c Creative Arts Space in Hong Kong: Three Tales through the lens of Cultural Capital Hoi Ling Anne CHAN (0000-0002-8356-8069) A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning University of Melbourne February 2019 [Intended to leave blank] i Abstract The fact that culture and creativity are often instrumentalised in urban regeneration and/or development points to a pragmatic relationship between culture and the city. Hong Kong, like many post-colonial and post-industrial cities, faced challenges in economic restructuring and in the search of a new identity. Thus, culture came to the centre of the stage in the formulation of development strategies and started to accumulate cultural assets. The accumulation of cultural assets led to the emergence of various forms of cultural assets such as cultural district, infrastructure, projects in order to achieve various aims. However, most of the existing research focused on large-scale flagship projects from an economic or strategic perspective. A holistic understanding of those cultural projects is limited in the literature especially for the small-scale cultural projects. This research examines how the creative arts spaces interact with the host city, Hong Kong through the lens of cultural capital. Three creative arts spaces with different management models are chosen as case studies. Data were collected through field investigation and key informant interviews as well as from secondary sources such as archives and media. The data collected are analysed by executing thematic analysis procedures. The findings reveal that creative arts spaces are different from large-scale flagship projects in their relations to cities. Instead of shaping the urban landscape, the small-scale arts spaces are vulnerable as they are more likely being shaped by the urban landscape. Small- scale arts spaces fail to function and formulate a protective shell for artists as the functions are valorised by the influences of institutional changes as well as historical events. This asymmetrical relationship between culture and the city also presents the expectation gaps between the users in the CASs. The CASs are overcast by the government for achieving its aspiration and the urban policies are failed to address those gaps. As a result, the CASs are neither fostering creative practices nor serving the community. ii This research concludes that when creativity and culture are quintessential in the city branding and planning policymaking nowadays, the empirical study of various dimensions of the CASs can help the planners and policymakers to reconsider the instrumental value of creativity and culture. By redefining the positionings and functions of the creative arts spaces in the city, it can foster or uphold the creative vibe in both the city and the districts. Besides, it also calls for a formulation of tailor-made industrial policy for arts industry so as to provide institutional support for the arts practitioners. iii Declaration I, Hoi Ling Anne CHAN, declare that the Ph.D. thesis entitled, Creative Arts Space in Hong Kong: Three Tales through the lens of Cultural Capital, is fewer than the maximum word limit in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices as approved by the Research Higher Degrees Committee. This thesis contains no material that has been submitted previously, in whole or in part, for the award of any other academic degree or diploma. Except where otherwise indicated, this thesis is my own work. X Date: 05 February 2019 Hoi Ling Anne CHAN iv To GOD who loves everyone in the world. To MY FAMILY who gives me unlimited support and love. To YOU as a reader. We know that “we all have knowledge.” Knowledge puffs you up with pride, but love builds up. (1 Cor 8:1) v Acknowledgement On the first day of my PhD journey, I reckoned that it would be a life-changing experience. My assertion is proven true when this journey is approaching the end. It is not because I know the subject matter better, but because I know myself better in terms of what I would like to pursue in the future, my strengths and weaknesses. This thesis may not be a seminal one in the realm of urban research, but it is a seminal part of my life and a piece of work which is full of love, support, encouragement, tears, failures and frustration. Those tears, failures and frustration make me realise what we need in the ivory tower is not only knowledge, but also love and support. The Bible says, “We know that ‘we all have knowledge’. Knowledge puffs you up with pride, but love builds up.” (1 Cor 8:1). Creation of knowledge may bring us fame and success, but it may also bring us pride which makes people indifferent. Perhaps as an academic, we cannot escape from the publication mania which keeps everyone busy and stressed. However, doing small things such as a cup of coffee, a hug and a small chat with our colleagues or our students can make big changes and can mean a lot to them. I believe doing small things can bring some changes to such an environment. Because of those small things and the love of God, my family and friends, I got through the vulnerable moments in this journey. Prayers from brothers and sisters in Lord empowered and gave me strengths to face the challenges in these years. I must give special thanks to my family, especially my parents, who give me unlimited love and support and my best friend who is my listener and co-walker in Christ during the tough moments. In addition, I am glad to have my peers in the MSD: Argaw, Keiken and Yvette. Thanks for their supports and encouragements in the ups and downs of this journey. vi I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Sun Sheng Han wholeheartedly for his guidance in this journey, especially during all critical moments, and recognise his valuable help in equipping me to be a researcher and a teacher. My deep gratitude should be given to my advisory committee members, Professor Kevin O’Connor, Professor Kim Dovey and Professor Ross King for reviewing the research project as well as the manuscript with their professional experience. Another gratitude should be given to my former MPhil supervisor, Professor Lawal Marafa, who always encourages and inspires me a lot in my life as a geographer. I owe debts to all my participants and interviewees who contributed their time and opinions. This research could not be accomplished without their contribution, especially the help from the Asia Arts Archive (AAA), University of Hong Kong Library and team from 1a Space. The last but not least thanks should be given to the University of Melbourne for funding this research and for giving me this opportunity to study in Melbourne. May all glory be to God! August 2018 vii Preface The inspiration of this research project is from the place I live and grow up in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong, which is a former core of the city. When I researched the heritagescape in Yau Ma Tei for my MPhil thesis, I realised that heritage is often converted for cultural-related uses. The emergence of these cultural spaces caught my attention and started to think about the interplay between culture and city. Besides, the redevelopment and re-planning of this area, especially on the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), provoke the tremendous debate on the way forward in the future development of the city. Living next to the construction site of the biggest cultural project the city has ever had, I can feel the substantial changes in the district. It is not just about the gentrification occurred in the area, but also about the “sudden” cultural turn of the government which revealed in the urban and economic planning of the city. In an old neighbourhood at the centre of the city, building something new and imposing a cultural function and meaning to it does not mean the city is culturally vibrant. One day, during a casual talk with my friend, she said, “Hong Kong does not have art.”. Many Hong Kongers who are the laymen of arts share a similar view with my friend. In the past decades, we kept our eyes on the economic achievement of the city but forgot the precious part of this little global city, the richness and the hybridity of its culture. No wonder why Hong Kongers have a perception that Hong Kong is a “cultural desert.” However, if Hong Kong is a “cultural desert”, where did the artworks in the Hong Kong Art Museum come from? How can the West Kowloon Cultural District sustain itself? Where did the local graduates of the Fine Arts Programs go? Why did the government follow the “creative fever” to develop the art industry by converting heritage, vacant premises into arts spaces? viii All these questions mark the beginning of this research and elucidate the reasons for my interest in the art industry. Therefore, I started to explore the art industry in Hong Kong. Even though the art industry in Hong Kong is not as prosperous as global cities like New York and London, due to the reactive and descriptive cultural policy, inflated cost of living, materialistic view of the society, artists are hard to survive, it is interesting to know how the artists in the local scene combat all these “unfavourable” conditions. Although this research can only address part of the enquiries, it is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the interplay between the arts and city in the context of Hong Kong.