New Works Forum: Multimedia and Dance Dialogue – Hiroaki Umeda

Multimedia Theatre, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong , 25.06.2016

The use of multimedia in dance allows artists to push the boundaries of creativity and introduce audiences to a wider artistic vision. To take productive advantage of new developments, it is crucial for dancers, choreographers and media artists to understand the relation between dance and technology.

This year, we are hosting two New Works Forums for dance and multimedia. For the first, in June, we have invited internationally renowned Japanese choreographer/multidisciplinary artist Hiroaki Umeda to share his unique method of mixing digital technology and dance with local dance practitioners and multimedia artists.

As a multidisciplinary artist, Umeda is not just a talented contemporary dancer; he is also an artist skilled in choreography, composition, visual, sound and lighting design.

Having majored in photography at university he has a background in visual culture that complements his training in ballet and street dance.

Umeda began creating his own choreographic works at the age of 20. Since being honoured at the International Choreographic Encounters Paris Seine- Saint-Denis he has transfixed audiences with performances at major festivals and theatres worldwide. His aesthetic choreographic style mixes physical, optical, sensory and spatiotemporal elements, breaking the rules of traditional performance and demonstrating the fragility and isolation of contemporary urban life.

During a 5-day workshop, local dance and multimedia artists will work together to experience Umeda’s unique choreographic process, explore the relationship of dance and multimedia technology in the artistic creation and generate ideas for the development of future works.

On 25 June, Umeda will share his views on the way forward for multimedia dance performance in a free public forum. Workshop participants will also share their experience of the collaboration and their creative works in progress.

About New Works Forum

In the run-up to the opening of the West Kowloon performing arts facilities, the first of which will be completed in 2018, ‘New Works Forum’ acts as a platform for cross-disciplinary artists eager to expand their practices into new areas and explore innovative ways of creating, presenting and discussing topics around contemporary performance.

Public Forum – What’s next in multimedia dance performance?

Date:
25 June 2016 (Sat)

Time:
3pm – 6pm

Venue:
Multimedia Theatre, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong (G/F , Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, 18 Tat Hong Avenue, Kowloon Tong)

Speaker:
Hiroaki Umeda (Japan)

Respondents:
Anna CY Chan (HK) – Head of Artistic Development (Dance), WKCDA
Chris Cheung (honhim) (HK) – Multimedia artist
Koala Yip (HK) – Instructor, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong

Moderator:
Dick Wong (HK) – Independent artist

Language:
English, with Mandarin / Cantonese simultaneous interpretation

Online registration is now closed. Walk-in registrations will be allowed depending on the availability of seats on the day.

Enquiries:
2200-0801 (Ms Yu), grace.yu@wkcda.hk

Adverse Weather Arrangement:
The programme will be cancelled if a black rainstorm warning or a typhoon signal no. 8 or above is in force after 1pm on the afternoon of the event.

*The organiser reserves the right to change the programme content and speakers. All changes will be announced on the website.