HK HongKongAcademyForPerformingArts Entrance

Hong Kong Academy For Performing Arts Void

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) (Chinese: 香港演藝學院) is a provider of tertiary education in

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

. Located near the north coast of

Wan Chai Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to the south. The area n ...

Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km2, . The island had a population of a ...

, the main campus also functions as a venue for performances. Apart from the main campus in Wan Chai,

Bethanie Bethany ( grc-gre, Βηθανία,Murphy-O'Connor, 2008, p152/ref> Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ ''Bēṯ ʿAnyā'') or what is locally known as Al-Eizariya or al-Azariya ( ar, العيزرية, " laceof Lazarus"), is a Palestinian town in the West B ...

, the site of the institution's Landmark Heritage Campus in

Pok Fu Lam Pok Fu Lam or Pokfulam is a residential area on Hong Kong Island, at the western end of the Southern District. It is a valley between Victoria Peak and Mount Kellett, around Telegraph Bay. Pok Fu Lam can claim several ''firsts'' in the his ...

, has housed the School of Film and Television since 2007. The academy provides practice-based and professional diploma, advanced diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate studies in

Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

, and

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

and

entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...

arts. Its educational policy reflects the cultural diversity of Hong Kong with an emphasis on Chinese and Western traditions and interdisciplinary learning. The academy ranks 1st in Asia for four consecutive years and 10th in the world for two consecutive years in 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject (Performing Arts). Every year, the academy enrols approximately 750 students for its full-time programmes and around 770 students for its Junior Music Programme and Gifted Young Dancer Programme. Furthermore, its extensive EXCEL (Extension and Continuing Education for Life) programme offers part-time personal enrichment courses and in-service professional training to nearly 8,000 students each year.

History

In early 1981, the

Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, having been founded in 1884. In 1959, it was granted a Royal Charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name ...

informed Governor

Murray MacLehose Crawford Murray MacLehose, Baron MacLehose of Beoch, (; 16 October 1917 – 27 May 2000), was a British politician, diplomat and the 25th Governor of Hong Kong, from 1971 to 1982. He was the longest-serving governor of the colony, with fou ...

that it was willing to fund another project of a comparable scale to its recent major undertakings, which included the Ocean Park and the Jubilee Sports Centre. The government responded with a proposal to develop an academy for the performing arts. The academy would complement the performing arts spaces being opened across the territory by the

Urban Council The Urban Council (UrbCo) was a municipal council in Hong Kong responsible for municipal services on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon (including New Kowloon). These services were provided by the council's executive arm, the Urban Servic ...

, and provide opportunities for creative youth just as the Jubilee Sports Centre was developed to serve young sportspeople. On 15 September 1981, the Jockey Club formally announced plans to build the academy on a piece of vacant land in Wan Chai, granted by the government, between

HMS Tamar Six ships and a naval station of the Royal Navy have been called HMS ''Tamar'', after the River Tamar in South West England: * was a 16-gun sloop launched at Saltash in 1758 and stationed in Newfoundland from 1763. She was renamed HMS ''Plut ...

and the Hong Kong Arts Centre. The academy was established in 1984. In the early 1990s, the APA became a degree-granting institution. The main campus was designed by local firm Simon Kwan and Associates, who were among six firms invited to submit designs in a limited competition. It comprises the Academy Block, the Theatre Block, and the Administration Block. The Administration Block was ready for occupation in July 1985. The Academy Block was formally opened on 18 September 1985 by Governor

Edward Youde Sir Edward Youde (; Cantonese: ''Yau Tak''; 19 June 1924 – 5 December 1986) was a British administrator, diplomat and Sinologist. He served as Governor of Hong Kong between 20 May 1982 and his death on 5 December 1986. Early years Youde ...

. The Theatre Block was opened by the Duchess of Kent on 3 February 1986, the same day the inaugural opera season began as part of the 1986 Hong Kong Arts Festival. The 1981 model produced for the architectural competition is now held by the M+ museum. In 2006 the academy established a second campus at Béthanie in

. It mainly houses specialist facilities for the School of Film and Television. The original campus was designed for a student population of 600 students. The academy has been facing space constraints as enrolment has gradually risen, prompting planning for campus expansion. The

334 Scheme {{Short description, Academic structure for senior secondary education and higher education in Hong Kong The 3-3-4 Scheme is the academic structure for senior secondary education and higher education in Hong Kong, referring to the structure of thre ...

further exacerbated the problem. In June 2012 the Legislative Council approved funding of $444.8 million for construction of a nine-storey annex block, and other campus improvements, presently under construction. The expansion will house classrooms, studios, laboratories, music rooms, offices, workshops and support facilities. The academy is working with the West Kowloon Cultural District, which is under construction, on education plans and venue usage.

Governance

The academy is governed under the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Ordinance, passed in 1984 by the Legislative Council. Under the legislation the academy is mandated to "foster and provide for training, education and research in the performing arts and related technical arts". The governing body of the institution is called the Council of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, which is responsible for appointing a director, who oversees the day-to-day operation of the academy. The academy is funded through tuition fees as well as a subvention provided by the

Home Affairs Bureau The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau () is one of the policy bureaux of the Hong Kong Government. One of the important roles of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau is to enhance liaison and communication with all sectors of the community inclu ...

. This arrangement differs from most other post-secondary institutions in the territory, which are funded by the University Grants Committee. Kevin Thompson was director of the academy from 2004 to 2012. During his tenure the institute forged international links, including arrangements with the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely ...

in New York City as well as mainland colleges, and introduced master's degrees in performing arts disciplines. Thompson also initiated planning for campus expansion. Professor Adrian Walter, was recruited in 2012. He had been the dean of music at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

since 2008.Professor Gillian Choa succeeded Professor Adrian Walter as the new Director of the Academy with effect from 1 January 2021. She is the first female Director since the establishment of the Academy in 1984. Professor Gillian Choa succeeded as the new director of the academy with effect from 1 January 2021. Professor Choa is the first female director since the establishment of the academy in 1984.

Academic units

The academy offers academic programmes from diploma/foundation to master's degree level in six faculties: * School of Chinese Opera * School of Dance * School of Drama * School of Film and Television * School of Music * School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts

Facilities

* Lyric Theatre, with 1,181 seats. * Drama Theatre, with 415 seats. * Concert Hall, with 382 seats. * Recital Hall, with 134–202 seats * Studio Theatre, with 120–240 seats * Wellcome Theatre at the Béthanie Campus

Notable alumni

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Academy for Performing Arts The Union County Academy for Performing Arts is a full-time four-year public magnet high school located in Scotch Plains, in Union County, New Jersey, United States, on the Union County Vocational Technical Schools Campus. Its first year was ...

Universities and colleges in Hong Kong

Performing arts education in Hong Kong

Design schools Educational institutions established in 1984 1984 establishments in Hong Kong Concert halls in Hong Kong Schools of Chinese opera