For Immediate Release
(Hong Kong, 8th February 2021) “No Limits”, co-presented by the Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, aims to nurture a barrier-free environment and promote inclusiveness and understanding through the arts. In response to the uncertainties brought about by the pandemic and venue closures, the third edition of “No Limits” will present a hybrid programme featuring outstanding local and international artists of different abilities, with two in-venue screenings of documentary films and the rest available for viewing online. To enable more members of the public to enjoy the programmes, all online viewings will be available to registrants completely free of charge. Registration starts at 10am on 9 February at go.nolimits.hk/regen1.
“In its first two years, ‘No Limits’ has presented artists of different abilities, all working at the highest artistic levels. The third edition of ‘No Limits’, which we present this year, pays tribute to the achievements of some truly remarkable artists and celebrates these achievements while acknowledging the considerable obstacles they have overcome to attain excellence. Artistic endeavours are demanding for people of any ability, and ‘No Limits’ wishes to celebrate the achievements of those who have pushed themselves to succeed in their chosen field despite their individual challenges. I am immensely grateful to The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for partnering with us to co-present the annual ‘No Limits’ project to promote inclusiveness in the arts and enlarge the community that we serve,” says Ms Tisa Ho, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
“The Hong Kong Jockey Club is pleased to support the ‘No Limits’ project for the third consecutive year to showcase the talents of differently-abled art maestros worldwide and make arts accessible for the enjoyment of all. With a diverse offering of music, dance, theatre and documentaries, available both online and offline, ‘No Limits’ goes beyond boundaries to broaden audiences’ vision and thought from various perspectives. The Club is dedicated to building a culturally vibrant city, enriching lives and promoting social inclusion through the arts and heritage conservation. This reflects the Club’s strong commitment to its purpose – the betterment of society,” says Mr Leong Cheung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Programmes
The third edition of “No Limits” will kick off online at 8pm on 2 March, with an unmissable Opening Programme featuring Felix Klieser Horn Duo and Trio, led by the phenomenal French-horn player from Germany, Felix Klieser, who plays with his feet.
Nicholas McCarthy, the first left-hand-only pianist to graduate from the Royal College of Music in London and overcome many obstacles to make history around the world, will give two piano lecture recitals: One Hand, One War, One City and Nicholas McCarthy: My Story.
Forgotten by Netherlands Chamber Choir is a theatrical concert bringing audiences on an evocative journey through the mind of a dementia sufferer.
Playground, masterminded by Ng Cheuk-yin, is a celebration of world music and diversity, featuring the string section of Hong Kong’s all-inclusive orchestra True Colors Symphony, as well as musicians of different abilities and backgrounds.
A Journey Too Short (restaging of the 2020 programme) is an inspiring concert created by Honorary Music Director Professor Victor Chan, performed by Ebenezer Choir, Die Konzertisten and soloists with different abilities. It presents 27 classic hymns arranged by Professor Chan, originally written by visually challenged artists such as Fanny Crosby and George Matheson. Photos taken by visually impaired Ebenezer students and alumni inspired by the music will also be highlighted in the concert.
Seeing Through Darkness by Restless Dance Theatre is a dazzling 15-minute show featuring six dancers performing in an art gallery alongside the paintings of the famous French expressionist Georges Rouault, gliding like shadows across the screen, lit in vibrant colours.
DESCENT is Kinetic Light’s new dance film which challenges cultural assumptions of what disability, dance, and beauty can be.
Factory Compagnia Transadriatica offers Diary of an Ugly Duckling, a wonderful adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, suitable for the whole family.
The documentary Braille Music is a beautiful tribute to French musician and educator Louis Braille and a fascinating look at how blind musicians work together to create music.
CRUX is an award-winning documentary of a champion climber’s battle with hardship and tells the story of how Lai Chi-wai climbed Hong Kong’s famous Lion Rock in his wheelchair.
Both Braille Music and CRUX will also be screened at JC Cube, Tai Kwun in addition to their online screenings.
Outreach
Complementing the performance programme is the Jockey Club “No Limits” Education and Community Programme, designed to enrich experiences of inclusive arts in the community.
This outreach programme, which was brought to 9,318 students in local schools during the second edition of “No Limits” and won excellent feedback from students, teachers and other beneficiaries, is expected to reach an even wider public and offer more opportunities for people with different abilities to appreciate, embrace and participate in the arts.
This year’s outreach programme comprises a diverse offering of online and off-line activities: an online Roundtable Discussion on Arts and Well-being; Touring Performances of “Found Without Seeing”; an Artists-in-Residence Programme with Hijinx from Wales; a Workshop Series comprising Train-the-Trainer workshops, a devising theatre workshop, a dance theatre workshop and a piano masterclass; and a series of Beyond Limits activities including Meet-the-Artists and Talks.
Arts Accessibility Services
“No Limits” continues to provide a comprehensive range of Arts Accessibility Services, with support from the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong, to enable audiences from different backgrounds to enjoy the programmes. These include: Hong Kong Sign Language, Accessible Captions and Audio Description in Traditional Chinese and English, Easy-to-Read, Braille and plain-text versions of house programmes, and Guide Dog Friendly venues, among others.
Registration for Free Programmes
For full details of the programme and outreach activities, please see the “No Limits” Programme Guide.
All online programmes are free of charge and can be enjoyed on the “No Limits” website. Online registration is now open atgo.nolimits.hk/regen1.
Tickets for the documentaries CRUX and Braille Music, to be screened in-venue at JC Cube, Tai Kwun on 6 and 7 March, are available for free on a first-come-first-served basis. Please reserve your seats at Braille Music and CRUX programme pages.
About “No Limits”
Co-presented by the Hong Kong Arts Festival and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the “No Limits” project aims to create a barrier-free environment enabling artists and audiences to explore and promote inclusiveness and understanding through the arts. Art is not bound by one’s ability, but limited only by one’s imagination. Launched in 2019, “No Limits” invites members of the community to experience performances by international and local artists of different abilities that defy constraints and boundaries.
“No Limits” also invests heavily in arts education for young people; diverse experiences and educational programmes are designed to nurture students’ interest in the arts, and to enable them to share the joy of the arts together with people of different abilities.
For more information about “No Limits”, please visit: www.nolimits.hk
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