Youth creativity and family love shine at Club's Arts & Fun day

05/12/2010

Local families flocked to Sha Tin’s Penfold Park today (5 December) to immerse themselves in the fun of visual and performing arts at “CXHKIR Arts & Fun” – an event organised by The Hong Kong Jockey Club to herald the upcoming Cathay Pacific Hong Kong International Races and give residents of all ages a means of sharing their creative ideas interactively. 

The first event of its kind organised by the Club, the fair showcased the artistic talents of young people in portraying an “International Race Day” theme, while giving local residents a taste of the exhilarating atmosphere of next Sunday's major sporting extravaganza.

To mark International Volunteer Day, which also fell today, the Club’s CARE@hkjc Volunteer Team played host to around 500 community members from different districts at the fair.  The group also demonstrated their own creativity by making use of old horseshoes to create eco-friendly photo frames.

Adding to the event's ambience, teams from schools, youth groups and community organisations staged entertaining arts performances and displayed their creative work.  Visitors were inspired by their ingenious art pieces, martial arts demonstrations, dancing and sign language singing.

Before the start of the fair, the Club’s Executive Director of Racing William Nader, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs Kim Mak and Executive Director of Marketing Richard Cheung presented souvenirs to the participating organisations in appreciation of their support, namely Jockey Club Ti-I College; Kiangsu-Chekiang College (Shatin); Hong Kong Baptist University affiliated school Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School; Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Tuen Mun Integrated Service Centre; Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Lung Hang Youth S.P.O.T.; Hong Kong PHAB Association; Yan Chai Hospital 24th Term Board of Directors Social Services Centre; and the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong Jockey Club Ma On Shan Children and Youth Integrated Services Centre.

Making its debut at the fair and one of the event's "must see" attractions was an iconic four-foot high “Jockey Molly” figurine designed by popular local artist Kenny Wong.  Echoing the international racing theme, Molly sported jockeys' silks made up of different national flags, with stars dotting her sleeves to represent the brilliance of the top horses and riders who will descend on Hong Kong from all over the world next Sunday.

Another highly sought after attraction was a painting specially created for the event by local cartoonist Kong Khong Chang, better known as “Kongkee”.  Finding inspiration from the Henri Matisse masterpiece "The Dance", which depicts love and peace around the world, Kongkee's artistry reflected his belief that the racetrack can be a place to share friendship and hope, as exemplified by the strong camaraderie always shown by competing jockeys on International Race Day.

Visitors were no less impressed by two large art pieces entitled “Horses in Multi-dimensions” and “Rainbow of Horses”, created by a group of visual arts students from Jockey Club Ti-I College, Kongkee’s alma mater.  The young amateur artists invited participants to let their imagination take flight and add their own ideas to the designs.

Also capturing the limelight was an exhibition of horseshoes turned into works of art by the Club's farriers.  Their creations demonstrated not only the farriers' exquisite craftsmanship but also their “green” awareness, with the hard metal being transformed into such items as a delicate budding rose, a lively crab and a serene coral. 

But most of all, the day was about having fun, and participants young and old tried out their own artistry at DIY workshops and game booths where they experimented with glass paintings and handicrafts.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of Hong Kong's best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city's major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city's growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.