CityProg 2023 Hong Kong Design Festival Communicating Circularity • Celebrating Local Game Changers
- Written by Telegraph Magazine
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 21 November 2023 - BODW City Programme (CityProg) is the 'beyond the main stage' Hong Kong design festival of Business of Design Week (BODW) Summit organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor.
The sixth edition of CityProg takes the theme 'Game Changers', focusing on 'Communicating Circularity' and 'Celebrating Local Game Changers' and paving the way for a sustainable future in three directions 'Design and City', 'Design and Business', and 'Design and Lifestyle'. The 2023 edition of CityProg sparks over 100 design-related events in November and December, peaking from 23 November to 17 December. 
Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of HKDC said, 'CityProg has been striving to promote local design and design thinking to the public, and foster design and cultural exchange in the past six years. This year, CityProg joins hands with partners from the Netherlands and France to utilise Hong Kong's distinctive advantages as a cultural melting pot of East and West and tell the good stories of Hong Kong and the Motherland, realising the strategic positioning of Hong Kong under the National 14th Five-Year Plan as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.'
Sam Lam, Curator of CityProg (Director of Business Development and Projects of HKDC) said, 'Through this year's CityProg, we hope to showcase the power of circular design, and partner with cross-disciplinary creative partners and the public to shift the way of thinking from linear to circular. Exploring how to tackle future challenges with innovative design solutions, together we are creating new circular economies and communities for a more sustainable future. As a platform for local game changers, CityProg will continue to promote the development of creative ecosystem in Hong Kong and enhance exchange and collaboration between local designers and the Mainland and the rest of the world.'
CityProg 2023 Hong Kong Design Festival Highlighted Events
Peak Period: 23 November to 17 December
Design and City
Starting from 2018, Hong Kong Design Centre and CityProg have been organising a series of placemaking programmes, with Sham Shui Po as the key district and extending to other potential creative clusters. All these programmes aim to strengthen the connection among residents, districts and businesses through design, reinforce the creative confidence and create strong impetus for growth in the districts, and promote creative and cultural tourism. CityProg 2023 joins hands with creative partners in Sham Shui Po, Aberdeen and To Kwa Wan to stage a wide range of placemaking programmes to showcase the appeal of circular design to the public.
25 November to 3 December: SSPossible Giants and SO/SEW/SHOW SHAM SHUI PO – One Bite Design Studio (Sham Shui Po)
Sham Shui Po is a place where creativity, craftsmanship and local wisdom converge. With its down-to-earth character, it is a hub for diverse happenings and endless possibilities. Through a series of installations and programmes, One Bite Design Studio invites the public to come and have a fresh experience of Sham Shui Po under CityProg 2023.
Located next to the New Pang Tsai Fabric Market, the public space underneath the Tung Chau Street Flyover will be activated by a family of vivid inflatable blocks named 'SSPossible Giants'. Dressed in fabric sewn by local craftsmen, the oversized and bright-coloured inflatables celebrate Sham Shui Po's diversity and culture of creativity. Visitors are welcome to interact with the inflatables as they enjoy the pop-up 'third space'. Echoing CityProg's focus on circular design, the inflatables are designed to last beyond the event. They will be adopted by various parties, including Hong Kong Design Centre, where the inflatables will be used as eye-catching window displays to celebrate the opening of 'Sham Shui Po Design and Fashion Project' in 2024.
In addition, One Bite Design Studio has partnered with local collaborators to curate a series of programmes under the theme 'SO/SEW/SHOW SHAM SHUI PO'. From the 'SO WALK!' Sham Shui Po community guided tours, 'SO FUN!' children's workshops, 'SO HANDY!' upcycling workshops, to the 'SEW SOMETHING' fabric workshops, there is always a way for every member of the public to come and experience Sham Shui Po. Admission for all these events is free. Registration details will be updated soon on CityProg's website and social media.
