Building on our ongoing programmes on the arts and sustainability, the UK–Hong Kong Symposium on Sustainability in the Arts aims to further broaden the conversation on sustainable practices within Hong Kong’s arts sector, and to foster meaningful dialogue between arts practitioners in Hong Kong and the UK on sustainable practices. By bringing together likeminded professionals, we hope to cultivate stronger networks, exchange forward-thinking ideas, and collectively contribute to a more sustainable future for the arts in Hong Kong. We hope to cultivate stronger networks, exchange forwardthinking ideas, and collectively contribute to a more sustainable future for the arts in Hong Kong.
| Date: | 20 March 2026 (Friday) |
| Time: | 2pm - 6pm |
| Venue: | British Consulate General Hong Kong |
Registration opens at 1:30pm, with refreshments, screening and workshop booths available
Symposium guests are invited to Evening Reception for UK-Hong Kong Cultural Connections at 6:30pm at Freespace, West Kowloon Cultural District. Coach transport from the British Consulate General to Freespace will be arranged for attendees.
Programme Details
Panel Discussion 1: Artistic Practices on Sustainability
Videotage × EcoFutures (University of the Arts London)
2:05pm - 3:05pm
Moderator: Emilie Choi
Speakers: David Cross, Monti Lai, Lo Lai Lai Natalie
The panel brings together Hong Kong- and UK-based artists who practise environmental advocacy both inside and beyond the art world. They expand ecological thinking to a planetary scale and examine interactions between different beings—from the underlying power structure in urban architecture, alternative approaches to resource allocation and living as collective, to utilising plants as an art medium and encouraging reimagination of our surroundings. The conversation will explore how artists engage the intersections of art, science, and ecology to shape their work and respond to environmental concerns.
Panel Discussion 2: Collective Infrastructures for Ecological Care
Videotage × EcoFutures (University of the Arts London)
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Moderator: Yim Sui Fong
Speakers: Jessica Wan (EcoFutures), Adeena Mey (Afterall), Michael Leung
The panel invites research, art, and learning initiatives from Hong Kong and the UK that engage both arts and its relation to wider society. Committed to open and accessible knowledge‑sharing, these initiatives bring together diverse perspectives and conduct in‑depth research on themes related to our daily lives, developing collective infrastructures that care for social and environmental networks. The panel will address questions such as: How can participatory and ritualised artistic practices help us navigate environment-related grief? How can interdisciplinary approaches cultivate resilience in the face of ecological polycrisis?
Panel Discussion 3: Sustainable Museum Practice
Co-presented by Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Centre (CUSU)
4:55pm - 5:55pm
Moderator: Louis Yu (founder of the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Centre)
Speakers: Heath Lowndes (Director of the UK Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC)), Lorie Yin (Senior Manager at M+ Hong Kong)
Drawing on expertise from the leading UK visual arts sustainability initiatives and one of Asia’s most prominent contemporary museums, the speakers will examine how cultural institutions can play a pivotal role in driving meaningful climate action. The conversation will address the key challenges and exciting opportunities involved in embedding sustainable practices across museum operations, while exploring practical ways to strengthen collaboration and collective impact throughout the sector.
This rare session in Hong Kong offers fresh perspectives and actionable inspiration for arts professionals who are interested about shaping a more sustainable and environmentally responsible future for culture.
Upcycling Craft Workshop
David Chan × Gaau1 Up Design Studio | Curated by Wong Ka Ying
Join this hands-on workshop inspired by the ongoing exhibition Gleams and Echoes at the British Council Bookshop Gallery, featuring selected works from the British Council Collection alongside Hong Kong artist David Chan’s powerful mixed-media pieces.
Led by David Chan and Gaau1 Up Design Studio, participants will explore sustainable creativity through the upcycling plastic shredding process, craft personalised bead charms, and David Chan’s new sculptural artworks using Gaau1 Up’s innovative recycled plastic materials. Discover how everyday waste transforms into meaningful art, echoing themes of resilience, materiality, and cultural dialogue.
Screening Programme
Videotage × Golden Thread Gallery
Parallel to the panel discussions in EcoFutures, Videotage and Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast) jointly present a screening programme exploring ecology. Featuring artists from two coastal cities—Hong Kong and Belfast—these works respond to local species, vegetation, humans, and environments under distinct weather conditions. The works will be shown on the Videotage Media Art Collection (VMAC) kiosk, an upcycled mobile kiosk designed by local collective Zou-Mat. Made from Videotage’s repurposed furniture, the kiosk exemplifies how unused objects can be transformed into infrastructure with new potential.