Growing up, drama was one of my passions and for my extracurricular activities, I used to take drama classes. I was certified at the highest level by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). I'm a fan of all kinds of performing arts, including classical music, musical performances, ballets and plays.

Performing arts is a means to boost children’s ability to perceive the world differently, to think out of the box, cultivate creativity and respect differences. Through it, they learn that they must work together to achieve a common goal, that their actions affect others and how to be responsible—all of these skills are vital in later life.

The Academy Ball creates a unique opportunity to shine the spotlight on HKAPA talents. This year, we had students from the School of Dance and School of Drama to bring wonderful scenes of The Greatest Showman to life. We also had students from the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts to run the event smoothly. It’s important to allow these young talents to follow their dreams. 

Funds raised through the Academy Ball will contribute towards Academy student scholarships. Over the past years, The Society of the APA has raised over HK$80 million in scholarships for over 1,300 Academy students.

The HKAPA is putting Hong Kong’s performing arts firmly on the map. Since its launch 35 years ago, the School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts (TEA) has produced numerous award-winning graduates as well as designers, managers, administrators and technicians, making a tremendous contribution to the theatre and entertainment industry. Their influence on the cultural development and landscape of Hong Kong and nearby regions since the mid-1980s is immeasurable.

The School continues to make progress in its educational mission to ensure that its students’ training is up-to-date and contemporary. My mission for the School is to develop production expertise in new and established theatre and performance making, ensuring our student’s imagination and opportunity are never limited by tradition or hierarchy, and to support the development of emerging technologies and partnerships in pursuit of new work among staff and students.

Every year, TEA’s student stage and event managers collaborate with the Society of APA (SAPA) to ensure the smooth running of the evening. Our young students have worked hard and supported an unrivalled professional event for over 10 years! This event always surprises and is a fantastic gathering of like-minded and generous performing arts lovers.

I would like to thank the Society of APA from the bottom of my heart for their very hard work all year round to raise the profile of the Academy and for their devotion to fundraise to benefit our students. The funds raised are towards scholarships for talented students, particularly those in financial hardship. It is, therefore, a very worthwhile event that directly assists in the training of talented young performing artists.

These scholarships take pressure off their daily expenses and tuition and allow them to focus on their studies, giving them room to indulge in a life of creativity and innovation instead of having to work after class or during holidays to support their living and education. 

APA is one of the leading Performing Arts institutions in Asia and the world and our graduates are the driving force of Hong Kong’s performing arts landscape.

This year in August, I led a group of 40 dance artists, choreographers, artistic directors, producers and administrators to participate at the bi-annual internationale tanzmesse nrw event in Dusseldorf, Germany—the biggest contemporary dance performing arts market with professional participants from more than 50 countries in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. I'm very proud to say that 90 percent of the Hong Kong delegations are graduates from the APA.

I’m very proud of the students’ performances and event management skills. Many of our students just completed their own School’s production and with only two weeks of rehearsals, they were able to present a high professional standard of performance and event.

See more pictures from The Academy Ball 2018