Spotlight
Feeling at Home on Stage
Tsang Man-tung
01 November 2017
Behind every star shining on stage, there is an army of unsung heroes backstage providing a vital lifeline for any theatre production.
The interview took place in the Drama Theatre of the Academy. One could feel the warmth of the passion in Professor Gillian Choa, Dean of Theatre and Entertainment Arts and alumnus Tsang Man-tung when they talked about their love for performing arts.
They both cited working as a ‘one-man band’ as one of the most unforgettable experiences in their career. Tsang says, “I did a show in Germany one time where I had to handle the set, costume and lighting design, the production and on-site management all by myself. It was so nerve wrecking and challenging. I still remember that feeling.” Professor Choa had similar experience on productions in England and Hong Kong as a young designer. She confesses the demanding schedule of “setting up by day, performing by night, designing, lighting and cueing, and working until early morning to finish painting scenery and making props” is difficult yet a very valuable experience that empowered her.
“A career in performing arts is tough. But this is what it takes to gain experience, and develop your own style. It may take a student 8 to 10 years to mature artistically and master their own work.” Professor Choa believes students today develop their interest and career through learning, and at the same time explore their inner self. “In a course of four years, students may discover a different side of themselves and interests. The School aims to guide them gradually to identify their career goals and find their niche.”
Tsang gets a sense that students in the past had greater passion towards performing arts, while today they are more empowered. “Maybe because a lot of my classmates were already working when they studied so they were more mature and knew their passion better. Today other than passion, students also have great spirit and energy. They are also efficient. Maybe we have better information and technology now, so it is easier for them to finish a project.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and so is a successful artist. How does the Academy guide students in unveiling their potential? “We aspire to nurture students into a whole persons who are passionate, professional and understand team spirit, and to be able to integrate successfully into society as well as the theatre and entertainment industry. We make sure our curriculum and facility cater to these needs,” Professor Choa explains. In the first two years, the curriculum covers a broader spectrum and focuses on building team spirit among students. “A theatre production requires collective effort. We expect students to get their hands on different junior positions in the first two years to experience different areas of work, when they are given the opportunity to learn how to communicate with different departments in future.” Students then choose their major in the third year, and take on senior roles in two to three productions in their final year.
With several world-class theatres and concert halls as well as more than a dozen of productions jointly produced with other schools, the School provides excellent ground for students to learn and practice. “Whenever resources allow, latest software and hardware are updated, and we regularly invite local and overseas industry professionals to share their insights and experiences with our students. When they graduate, they enter the industry with confidence with prior understanding and connections already with global perspectives. The School’s mature internship programme and many partnerships with local and overseas tertiary institutions and relevant projects also allow the students to broaden their knowledge in their chosen fields and expand their industry and academic network both locally and internationally.”
Looking into the future, Professor Choa says the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts has been restructured into three departments: Theatre Design, Media Design & Technology, and Technical Production & Management, and curricular on digital media and animation for performance will also be further developed. The restructure was a response to the ever-changing needs of the industry.
01 November 2017
Behind every star shining on stage, there is an army of unsung heroes backstage providing a vital lifeline for any theatre production.
The interview took place in the Drama Theatre of the Academy. One could feel the warmth of the passion in Professor Gillian Choa, Dean of Theatre and Entertainment Arts and alumnus Tsang Man-tung when they talked about their love for performing arts.
They both cited working as a ‘one-man band’ as one of the most unforgettable experiences in their career. Tsang says, “I did a show in Germany one time where I had to handle the set, costume and lighting design, the production and on-site management all by myself. It was so nerve wrecking and challenging. I still remember that feeling.” Professor Choa had similar experience on productions in England and Hong Kong as a young designer. She confesses the demanding schedule of “setting up by day, performing by night, designing, lighting and cueing, and working until early morning to finish painting scenery and making props” is difficult yet a very valuable experience that empowered her.
“A career in performing arts is tough. But this is what it takes to gain experience, and develop your own style. It may take a student 8 to 10 years to mature artistically and master their own work.” Professor Choa believes students today develop their interest and career through learning, and at the same time explore their inner self. “In a course of four years, students may discover a different side of themselves and interests. The School aims to guide them gradually to identify their career goals and find their niche.”
Tsang gets a sense that students in the past had greater passion towards performing arts, while today they are more empowered. “Maybe because a lot of my classmates were already working when they studied so they were more mature and knew their passion better. Today other than passion, students also have great spirit and energy. They are also efficient. Maybe we have better information and technology now, so it is easier for them to finish a project.”
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and so is a successful artist. How does the Academy guide students in unveiling their potential? “We aspire to nurture students into a whole persons who are passionate, professional and understand team spirit, and to be able to integrate successfully into society as well as the theatre and entertainment industry. We make sure our curriculum and facility cater to these needs,” Professor Choa explains. In the first two years, the curriculum covers a broader spectrum and focuses on building team spirit among students. “A theatre production requires collective effort. We expect students to get their hands on different junior positions in the first two years to experience different areas of work, when they are given the opportunity to learn how to communicate with different departments in future.” Students then choose their major in the third year, and take on senior roles in two to three productions in their final year.
With several world-class theatres and concert halls as well as more than a dozen of productions jointly produced with other schools, the School provides excellent ground for students to learn and practice. “Whenever resources allow, latest software and hardware are updated, and we regularly invite local and overseas industry professionals to share their insights and experiences with our students. When they graduate, they enter the industry with confidence with prior understanding and connections already with global perspectives. The School’s mature internship programme and many partnerships with local and overseas tertiary institutions and relevant projects also allow the students to broaden their knowledge in their chosen fields and expand their industry and academic network both locally and internationally.”
Looking into the future, Professor Choa says the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts has been restructured into three departments: Theatre Design, Media Design & Technology, and Technical Production & Management, and curricular on digital media and animation for performance will also be further developed. The restructure was a response to the ever-changing needs of the industry.
