Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Conference 2026 Brings Global Cultural Leaders Together to Drive Sustainable Development
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) and the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Centre (HKCUSU) will jointly present the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Conference 2026 (CU:SU 2026) on 12-13 October 2026 at HKJC Amphitheatre of the Academy.
Under the theme “Alliance for Action”, the two-day conference will bring together cultural leaders, artists, academics and practitioners from around the world to explore how culture sector can contribute to sustainable development through international partnerships and cross-sector collaboration. Building on the success of the inaugural conference in 2025, CU:SU 2026 will move beyond advocacy to action. Panel sessions, workshops, case studies and dialogue will explore practical innovations across arts, culture, and community building.
Day 1 Highlights:
• Features global perspectives from leaders of the Theatre Green Book, CILECT and Culture for the Planet, exploring how the cultural sector can work collectively to respond to climate change and the energy crisis;
• Covers concerts and festivals, with speakers from YG Entertainment and Clockenflap sharing practical ways to embed sustainability into programming, production and operations;
• Explores sustainable theatre-making, Asian performing arts practices, and developments in technological innovation, architecture, community-building and cultural practice across the Chinese Mainland.
Day 2 Highlights:
• Broadens the conversations to sustainable urban development and rural culture, alongside visual arts practices and culture-led approaches to wellness;
• Offers insights from prominent organisations including M+, Tai Kwun and the Singapore Botanic Gardens, before concluding the conference with local educators reflecting on wellness through artistic disciplines.
A key programme highlight is the launch of the localised version of the Theatre Green Book, a pioneering framework developed in the United Kingdom to support sustainable practices in performing arts production, operations and venue management. The launch offers a valuable opportunity for arts professionals to explore adapting and implementing these principles within Hong Kong’s cultural ecosystem.
Professor Anna CY Chan, Academy Director, remarked, “The Academy bears a responsibility to guide our students and future artists towards greater awareness of society and the global environment. Through CU:SU 2026, we hope to convene cultural practitioners, strengthen collaboration, and drive meaningful action toward a sustainable future.”
Mr Louis Yu Kwok-lit, Founder and Executive Director of the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Centre, said, “CU:SU 2026 is more than an academic conference, we have scholars, cultural partitioners with hands-on experience, as well as local and overseas speakers from different sustainability areas will share actual cases and practical know-how, participants will be encouraged to try new approaches.”
Details of the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Conference 2026
Date: Monday & Tuesday, 12-13 October 2026
Venue: Hong Kong Jockey Club Amphitheatre, HKAPA
Event website: cusu2026.hkapa.edu
Ticketing: https://cultural.cityline.com/en/2026/hkcusuconference26.html
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The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (www.hkapa.edu)
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), established by The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Ordinance in 1984, is a world-leading higher education institution for the performing arts. It provides professionally-oriented undergraduate education and postgraduate studies in Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Its educational philosophy reflects the cultural diversity of Hong Kong with an emphasis on Chinese and Western traditions, and interdisciplinary learning. In the 2026 QS World University Rankings, the Academy ranks 10th for Performing Arts and 1st in Asia.
The Academy has been granted Programme Area Accreditation status by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications to award its own Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelor’s (Honours) Degrees and Master’s Degrees. In the past four decades, more than 10 000 artists have graduated from the Academy, going on to become performing artists, creative arts practitioners, filmmakers, educators, and cultural leaders with global impact – many have won international awards and shone in their respective artistic fields.
Besides the main campus in Wanchai, Béthanie, the Academy’s landmark heritage campus in Pokfulam, houses educational facilities for the School of Film and Television.
Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Centre (HKCUSU) (https://www.cusunetwork.com)
Founded in 2025, led by Founder and Executive Director Louis Yu, with governance provided by a Board of Directors chaired by Prof. Sun Man Tseng and members Ms Babby Fung and Ms Helen So, the Centre brings together stakeholders from the culture, business, environment, innovative technology, social services, and education sectors in Hong Kong and the region.
The objectives are to promote sustainable development through arts and culture for public benefit in Hong Kong and worldwide; to serve as a platform in Hong Kong that connects the culture, business, environment, information technology, social services, and education sectors; to enhance cultural understanding and sustainability through collaboration; to build links with similar organisations in mainland China and around the world for knowledge and resource sharing; and to conduct activities focused on charitable goals and community welfare.
The main project is the annual Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Conference.