BODW CityProg 2021 connects 100+ creative partners; Creating shared values through design for better communities; Making positive social impact by doing "business for good"

With HKDC stepping into its 20th anniversary, the 2021 edition of CityProg has taken the theme "20s: Reflect‧Refresh‧Reset"

In November and December, CityProg will bring together over 100 partners to spark more than 200 happenings around the city through its three distinct platforms

"Design City Hunt" will return; new initiatives "Design !n Action ", "Design Explorer" and "OpenHouse!HK" will be launched

HONG KONG SAR - - 6 December 2021 - Organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor, BODW CityProg (CityProg) is a citywide design activation programme that aims to foster exchange and collaborations among creative and design units, businesses and community organisations. Joining forces with different partners, CityProg creates shared values through design, makes the community a better place and creates positive social impact; as well as fosters creativity for our city and economy and nurtures a thriving creative ecosystem in Hong Kong. With HKDC stepping into its 20th anniversary, the 2021 edition of CityProg has taken the theme "20s: Reflect‧Refresh‧Reset". Bringing together over 100 creative partners to spark more than 200 happenings around the city, CityProg strives to make a positive impact to the community with good design, adhering to a "business for good" concept. As a community extension programme of Business of Design Week (BODW), CityProg's major happenings take place in November and December near BODW annually, peaking from 27 November to 5 December for the 2021 edition.

With three distinct platforms at its core, CityProg 2021 will present 16 one to two-day "Anchor Site Festivals", 5 "Design EduVation" Programmes focusing on design education, and over 100 "Satellite Events  & Offers". Last year's highly acclaimed "Design City Hunt" will also return, offering public the chance to win fabulous prizes by participating in the events and supporting local brands in the neighbourhood.   

In addition, CityProg 2021 will launch a new initiative, "Design !n Action", bringing together local design and creative talents and businesses to contribute their spare time and skills to work with the local community, NGOs and youths to create shared values through design and design thinking, as well as create positive social impact. Through the power of "business for good", "Design !n Action" will start with nurturing the new generation by organising two programmes, "Design Explorer" and "OpenHouse!HK" which are tailor made for students from local primary and secondary schools, and design department of local tertiary institutions respectively. The programmes are designed to guide the new generation to develop a positive attitude towards the world, work and consumption through an understanding of design thinking and global sustainability trends.

Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of Hong Kong Design Centre said, "we believe that design can spark inspiration and empower people, create positive behavioural changes. Designers are enablers to influence people's values and aspirations, making a better community. We hope that through the BODW CityProg we can connect creative talents from all walks of life, make the best of their resources and expertise to create shared values, and work together to harness the power of design to bring innovation to the community and improve people's lives, so that the public can discover more about the possibilities and social value of design, driving the long-term development of Hong Kong's creative economy."

"NFT x Design: Digital Design Battle" as kick-off event for BODW CityProg 2021

The NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) scene continues to boom, bringing innovations and new business opportunities. NFTs not only disrupt the art market and commercial brands but also help designers discover new markets, fostering a diversified economy in the creative industries. Hong Kong Design Centre is staging a kick-off event for BODW CityProg 2021 on 10 November 2021, Digital Design Battle at Central Market, exploring the possibilities of NFT x Design.

Conducted in a one-on-one format and within a time limit of 20 minutes, each participating local young designer will create a digital work based on a topic provided by the organiser on the spot during the two sessions of Digital Design Battle. The works will then be selected by a professional judging panel, and the works will be available for sale on UCOLLEX's NFT platform. Audience who stay to cheer for the participating designers will have a chance to receive the winning NFT works for free.

 

5 major events in Sham Shui Po - a creative design hub to promote sustainable development of the local creative economy, cultural conservation and better community living through design

Sham Shui Po is being revitalised into one of the cultural and creative landmarks in the city. This year, 5 major events will be held in this creative design hub in November and December, bringing out the three key sustainable development concepts of design as a catalyst for the local creative economy, historical and cultural conservation and good community living.

Dr Joseph Wong, Executive Director of Hong Kong Design Centre said, "Sham Shui Po is a hub of creativity and design inspiration where the old meets the new, and Hong Kong Design Centre will set up a new design and fashion base in the district in the near future. We are inviting all creative partners, SMEs and NGOs to collaborate and exchange ideas with us through BODW CityProg, and work together to preserve the traditional culture of the old district and add sustainable design elements to the city, thereby promoting the sustainable development of the creative ecosystem of Sham Shui Po and shaping a better and more liveable community."

2x2 Studio's "Gwaden: Made in Hong Kong" and openground's "The Fabric Commune" to pursuit sustainable creative economy through design and giving back to the community.

2x2 Studio and openground, CityProg's "Design EduVation" partners this year, are putting into practice the concept of "taken from the community, giving back to community". Stimulating the promotion of sustainable creative economy in the community through design.

