A Brief History Of The Hong Kong Arts Centre

The Hong Kong Arts Center (HKAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing space and resources for the local art community as well as making art accessible to the public.
The center was first established in 1977. Since the 60s, local art associations had petitioned the government for a piece of land on which to build the center. In 1971, after years of negotiation, they successfully obtained a piece of land near Gloucester Road in Wan Chai.

At first, funding issues caused construction to be halted. However, the association obtained a loan with the intervention of Sir Murray MacLehose, who was then Governor of Hong Kong.

The 19-storey building was designed by acclaimed architect Tao Ho, featuring a geometric architectural style with a triangular waffled ceiling and a spiral staircase. The design won Ho the silver medal from the Hong Kong Institute of Architects in 1978.

Boasting 130,000 square feet of venue and office space for the creative industries, the main building offers professionally-equipped cinemas, galleries, rehearsal rooms, theaters, classrooms and studios, as well as a restaurant and a café.

The exhibitions and performances hosted by the HKAC reach an audience of over 350,000 per year. Some of the organization’s most respected long-term programs include the Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards (ifva), which have been running since 1995 and the the Art in Hospitals project, which was started in 1994 and has been registered as a charitable organization since 2003.

The HKAC is currently contracted to manage the Comix Home Base (CHB), a community platform for Hong Kong’s homegrown comics and animation industries. Occupying a series of revitalized pre-war buildings in Wan Chai, CHB serves as an important hub that connects local artists and animators.

Another important arm of the HKAC is the Hong Kong Art School (HKAS), an accredited art institute located on the 10th floor of the building. The school offers diplomas in the areas of Fine Art, Applied Art, Media Art, and Drama, as well as short-term courses for art lovers and children. Its award-bearing programs and short courses together train almost 4,000 students a year.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.