"10 Day Fest" Social Innovation Festival Opens at PolyU's Innovation Tower
(PRWEB) September 29, 2013 -- The Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation (J.C. DISI) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) kick-started its first signature event – "10 Day Fest" Social Innovation Festival on 27 September 2013 at the brand new Jockey Club Innovation Tower on the university campus.
The "10 Day Fest" Social Innovation Festival, funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, was officially opened by Mr T. Brian Stevenson, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr Soichiro Takashima, Mayor of Fukuoka City, Japan; Ms Marjorie Yang Mun-tak, Council Chairman of PolyU; Professor Timothy W. Tong, President of PolyU and Professor Cees de Bont, Dean of PolyU School of Design.
Addressing the ceremony, Professor Tong said, "As a powerhouse of research with impact, PolyU positions itself in the community to promote positive social change and help those whose quality of life could be improved. I hope you will be as excited as I am about this Social Innovation Festival – a unique ten days for conversation, exchange of knowledge and celebration."
Highlighting the Club's commitment to do social good, Mr Stevenson expressed confidence that the Trust-funded Festival would inspire participants to come up with more innovative ideas on how to make change for a better future for all of us. "It is important for Hong Kong to nurture creative young talents who can be inspired to develop innovational solutions to tackle the challenges the city faces, and I am confident the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation will provide inspiration and prove to be a great asset in this regard," he said.
The ceremony began with a spectacular "Ageless Catwalk" which brought together 17 groups of young local fashion designers to redefine fashion for the silver age. Some 28 silver age models, including Mr Cheong who aged 89, presented these original outfits on stage. Following the opening ceremony was a live performance titled "City Inside a Broken Sky". Led by artist Mr Kung Chi-shing, the show has further livened up the atmosphere on campus.
Evolving around the theme of "Making a change in 10 days", the first Social Innovation Festival is a 10-day programme filled with activities ranging from live band performances, documentary film shows to creative exhibitions, public lectures and workshops for a wide spectrum of audience and stakeholders. Through taking part in these exciting and enriching activities, participants are expected to bring potential change to their own community and make a difference in society, no matter how small it is.
Grouped under "Performances & Exhibitions", "Public Lectures" and "Workshops", major highlights of the "10 Day Fest" Social Innovation Festival include:
【Performances & Exhibitions】
Landmark Installations
27 September – 6 October, PolyU campus
Two large-scale bamboo installations, "The Wheel" designed by Dutch visual artist Antoon Versteegde and "Ladders" by award-winning architect William Lim have been put up on the campus with the help of local students to mark the opening of the Festival.
Changemakers Cinema
28-30 September and 4-5 October, 7 p.m. Jockey Club Innovation Tower A total of five documentary films about social innovation from around the world will be featured with two of them namely "Ping Pong" and "Solar Mama" as Asian and Hong Kong premiere.
Voices Concert
29 September, 3-6 p.m. PolyU campus
Local bands Rubberband, KOLOR, Sensi Lion, MastaMic, Juicyning and a group of talented local street performers will express social engagement through their original songs.
【Public Lectures】
Thinkers Lecture
28 September, 10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m., Jockey Club Innovation Tower
"What is social innovation?" and "What social innovation has been and could be for Hong Kong?" Matthew Turner, J.C.DISI's first Thinker-in-residence and one of the few Asian design historians, will answer this question in a public "lecture-performance".
The Happy Summit
28 September, 2:30 – 6:30 p.m., Jockey Club Innovation Tower
"How have you changed the city?" Renowned speakers including Mr Soichiro Takashima, Mayor of Fukuoka City, Japan; Mr Jason Chih-chiang Hu, Mayor of Taichung, Taiwan; and Mr John Thackara, Founder and Director of The Doors of Perception are invited to share the steps they have taken to enliven a city, and what needs to be done or they would have done otherwise in relation to a vision for the future.
【Workshops】
Social Enterprises Clinic
4 October, 2 – 6 p.m. Jockey Club Innovation Tower
A panel of consultants made up of seasoned entrepreneurs and branding consultants including Mr Shih Wing-ching; Mr Chuk Fai Kwan, Assistant Director - Corporate Communications of Hang Lung Group Limited; Mr Chua Hoi-wai, Chief Executive designate of The Hong Kong Council of Social Service; Mr Francis Ngai, Founder & CEO of Social Ventures Hong Kong; Mr Timothy Ma Kam-wah, Vice Chairman of Hong Kong General Chamber of Social Enterprises Limited; Mr Eddy Yu and Mr Hung Lam, Founders of CoDesign; and Mr Lee Wing-chun will offer on the spot advice to social enterprises to help improve the state of their businesses and scale up their operations.
Engaging workshops
27 September – 6 October, PolyU campus
With the support of NGOs and led by young designers, more than 35 upcycling workshops like dyeing handkerchief with onion skins, making portable speaker from a reclaimed plastic bottle, using soda can bottom and leather for small bag or pouch, will be organized during the Festival.
J.C. DISI is also thankful for the ardent support of the following event partners: Royal College of Art, the INDEX: Award of Denmark, organizations funded by Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Social Ventures Hong Kong, Hong Kong Red Cross, Senior Citizen Home Safety Association, Christian Zheng Sheng College and various HKSAR government departments. The event would not have been possible without the support of PolyU faculties, departments and units including the Institute of Active Ageing, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences.
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"10 Day Fest" Social Innovation Festival
Date : 27 September – 6 October 2013
Time : 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Exhibitions) Other programme details, please visit http://www.10dayfest.hk
Venue : Jockey Club Innovation Tower & Podium level of PolyU campus
Enquiry : 5919 2426 or info(at)10dayfest(dot)hk
All programmes are free.
Online registration is on a first come, first served basis.
※About Jockey Club Innovation Tower and J.C. DISI※
Supported by a generous donation of $249 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Jockey Club Innovation Tower is a new landmark building on the PolyU campus and the first permanent work of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Ms Zaha Hadid in Hong Kong. Situated on the 12th Floor of the Tower, the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation (J.C. DISI) is a "governmental, civil, academic and business" network supporting and complementing each other.
Press contact: Miss Janet Lui, J.C. DISI Associate (Public Communication)
Tel: (852) 9123 7695
Email: j(dot)lui(at)polyu(dot)edu(dot)hk
Ms Regina Yu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, http://www.polyu.edu.hk, +852 27665103, [email protected]
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