academies online, I learnt that HKAPA is No. 1 in Asia with a rigorous curriculum and professional teachers. Students also get lots of practical opportunities. It was the ideal choice for me."
Having relocated from Hubei to Hong Kong for her training, Annie hopes to expand her repertoire with dance styles from all over the world. "The School invites choreographers from other countries here for exchange and collaboration," she points out. "These links to professional dance troupes are immensely useful for students' future careers."
Last year, the School had an exchange programme with Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. Students from the two institutions visited each other, and performed in Seoul.
"Intercultural exchange sparks new ways of thinking," Annie says. "During rehearsals, we kept bouncingideas off each other. It was amazing." She envisions developing different collaborations and creative projects in the future, with the goal of becoming a professional contemporary dancer.
Jodie Lam: An Actor's Interior Journey
Jodie Lam Wing-tong, who majored in English at university, has loved the stage since childhood. After graduation, she realised her passion for theatre had not only been sustained but also deepened, so she applied to HKAPA's School of Drama.
Jodie was so eager to become an actor that she journaled daily about her feelings before school started. "I came to HKAPA with plenty of expectations – to gain knowledge, experience and tools, and graduate as a much richer person," she says.
Now in her final year, Jodie feels the Academy has lived up to it all. Her studies have also put her on a journey of self-exploration. "For actors, theatre training is a continuous process of getting to know the self," she explains. "I discovered how much clout I had. My family and friends came to my performances. Initially, it was to support me, but watching the show also made them think and feel in ways they hadn't expected. Through myself and the stage, I was able to awaken feelings and ideas about life in them. This is the power of art in action – it touches everyone, and imbues them with zeal."
Jacky Wu: Fiction and Reality in Film
Henan province native Jacky Wu Yifan was studying business at Macau University of Science and Technology when friends encouraged him to apply to HKAPA's School of Film and Television. He now majors in creative producing.
"I'm really into making films with companions who are as enthusiastic about film as I am, and to have our work eventually screened in cinemas," he states. "It's such a moving process."
Jacky says that when younger, his view of filmmaking was somewhat off the mark. He thought moviemaking came out of an artist's pure and personal pursuit of art. What he has found to his greatest surprise at the School is that filmmakers must adapt to reality by handling issues of location, acting talent, financing and safety.
While the making of his graduation work was under way, Jacky sustained a concussion in a car accident on his way back to Hong Kong from Henan. "If the School taught me one thing, it's that we need to work under a lot of uncertainties," he says now. "Our job is to birth the work. Once we've signed the contract for the location and the actors, filming must proceed against all odds." In the end, Jacky finished the work with a concussion – a valuable lesson indeed.
Aphichat Dechasophon: A Seven-Year Music Journey
Aphichat Dechasophon from Bangkok enrolled at HKAPA seven years ago – first the one-year Diploma in Music Foundations, then a four-year Bachelor's Degree, followed by a two-year Master of Music postgraduate programme, specialising in the bassoon.
Initially, and particularly during the pandemic, Aphichat conceded he was not used to life in Hong Kong. What saved the day were his friendships with students from different Schools, forged via the mutual support of the dormitory. From the diploma programme to finishing his master's, Aphichat's studies moved from a focus on fundamentals to stage performance.
"Whether solo or ensemble, there are plenty of opportunities for performance and exchange," he notes. "In recent years, I performed with my classmates in Thailand and Beijing, and shared the stage with alumni who are orchestral musicians, as well as the Hong Kong Philharmonic. These were invaluable experiences." Having finished his master's
graduation concert in May, Aphichat is curating his future. He aims at joining a professional orchestra, and also plans to teach bassoon or chamber music to the next generation.
Mavis Lam: Learning the Ropes of Stage Wizardry
As a star member of her high-school theatre troupe, Mavis Lam Ying-ying recalls that her teachers encouraged her to apply to HKAPA's School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Only at the School did she learn what "theatre" is really about. "I realised how ignorant I had been, and how big the world is," she reveals.
The School emphasises learning through hands-on experience. Four weeks of classes lead into two weeks of production. As a speicalisation in Stageand Event Management, Mavis is particularly proud of her work on the small-scale school sports day named "The Last EndorFUN Game", which she developed in her third year, an event that attracted more than 200 students and staff.
Last year, Mavis was Deputy Stage Manager for the Academy's 40th anniversary musical, What the Buddha Said . The musical involved close to 100 performers and input from multiple technical departments. It was a pressure cooker, Mavis recalls, but one that rewarded her with a profound sense of satisfaction.
"The stage is a site of great courage and many moving moments," she notes. "The School has trained us into magic makers onstage and backstage. I hope more people can be heartened and moved, like we were."