2 to 3 December: Seayou Aberdeen – Hong Kong Fishing Culture Association and Bottom Up Communication Limited (Aberdeen)
Aberdeen, as a fishing port in the city, has a substantial history of fishing culture. 'Seayou Aberdeen' brings the public and tourists on a tour in Aberdeen to experience the daily life of fishermen, promoting sustainable and creative cultural tourism through design. To create a unique 'Citywalk' experience, more than 10 piers, floating seafood markets and gift shops along the Aberdeen Promenade will be decorated with 'Seayou Aberdeen' hand-crafted flags, allowing the public and tourists to immerse themselves in Aberdeen's local characteristics. Events include a 'Seawalk' guided tour at the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter with fishermen telling the past and present stories about the local community; the launch of 'Aberdeen souvenirs' including salted fish submarine buns, sakura shrimp egg waffle and more in collaboration with the shops at Aberdeen Promenade; a 'fishing tool creative workshop' that leads the participants to make creative products with materials commonly-used by fishermen, so as to learn about the relationship between the materials and fishing life and culture; as well as the 'fishing song recomposing', which invites a young musician to perform a re-composed traditional fishing song on a boat and online. Admission for all these events is free. Registration details will be updated soon on CityProg's website and social media.
29 October to 29 December: re: seen tokwawan – Jiksap (To Kwa Wan)
There is a story to tell for every old object, which reflects the lifestyle and social environment in the past. 're: seen tokwawan' promotes cultural heritage conservation with design, reimagining the past and present from multiple perspectives. The programme reinterprets the meaning of old objects in today's context, exploring and shaping the concept of multi-criteria sustainability. Jiksap joins hands with various units in To Kwa Wan to host a wide range of activities, including the 'Unveil The Vanished Signage' Exploration Workshop which allows participants to discover the history of signage from sketches, learn about various techniques of making handmade signage, and find design inspirations in the community; the 'Unveil The Vanished Signage' Exhibition which features a variety of creative works including handwritten signage sketches and the outcomes of the exploration workshop; the 'Unveil The Vanished Signage' Sharing Session which provides a platform for participants to share their creative and exploration process, and the stories behind their creative works; the 'Revamp and Reborn' Workshop in collaboration with Fablab Tokwawan which equips participants with the techniques of molding recycled plastic, as a way to repair broken furniture or create new products; the 'Uncovering the New in the Old' and 'Discovering the Old in the New' Film Screenings and Post-Screening Talks in collaboration with Film Culture Centre Hong Kong feature 'Aces Go Places III' released in 1984 and 'The Narrow Road' released in 2022, showcasing the old and recent To Kwa Wan; as well as the 'Cine to Unseen' Exhibition in collaboration with Making On Loft which takes the audience on a journey through To Kwa Wan cinematic world. Admission for all these events is free. Registration details are available on CityProg's website and social media.
Design and Business
Design can drive the development of new circular economies to shape a greener, more sustainable future. CityProg 2023 delves into the relationship between circular design and business, presenting a series of events with creative partners covering architectural design, product design, community design, service design, branding, motion design, creative tourism and more.
23 November to 3 December (except 28 November): DutchInspire Motion Design Showcase – Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre (Tsim Sha Tsui)
CityProg and CreativeNL have invited the Dutch design company De Designpolitie to create a series of motion graphics under the theme of 5R (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle). The works will be displayed on giant LED screens on the façade of Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre with the sponsor of Sino Group, encouraging the audience to build sustainability into their daily life and pay more attention to the use of resources and recycling. DutchInspire Motion Design Showcase is organised by CreativeNL, co-organised by Hong Kong Design Centre and CityProg, and supported by Sino Group as Motion City Partner. Admission is free, with more updates on CityProg's website and social media.
23 November to 6 December: What Design Can Do – Circular Design Showcase – West Kowloon District Harborside Lawn (West)
What Design Can Do – Circular Design Showcase explores how to design a better world that balances the needs of people with the needs of the planet. Co-presented by CityProg and What Design Can Do (WDCD), an international organisation based in Amsterdam, this exhibition features 13 winning projects of WDCD's Make It Circular Challenge competition in partnership with the IKEA Foundation; the competition has the goal of finding and supporting the most promising circular innovations and enterprises from all over the globe. The winning projects include BioCir™, an excellent alternative to plastic; Smart Disassembly™, a thermal disassembly system; 'Drinking Sea Water', a system which turns seawater and almost any water source into drinking water; Apidae, a system that breeds stingless bees; and more. This exhibition also features five projects from Hong Kong and the Mainland, including the waterproof SOILABLE Paper Straws; the community engagement design installation Siu Kai Fong; and the green architecture, modern rammed earth architectural complex of the Macha Villager Centre. Admission is free, with details on CityProg's website and social media.
