Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre provides new venue for promoting local arts and culture

26 September 2008

Made possible by a donation of HK$94.4 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC) at Shek Kip Mei was officially opened today (26 September). Officiating guests included Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive The Hon Donald Tsang, Club Chairman John C C Chan, Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing, and Council and Court Chairman of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), Wilfred Wong.

Over the years, Club donations have supported numerous local arts and culture projects, including the construction of new performing arts venues, the staging of arts and cultural programmes and exhibitions, and the training of artists. To further promote local arts and culture, the Club donated a total of HK$94.4 million in 2005 and 2007 to convert a vacated industrial building in Shek Kip Mei into the JCCAC, in partnership with HKBU, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, the Hong Kong Arts Centre and the Government's Home Affairs Bureau.

This exciting new facility provides affordable venues where budding artists and arts groups can create and display artworks or give experimental performances. It is envisaged this will also foster exchange and innovation among artists. While the building's original facade has been retained, its interior design incorporates modern architectural elements to revitalise the premises, which demonstrates the Club's commitment to heritage conservation.

The nine-storey centre offers 110,000 sq ft of studio space that can accommodate up to 120 artist/art group tenants and four institutional tenants. It also features a 120-seat black-box theatre, two exhibition galleries, a central courtyard and a rooftop sculpture garden, all of which provide ideal venues for different arts and cultural activities, training and performances. The JCCAC has already received an overwhelming response from the local arts community, with more than 500 applications for tenancy received. Those eventually selected represent a wide spectrum of art forms including Chinese traditional calligraphy, glass art, puppetry, photography and sculpture. The first tenants moved into the centre in March 2008 and most of the studios are now in use.