Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Focusing on the outreach programmes of the major performing arts groups in Hong Kong which are directly funded by the government, the research will examine the emergent forms of play-based and creative approach for children and modes of implementation as they relate to audience development and the actualization of mission and vision of the performing arts groups. Learning through “play” has been advocated as the central approach for arts education in the education policy of Hong Kong since 2006. Studies suggested that play is a powerful medium to explore various concepts and elements (Campbell, 2006; Niland, 2009). While the outreach and education has been an indispensable sector of the major performing arts groups, there is very little known about the context and impacts of these educational programmes. Bridging cultural management, performing arts studies, and arts education, this study will be largely grounded in fieldwork centred around the cultural leaders and practitioners of the major performing arts groups. Also, historical and archival research on outreach will be conducted and this will bring detailed historical knowledge and analysis of the changing ecology of cultural development in the past decades. The findings revealed that outreach and education programmes contribute significantly to the audience development and ultimate success of the performing arts groups. This project will contribute to understandings of the impacts of outreach programmes of the performing arts groups, in relation to the current theories, practices, and policies in the arts.