2 December: Motion Plus Design Satellites Hong Kong – The Mills Fabrica (Tsuen Wan)
The year of 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, as well as the Années Chine-France and Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Meanwhile, France takes the spotlight as Business of Design Week 2024 Partner Country. To celebrate the partnership with France, CityProg hosts the first edition of Motion Plus Design Satellites Hong Kong, a France-based motion design conference, bringing together France, the Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan experts to offer their insights into how motion design leads to brand transformation and to share their own experiences in the industry. Speakers include Kook Ewo, a celebrated France title sequence designer and Founder of Motion Plus Design; Leon Liang, the Mainland digital animation director and concept artist; and Johnason Lo, Founder and Creative Director of JL DESIGN, the first motion-design-focused studio in Taiwan. Moderators are Mandy Tsang, Founder and Director; and Kat Luk, Creative Director of eMotionLAB, a local renowned motion design company. This event is supported by the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau as Cultural Partner, The Mills as Venue Partner, and eMotionLAB as Programme Partner. Admission for this event is free. Registration details will be updated soon on CityProg's website and social media.
23 to 24 November: Service Design Hong Kong – Soho House Hong Kong (Sheung Wan)
Presented by CityProg and MAKE Studio, Asia's premier Service Design Hong Kong is a conference that brings together international cross-disciplinary innovators, change-makers, and design enthusiasts to explore how design leads to regional and global betterment. Under the theme 'Design for GOOD for design', the conference features an array of leading voices from diverse service industries, offering strategic design solutions for various society challenges such as the post-pandemic era, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the climate crisis. Notable speakers include Bosco Leung, the Social Responsibility Lead of the Environmental and Social Responsibility Department at MTR Corporation Limited; Jonathan Mok, Impact Measurement Lead at Dream Impact, Hong Kong's largest network of social enterprises and impact ventures; Mayra Kapteijn, founder and creative director of Dutch-founded venture Het Verbond, dedicated to collaborating with industry leaders to create effective solutions and design positive impact; Nurul Ibrahim, founder and director of Indonesia-based HUME Design Consultancy. Registration details are available on CityProg's website and social media.
28 November: GBA Creative Night – Sham Shui Po Design and Fashion Project (Sham Shui Po)
The first edition of GBA Creative Night is fully supported by CityProg. Organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor, the first-ever GBA Creative Night aims to promote Hong Kong Design to the Mainland and foster potential business collaborations. The event will bring together various Hong Kong design industry associations and chambers, including the Hong Kong Designers Association, the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association, the Hong Kong Exporters' Association, the Hong Kong Furniture and Decoration Trade Association, the Industrial Designers Society of Hong Kong, the Fashion Farm Foundation, and the Hong Kong Animation & Cultural Association, to showcase Hong Kong's design power. The opening event with a business matching session will be held on 28 November, which is by invitation only, while the showcase will be open to the public from 29 November to 4 December and admission is free.
2 to 10 December: Lamborghini 60th Anniversary Design and Art Showcase – Lamborghini Hong Kong Showroom (Wan Chai Star Street)
To celebrate its 60th anniversary, Italian car brand Lamborghini invites renowned Hong Kong mural artist Alex Croft to design a mural on the exterior wall of the Lamborghini Hong Kong showroom, as well as create a special-edition car wrap design for the Urus. The showcase will also feature 60 pieces of 1:18 Lamborghini car models designed by Alex Croft, Eddie Hui, Founder of B.Duck, and other designers, artists, celebrities, KOLs, and design students. This event is supported by CityProg. Admission is free with details on CityProg's website and social media.
Design and Lifestyle
CityProg organises design events related to films, games and travel for the first time, inviting the public to deep dive into design and its value in an entertaining way.
