Integrating youth and social enterprise elements into arts creation Promoting youth arts and environmental protection

New World Development Company Limited ("NWD" or "the Group", Hong Kong stock code: 17), China Young Leaders Foundation ("CYLF"), "Road to Green - Striving for a Young New World" Social Enterprise ("Road to Green") joined hands with Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation ("YAF") to launch "People Power in A New World" 2009 Recycled Clothing Sculpture Making Exhibition today. The project aims at promoting youth arts and environmental protection by encouraging the youngsters to turn used clothing into fabric animal sculptures in a humorous way. 

The opening ceremony is held at New World Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, with Ms Florence Hui, Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Adrian Cheng, Executive Director of NWD and Chairman of CYLF, Mr T C Wan, Chairman of Tuen Mun Youths Association ("TMYA") and Ms Lindsey McAlister OBE, Founder and Artistic Director of YAF as officiating guests. 

NWD is committed to nurturing the local young people in the society and actively supporting the all-round development of them. To continue the success of "People Power in A New World" Youth Arts Project held last year, this project was initiated again this year with the aim of providing more creative and development opportunities for the youngsters, and bringing arts into our daily life. Also, in order to integrate the social enterprise elements into arts, this year, together with "Road to Green" Social Enterprise which was set up by NWD and TMYA last year, this project has been launched with the theme of recycled clothing. The participants collected unwanted clothes from families and friends, and turned the clothes into innovative fabric sculptures by using tying, knotting skills, etc, which helps promote clothes recycling and environmental protection. 

Ms Florence Hui, Under Secretary for Home Affairs said, "This is a very meaningful arts activity. This project successfully brings youngsters, arts and social enterprise together, and helps promote local arts culture and nurture the arts creativity among the young people, and also disseminate the message of environmental protection to the general public." 

Mr Adrian Cheng, Executive Director of NWD and Chairman of CYLF remarked, "Our Group is actively promoting the concept of 'People, Nature and Arts'. When planning the 'People Power in A New World' Youth Arts Project this year, we hope to initiate a unique arts project by combining people's power, arts creation, as well as environmental protection elements into one. We also hope that by encouraging the youngsters to turn used items into meaningful stuff, this can help foster the art creativity among them, and educate the young people, as well as the public the importance of saving resources and protecting the environment." 

Mr T C Wan, Chairman of TMYA is glad that the trainees from "Road to Green" Social Enterprise participated in the project, "I'm glad that NWD has put so much effort in this 'Recycled Clothing Sculpture Making Project', and integrated arts element into the work of environmental protection. This project not only raises the awareness of our Social Enterprise in the public, it also provides valuable opportunity for the trainees to participate in arts activity, turning some used clothes into interesting sculptures, and learn a lesson of treasuring resources and protecting the environment." 

Around 1,000 young people from 30 primary and secondary schools and "Road to Green" Social Enterprise participated in the project. Under the guidance of Ms Stella Tang, local fabric artist, the youngsters created the fabric animal sculptures by analyzing the details of the used clothes and using wrapping, knotting, and merging, as well as materials such as rubber bands, paper rolls and old newspapers, etc. 

Ms Lindsey McAlister OBE, Founder and Artistic Director of YAF said, "Over the years, we have been instrumental in influencing the youth of Hong Kong artistically, socially and educationally. In this recycled clothing arts project, the teenage participants have acquired textile related art skills. They have turned a thousand pieces of unwanted clothing into fabulous fabric creatures. By displaying these art pieces in the New World Centre, we hope to raise awareness within the community about recycling clothes, so that people will think twice before throwing away their clothes and work together to reduce waste in our daily lives!" 

"People Power in A New World" Youth Arts Project is held for the second year. Last year, NWD joined hands with YAF to encourage the youngsters to decorate miniature figures, learning more about the life-saving effort of Medecins Sans Frontieres in over 70 countries around the world. 

The 300 fabric animal sculptures created by the youngsters in this project are displayed at New World Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui starting from today until 16 June 2009, from 11am to 7:30pm daily. Interested visitors are welcome to visit the exhibition.

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