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The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (October 25) officiated at the opening ceremony of the "Playful Thursday @ Tsun Yip Street - Veggie | Arts Jamboree", the first local urban design-driven event combining street art and wet market elements.
Mrs Lam said, "Energizing Kowloon East is not adopting an infrastructure-led approach but a 'place-making' approach to the creation of quality public space, thus bringing vitality to the community. As the first event related to our place-making approach, this project will set an example of the actual implementation and will create several 'first times' in Hong Kong's place-making."
Tsun Yip Street Playground is the largest area of open space in the Kwun Tong business area. The Energizing Kowloon East Office (EKEO) of the Development Bureau hopes to transform it into Kwun Tong Industrial Heritage Park - an open-air industrial museum and art gallery surrounded by green space. In this way the park will stand as a legacy to Kowloon East's industrial heritage, as well as a public space for local people. It will also be the first industrial heritage park in Hong Kong. The EKEO will conduct a "Study on Industrial Heritage of Kowloon East and its Potential for Public Art/Urban Design". This will be the first systematic study of Hong Kong's local industrial heritage, and the first major attempt to apply industrial heritage elements to urban design and public art installations.
After Playful Thursday, "Fly the Flyover" will be the next EKEO place-making event, and is linked to the transformation of part of the area underneath the Kwun Tong Bypass into a cultural venue to open in January next year.
The "Playful Thursday @ Tsun Yip Street - Veggie | Arts Jamboree" will run for 12 consecutive Thursdays (from October 25, 2012 to January 10, 2013) from 12 noon to 7pm at Tsun Yip Street Playground. The event will involve about 30 stalls operated by local organic farmers, organic food/fair trade retailers, charitable organisations and social enterprises offering organic farm produce, food and environmentally-friendly products. There will be music performances and art workshops at lunch time and in the evening. This place-making event marks the launch of improvement works for this public space and seeks to encourage public involvement in the planned changes. In this respect, Mrs Lam appealed for participation and contributions to support the local organic farmers, local artists and social enterprises.
Officiating guests at the opening ceremony today included the Secretary for Development, Mr Paul Chan; Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Wai Chi-sing; Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Mr Alan Wong; Assistant Director (Leisure Services) of Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Ms Margrit Li; Chairman of Kwun Tong District Council, Mr Bunny Chan; Chairman of the Federation of Vegetable Marketing Co-operative Societies, Mr Tang Nuen-fun; and Head of the EKEO, Mr Ling Kar-kan.
The event was jointly organised by the EKEO of the Development Bureau and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, with the support of various stakeholders or departments including Kwun Tong District Council, the Federation of Vegetable Marketing Co-operative Societies, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Kwun Tong District Office, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Post Office and the Auxiliary Medical Service.
Information on the "Playful Thursday @ Tsun Yip Street - Veggie | Arts Jamboree" is available at the event website: www.thursday-carnival.hk.
Ends/Thursday, October 25, 2012
Issued at HKT 16:49
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