On 30 March, a group of students and the public got together to appraise the history of Causeway Bay and Wan Chai from an alternative perspective by experiencing the folk art of oral history. The experience took the shape of a tram-ride along Yee Woo Street, Happy Valley and Hennessy Road with a running commentary by Mr To Yau-on. These included a brief introduction of the former site of the Tramways Company - Times Square, explaining the origin of Goose Neck Bridge and the Chinese traditional custom of beating the idol of one's enemy. In addition, valuable historical photos were displayed inside the tram compartment, giving passengers a feeling of travelling in a time machine. The passing scenery of the area outside the tram intermingled with the narrative inside recollecting anecdotal snippets about culture and customs in the past.

This unique tram journey commemorated the launch of 'Arts Unlimited', a TV series jointly produced by the ADC and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). While offering the public an opportunity to find out more about Causeway Bay and Wan Chai, the event also came across as a multi-dimensional exposure to the arts for the public.

In days gone by, people listened to oral history in tea houses. Now people can read about them in periodicals and books or experience them in public transport like trams or buses. In much the same spirit, the arts educational TV series, 'Arts Unlimited' seeks to transcend existing communication modes, and examines from a non-traditional perspective the impact of the arts and arts education on personal as well as economic and cultural development. It also aims to marshal support from different sectors of the community to promote comprehensive development of arts education.

"Arts Unlimited", consisting of six half-hour episodes, is aired on ATV Hong Kong every Tuesday at 7pm starting from 9 April.

Programme Themes

The programme series comprise six different themes:

"Only schooling matters" - investigates, through different case studies, how pre-education makes use of different arts media to help children learn with fun. (Aired on April 9, 2002. RTHK web cast is here).

"The art of street performance" - discovers through the arts outside conventional performance venues, how street arts forge links between arts and the spectators. (Aired on April 16, 2002. RTHK web cast is here).

"Arts education activities" - explores how arts classes in school could break through traditional boundaries, open new horizons and develop creative arts activities. (Aired on April 23, 2002. RTHK web cast is here).

"An arts angle to perceive history, an historical way to promote tourism" - unveils how Chemainus in Canada combines history and arts to bring wealth and fame. (Aired on April 30, 2002. RTHK web cast is here).

"Arts education in secondary school - ideal and reality" - highlights difficulties of arts promotion in local secondary school. (Aired on May 7, 2002. RTHK web cast is here.)

"Commercial arts practitioners" - reminds us that commercial goods in this society are also arts. What are the views of businessmen towards arts? How is this reflected in arts education in this society? (Aired on May 14, 2002. RTHK web cast is here.)

Kick-off Ceremony

To commemorate the event, ADC and RTHK organised a kick-off ceremony on 30 March at Times Square in Causeway Bay with Mr Darwin Chen, Vice-chairman of ADC, Mr Willy Ngai, Director of Entertainment Programmes, RTHK, Mr Stephen Hui, Chairman of Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary Schools Council, Mr Fung Man-ching. Chairman of Hong Kong Subsidised Primary Schools Council, Mr Yu Shu-tak, Chairman of the Working Group on 'Arts Unlimited' and Mr K C Leung, General Manager of Times Square as officiating guests.

Arts Performances at Times Square

In keeping with the theme of examining arts from an alternative angle, the ceremony was unique in itself. Besides an oral history on the tram mentioned above, the venue also featured installation arts and a variety of arts performances. These included a performance by Japanese drummer Kumi Masunaga and local artist Chin Kwok-wai and a performance by the ' Three Colour' troupe. To liven up the festive Easter holiday mood, performances included a guitar concerto, choir performance, puppet show and story-telling were held between 31 March to 1 April.

The enthusiastic mass of participants joining the event provided the kind of chemistry that reflected the integration of arts, commercial venue and community culture.