23 November to 17 December: 'Life is Art. Design in Motion' Design Film Festival – MOViE MOViE Cityplaza, MOViE MOVIE Pacific Place, MOViE MOViE Pacific Place, Broadway Cinematheque, PALACE ifc, PREMIERE ELEMETNS and B+ cinema apm; venues of public screenings to be announced
Hong Kong is the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, with Hong Kong films as important part of the local culture as well as creative industries. To tell good stories of design though films, CityProg partners with MOViE MOViE for the first time to present 'Life is Art. Design in Motion' Film Festival, featuring a series of design-related film screenings in cinemas and other venues. Highlighted films include 'Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition', a documentary on the creative life and artworks of the renowned Dutch painter of the 17th century, Johannes Vermeer, using the techniques of digital analysis and reinterpretation; 'High & Low - John Galliano', a documentary on the creative journey of fashion designer John Galliano, who has worked as the creative director for France fashion brands from GIVENCHY, DIOR to Maison Margiela; 'MAU', a documentary about the Canadian designer Bruce Mau who has created various positive changes and strategic impacts; and 'Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV' which tells the story of the 'father of video art' Nam June Paik from Korea. Tickets are required for the cinema screenings, while the public screenings are free of charge. Ticketing and registration details will be updated soon on CityProg's website and social media.
16 to 17 December: Circular Game Design Hackathon – Hong Kong Design Institute (Tseung Kwan O)
CityProg partnered with Press Start Academy, which focuses on reimagining whole-person development through play and games, and Game for Change Asia Pacific Chapter to organise the 'Circular Game Design Hackathon'.
Through the 'Hackathon' format, participants will engage in intensive discussions about three topics, namely sustainable food, circular fashion and eco-tourism. Adopting design thinking, participants will conceptualise and build prototypes to create unique physical or online game concepts, as a solution to educate the public about these three issues. The event is free of charge. Registration details will be updated soon on CityProg's website and social media.
TBA: 'Design Citywalk Hong Kong' Travel Guide
'Citywalk' is a popular way of travelling in recent years. In fact, it creates a friendly, pleasant and vibrant urban environment that promotes community exchange, business activities and cultural experiences. CityProg is launching the 'Design Citywalk Hong Kong' Travel Guide specially-curated for design lovers. Advisers of the travel guided including BODW City Programme (CityProg) Steering Committee members. They have selected 101 travel spots from a unique design perspective for the travel guide, which invites the public to discover Hong Kong through 'Citywalk' to experience its unique East-meets-West design charm. Launched in English at the end of November 2023 and in Chinese in early 2024, the guidebook will be available for free at designated travel spots and can be downloaded from CityProg website.
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About BODW City Programme (CityProg) (https://www.bodwcityprog.com/)
BODW City Programme (CityProg) is the 'beyond the main stage' Hong Kong design festival of Business of Design Week (BODW) Summit, initiated in 2018 by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC). Each year, CityProg partners with over 100 creative partners to spark over 100 design events in November and December, nurturing a thriving creative ecosystem in Hong Kong and making the city a better place.
CityProg 2023 takes the theme 'Game Changers', focusing on 'Communicating Circularity' and 'Celebrating Local Game Changers' and paving the way for a sustainable future in three directions 'Design and City', 'Design and Business', and 'Design and Lifestyle', with events peaking from 23 November to 17 December.
Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) is the Lead Sponsor of CityProg.
About Hong Kong Design Centre (www.hkdesigncentre.org)
A non-governmental organisation registered in 2001 and established in 2002, Hong Kong Design Centre is a strategic partner of the Hong Kong SAR Government in advancing Hong Kong as an international centre of design excellence in Asia.
Our public mission is to promote wider and strategic use of design and design thinking to create business value and improve societal well-being.
About Create Hong Kong (www.createhk.gov.hk)
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Hong Kong SAR Government in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia's creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community.
CreateHK sponsors HKDC to organise Business of Design Week (BODW), BODW City Programme (CityProg), DFA Awards, Knowledge of Design Week (KODW), Fashion Asia Hong Kong, Design Incubation Programme and Fashion Incubation Programme and other projects to promote Hong Kong design.
