Hong Kong performers long for the stage as pandemic drags on

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, March 29, 2024


Hong Kong performers long for the stage as pandemic drags on
This photo taken on September 28, 2020 shows theatre graduate Kitty Wong performing a monologue in an empty dressing room in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's performing arts community has been brutally hit by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which has left theatres empty and stage lights cold -- and there is little hope on the horizon even as entertainment venues begin to reopen. ISAAC LAWRENCE / AFP.

by Vivian Lin



HONG KONG (AFP).- Hong Kong's performing arts community has been brutally hit by the coronavirus pandemic, which has left theatres empty and stage lights cold -- and there is little hope on the horizon even as entertainment venues begin to reopen.

The same pain felt by performers in Broadway and the West End is being experienced by artists in Asia, even while governments there have had greater success at tackling the coronavirus.

The region has had a much better track record of keeping down infections, but the often drastic social-distancing measures used to combat the virus have kept entertainment venues shuttered.

In her cramped Hong Kong apartment that has served as a studio, stage and gym for the past six months, ballerina Irene Lo fastens her pointe shoes and effortlessly lifts one leg into a full split.

"We're all missing the stage so much," she tells AFP.

"I did zero shows so far and most of my teaching has been cancelled," said Lo, 42, who has multiple lead roles under her belt including Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" and Clara in "The Nutcracker".

She is currently missing out on the HK$20,000 ($2,500) per performance she would usually make before the virus hit, while video lessons bring in barely half of what she earned from in-person classes.

Hong Kong bills itself as one of Asia's top performing arts cities, although its cultural dominance has been eclipsed in recent decades by the artistic rise of mainland China and South Korea.




Artists and performers now complain that the city's government has provided little in the way of vital subsidies or support to keep their livelihoods going.

While the recession-hit city has released billions in subsidies and job retention schemes, many performers are freelancers and are ineligible.

"In the entertainment circle, there's no help at all," complained Rock Fang, a 42-year-old hip-hop dancer and teacher who says he has lost 80 percent of his income since the virus struck.

He says his sole payout has been a one-off payment of HK$10,000 that all permanent residents received.

Kitty Wong, 24, dreamt of the limelight after graduating from theatre school in May but currently works in a liquor shop to make ends meet.

But she still practises at home, reciting by heart her favourite monologue from the play "Saint Joan".

For now, all she can do is wait and hope audiences one day return to theatres.

"I would say maybe it's not my time," she says. "So I will just wait until my time comes."

© Agence France-Presse










Today's News

October 10, 2020

Van Gogh Museum displays rarely seen letters by Vincent van Gogh

Ren Renfa's 'Five Drunken Princes Returning on Horseback' soars to US$40 Million

The Queensland Art Gallery │ Gallery of Modern Art announces transformative bequest

Sotheby's announces 28 October date for Contemporary and Impressionist & Modern Art Evening sales

Simon Denny presents a group of new works at K21

Shakespeare's rare 'First Folio' to be auctioned at Christie's 14 October in New York

Now open: Jill Mulleady "Decline & Glory" at Gladstone Gallery, Brussels

Broadway will remain closed at least through May

MAXXI's collection is enriched with masterpieces by great masters with the exhibition senzamargine

Black trustees join forces to make art museums more diverse

PART Palazzi dell'Arte: The new contemporary art museum in Rimini is now open to the public

New book: The Goldfinger Files by Steffen Appel and Peter Wälty

Artist Frank Bowling awarded Knighthood in Queen's Birthday Honours

Frist Art Museum opens major survey of works by Rina Banerjee

Exhibition brings together eleven artists' projects that respond to a world turned upside down

A writer-director-star breaks through. It only took a lifetime.

Limited edition Daum bronze and collection of Art Deco and art glass capture spotlight at Heritage Auctions

Christie's announces highlights included in the Prints and Multiples Fall sales

Exhibition featuring the Venezuelan artist Sol Calero opens at Copenhagen Contemporary

Success for Martin Cohen's Final Chapter at Bonhams New York

Exhibition provides an overview of ongoing research processes and analyses at the BarabásiLab

M - Museum Leuven opens an exhibition of works by Ericka Beckman

Sarajevo's Olympic Museum reopened 25 years after war

Hong Kong performers long for the stage as pandemic drags on

Exorbitant Artistic Antiques with A Paradoxical Assay

HOW TO PLAN A PERFECT WEDDING: ULTIMATE WEDDING PLANNING CHECKLIST

THE ART OF RANKING YOUR BUSINESS HIGHER ON GOOGLE: A STEP BY STEP GUIDE

Great Artwork in Video Slot Games

History of Ancient Roman Art

Why Is the Isleworth Mona Lisa So Much Younger?

Two vital tools that can help you grow as a creative

TOP 10 advice for people who are looking to rent a room in NYC

888Sport Named As Official UK NFL Sports Betting Partner

Why we prefer online gaming to earn money?

Best quality Styrian Pumpkin

Survival Rifle

TRAVELING WITH FRIENDS FOR A VACATION IN LONDON




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful