There is a plethora of elements in theatre – the set, spotlights, props, sound effects, images, and of course, the crew – all indispensable to any performance. The Academy's School of Theatre and Entertainment Arts (TEA) comprises the three departments of Media Design and Technology, Technical Production and Management, and Theatre Design. Through the integration of stage design, lighting, image and audio art with the performers on stage, TEA School draws audiences into the creative world of theatre while connecting individuals onstage and off.
The Academy has been a cradle of local performing-arts talent for the last four decades. The three TEA departments are helmed by the Academy's alumni who have borne witness to the transformation of their School and their profession.
May Au, Head of Technical Production and Management, was a member of the first graduating class for the BFA (Honours) in Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Allen Fung, Head of Media Design and Technology, majored in theatre-lighting design. Bacchus Lee, Head of Theatre Design, is a specialist in set and costume design.
All three built successful careers in their respective fields after graduating. With those years of experience under their belts, they then returned to teach at their alma mater. Au points out that, though the Academy keeps her extremely busy, she enjoys the bonds she has built with her colleagues.
"An increasing number of graduates are returning to the Academy as teachers," she notes. "They're not just in it for the job – they're attached to the Academy. It's a joy to share your expertise with your students, witness their achievements, and pass the baton to the next generation."
Exceptionally Hands-on
It's not just the teachers who are being kept busy by the Academy. All-nighters are a collective memory of the entire TEA School. The three Department Heads agree that the School's greatest strength lies in the availability of hands-on experience. Compared to the theoretical focus of American and British academies, the Academy exposes students to lighting, sound, management, and costumes from the first year of their studies. As a result, they have a broad knowledge base on which to build their specialisation in the following years.
Students at the Academy also need to contribute to the many performances staged each year by all six Schools. Lee thinks the large number of practical opportunities is both a blessing and a challenge.
"We would study during the day and put what we learnt into practice at night, as if we were part-time students," he recalls. "It was tough, but this training gave us an enormous advantage. According totheatre professionals, the Academy's students can throw themselves right into the job, with no need for adjustment or training."
For Au, the confidence she feels she can have in the practical competence of her students means she has more time to tend to their mindset.
"Teamwork is crucial in theatre," she insists. "You have to be able to work with different people, and accept that things aren't always to your liking. I share my experiences with my students as much as possible and remind them to always remain serious, professional, and humble. No matter how talented you are, not being able to work with others will throw barriers in your path."
From Technique to Art
In recent years, artists worldwide have begun using cutting-edge technology in their works. Thanks to this pattern, what was once regarded as the "technical department" has soared in society's esteem.
Allen Fung says the Academy was well ahead of the trend, way before art technology became popular. "The performing arts have always been the arts most adept at deploying technology," he points out. "The use and design of sound, lighting and images are intimately tied to the development of art technology."
Although the training at the Academy is centred on the theatrical environment, it also covers the use of various media. Experiences, skills, aesthetic concepts, and narrative approaches thus acquired apply not only to the stage but also to television, shop design, and a host of commercial activities. As a result, you'll find the Academy's graduates in a wide variety of industries and professions.
Fung gives an unusual example: more than half of Hong Kong's active fireworks designers are HKAPA graduates. "We don't teach fireworks design, but we need to create smoke and fire effects, and project soap bubbles on stage. The techniques and concepts involved equipping students for the design of fireworks effects." Several years ago, Fung and some HKAPA graduates designed the firework display for Macau's New Year's Eve countdown, which took place over the Cotai Strip.
Currently, Fung has his hands full with curriculum reform. His immediate objective is to ensure that a framework is in place as soon as possible, so that the direction of curriculum development will receive the recognition it needs.
"I hope to see a broadening and deepening of exploration, for example, into the staging of more virtual productions, deployment of AI in the creation of image and sound, and integration of visual effects and performance," he explains. "The disciplines involved are many. The development of art technology will open up greater possibilities for theatre."
Passing on the Legacy
Fung, who is known as the "new-tech expert", admits he is worried the younger generation may be so enamoured with innovation that they would neglect tradition. He stresses that students need to understand why something exists in the first place.
"We don't just teach students how to use equipment," he notes. "We teach them the reason for the technology. Lighting design, for instance, isn't about pursuing the latest fixtures or fancy effects. What's more important than technical mastery is understanding theatre traditions, and becoming successors of that culture."
Ever an optimist, Lee jokes that stage design is like creating a world with a group of like-minded people. "The world of the stage is constructed and given the breath of life by committed individuals," he says. "When the curtain falls, everything falls back into chaos, but from chaos, a new world emerges. And you're in the midst of it, going through one experience after another, like living different lives. It's addictive."
Over the years, Lee says he is most gratified to see generations of graduates coming into their own, with some eventually building into pillars of their industry. Those efforts, he says, have helped build a performing-arts culture specific to Hong Kong.
"We don't need to copy other countries," Lee says. "We have our own set of protocols, language and culture that's unique to Hong Kong." Lee observes that the performing arts in Europe, the United States and the Mainland are backed by a rich and long-standing culture. Hong Kong, by contrast, is an integration of east and west, and this is what makes local performing arts talent stand out.