Local Arts Administrators awarded Overseas Arts Administration Scholarships and HKADC UAL Scholarship

To nurture local arts administrators and support the long term arts and cultural development of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) launched the “Overseas Arts Administration Scholarships 2015” again and collaborated with the University of Arts, London (UAL) to offer “HKADC UAL Scholarship” to local promising arts administrators with funding support by the Home Affairs Bureau. The Scholarships enable young arts administrators to further their studies abroad strengthen their professional training. The selection results of the two Scholarships are as follows:

(1)   Overseas Arts Administration Scholarships 2015

The total value of about HK$2.4 million scholarship is offered to six promising arts administrators: Ms Crystal Chan, Ms Veronica Chu, Ms Carrol Ho, Ms Christy Ho, Ms Morgana Ho and Mr Franco Yau. The Scholarships support the recipients to further their studies abroad and pursue master degree programmes related to arts administration. The recipients are expected to contribute to the arts sector upon their return to Hong Kong after completion of their studies. All the recipients will be starting their respective programmes in September 2015.

Ms Crystal Chan, Senior Manager of the Make A Difference Institute, is responsible to oversee and lead creative projects that are crossing different disciplines. She has led over 60 events and projects ever since. She is also a founding member of artmatters, an organisation which curates arts appreciation programmes with a focus on the relationship between arts and society. Ms Chan is going to undertake the MFA Design Cultures in Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.

Ms Veronica Chu, Assistant Curator of the Sun Museum, assists and manages the curatorial and administrative work. She also worked at different galleries before. Ms Chu is going to undertake the MA History of Art and/or Archaeology in the SOAS, University of London in the United Kingdom.

Ms Carrol Ho is a freelancer, specialising in areas of dance production and event coordination. Ms Ho participated in a 12-week internship at the ImPulsTanz – Vienna International Dance Festival in Austria in 2015. She is going to undertake the MA in Culture, Policy and Management in the City University London in the United Kingdom.

Ms Christy Ho was the former Senior Project Executive of The Hong Kong Design Centre, organising different projects and events to promote creativity and design culture. Ms Ho also worked in various arts organisations before. She is going to undertake the MBA in Art and Cultural Management in the L'institut d'Etudes Superieures des Arts (IESA), Paris in France.

Ms Morgana Ho is the Curator of The Black Store and the Exhibition Intern of the M+ Museum of West Kowloon Cultural District for the Hong Kong exhibition in the 56^th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale. Ms Ho was the Museum Trainee of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, specialised in collection management and curatorship. She also worked at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum before for research and educational work. She is going to undertake the Art Museum and Gallery Studies MA of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom.

Mr Franco Yau was the Projects Executive of Development & Alumni Affairs Office at the University of Hong Kong. Mr Yau has worked with different arts organisations previously and actively participated in volunteer works. He is going to undertake MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy of Goldsmiths, The University of London in the United Kingdom.

(2)   HKADC UAL Scholarship

The Scholarship is offered to Mr Michael Chan who is going to undertake the MA Media Communication and Critical Practice, London College of Communication of the University of Arts, London (UAL) in September 2015. The Scholarship offers Mr Chan £25,000 to cover his tuition fee, allowance for flight ticket and living expenses.

Mr Chan is the photographer of Helio Studio. He was the instructor and lecturer of the Open University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Design Institute. His two solo exhibitions were held in 2011 and 2014 in China and Hong Kong respectively. His photography works have been selected as finalists for different awards and collected by local museum.

The aforesaid Scholarships Schemes are funded by the Home Affairs Bureau, with aims to groom more local talents with different skills, broaden their horizon and to promote the diversified and long term development of arts and culture of Hong Kong.