2x2 Studio brings cross-sectoral production projects to the community, with the hope of achieving mutual learning and sustainable production. Continuing with the "Gwaden" project at Amazing Land in Tai Po, the workshop will invite fashion designer Mr Hung Ming-kin to lead youths from H.K.S.K.H. Kowloon City Children and Youth Integrated Service Centre to participate in the "Made in Hong Kong" project, which aims to educate and nurture youths on the concepts of green design and living. The project includes a guided tour to the fabric market "Pang Jai", to get to know more about the knowledge of raw materials used in garment making.

Located at Tai Nan Street, openground, is a concept venue rolling café, bookstore and workshop space into one. This year, openground brings "The Fabric Commune" project as an extension of last year. The project focuses on researching the soft goods shops in Sham Shui Po and refining the "Material Map" produced in 2020. Workshops will be held to educate the public on integrating design into their lives by linking material supply with design thinking.

Orient Occident Atelier's "Between Hither and Hill" and THY LAB's "Memory Lane 1921-2021" to demonstrate the feasibility of design as a catalyst for historical and cultural conservation

Design plays a vital role in the preservation of the historical buildings and culture in Sham Shui Po. Orient Occident Atelier, another "Design EduVation" partner of CityProg 2021, uses VR technology to bring back the temporary strengthening Grade 1 historic building "Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir" (as known as "Bishop Hill Service Reservoir") to life. In "Between Hither and Hill - VR and the Bishop Hill Underground Service Reservoir", the public will be invited to participate in a series of workshops to learn about the monument through VR experiences and professional sharing by building conservation professionals, followed by urban orientation and discussion. 3D scanning will be used to bring out the public's associative approach towards conservation.

As for the "Anchor Site Festivals", CityProg 2021's partner THY LAB brings a series of design book sharing sessions and design thinking workshops with local typographers and sign makers on the theme of "Typography" and "Hong Kong Signboards". These are cultural features found everywhere in Sham Shui Po, through workshops we can stimulate and discuss the importance of conservation culture. In addition, "Hong Kong Signboards" exhibition will be one of the highlights at THY LAB to showcase the history and design evolution of Hong Kong signboards over the past century.

Milk Design and Kennifstudio's "Signage Lab" to co-design for better living community

Every sign in a city has meaning behind it, and well-designed street signs can often enhance our daily lives. Milk Design and Kennifstudio, the partners of "Design EduVation" in CityProg 2021, will jointly present the "Signage Lab", a series of activities to guide participants to understand how street sign design can shape a better community life and using Sham Shui Po community as the theme. The programme will start with a guided tour, where participants will learn about the design of street signs in Sham Shui Po as idea stimulation. Participants then turn their ideas into artworks through workshops and share on social media platform for public voting. The ten designs with the highest number of votes will be produced in different materials and installed on the streets in Sham Shui Po. This project aims to foster community communication and building a healthy living environment for the mind, body and soul.

More exciting events in November and December to ignite city's design and creative fire

Apart from the above 5 major events in Sham Shui Po, CityProg 2021 will also link up with various creative partners in November and December to bring more "Anchor Site Festivals", "Design EduVation" Programmes and "Satellite Events & Offers" to energise the city with creative design atmosphere.

 

These include a community design workshop in collaboration with ROUGH C, "Design EduVation" partner, to collect second-hand material for upcycling in various districts across the territory. Other key partners of "Anchor Site Festivals" include: the Waste Upcycling Competition and Exhibition at K-Farm at Kennedy Town Waterfront, which uses design and creative perspectives to turn "waste" into value; and the impactful project "Made in Hong Kong 2.0" by GLOs Café by foody, which uses a mentorship model to organise a series of youth-led creative bazaars, talks, demonstrations, guided tours and musical performances, allowing people to show support and engage with various "Made in Hong Kong" brands; Making on Loft's "Creating as Usual -  Cultural and Creative Hangout in To Kwa Wan", an "unearthed artefact" made in Hong Kong, will bring about a radical change in the district with the opening of the MTR Tuen Ma Line. Local creative designers and cultural workers take part in a series of guided tours, workshops and sharing sessions to encourage the public to rediscover the history and stories of the area through the lens of design. The Warehouse Teenage Club, located in the Grade 2 historic building former Aberdeen Police Station, aims to inspire the youth with "play" and blend design into entertainment by putting up "Re-imagine Backyard Warehouse" project. Last but not least, HKFYG Tsuen Wan Youth S.P.O.T.'s "PLAY in Tsuen Wan (Playtime Leisure Activation Youth)" project, focuses on 'discovery', 'exploration', 'creation' and 'experience', with a variety of community design activities and workshops to draw the attention of young people and the public to Tsuen Wan community and apply design thinking in their daily lives.

If you are interested in knowing more about CityProg, please visit the official website and social media platforms to receive the latest information about the events. (*).