2007年，第一次的 Playaround 工作坊在台灣誕生。到2018年的十年間，五屆的工作坊、共41位導師、49位助教、409位參加者，共同成就了一系列科技藝術與不同界別的跨領域作品，促成了當中參與者在往後的創作，打開了和科技藝術合作的大門。ProjectPlayaround 延續 Playaround 的理念：科技、藝術和不同領域的合作，於 2023 年於香港首度舉行，聚焦媒體藝術和表演藝術的跨領域合作。
首屆計劃（2023）由國際知名日本聲音藝術家和田永（Ei Wada）及來自美國的體驗式媒體藝術家 Crystal Jow 帶領的一系列密集式工作坊揭開序幕。超過 40 位藝術家參與工作坊後，計劃選出了八組藝術家團隊，於東九文化中心（EKCC）的 ProjectPlayaround《FIRSTAGE》展覽中展出其全新創作。Pp2023 以《再媒體重奏》作為壓軸項目——一場由本地媒體藝術家林欣傑（Keith Lam）與和田永共同創作的全新舞台演出。演出為東九文化中心「開箱（Unbox EKCC）」系列節目之一、2024 香港演藝博覽的響應節目、以及第四屆粵港澳大灣區文化藝術節的參與節目，印證其在區域文化藝術領域中的重要地位。
整個計劃除了旨在培養藝術家跨領域 — 媒體藝術 x 表演藝術的意識外，也試圖撮合這兩個領域的藝術家，除了在本計劃中合作外，也因為本計劃為他們開啟跨域創作之門，促成他們往後更多和不同界別的合作。
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About ProjectPlayaround
In 2007, the first Playaround workshop was born in Taiwan. Over the next decade, 41 instructors, 49 teaching assistants, and 409 participants participated in five workshop series, co-creating a collection of cross-disciplinary works that blend media art with other disciplines. These workshops paved the way for the participants’ creations that followed and opened the door to future collaborations with technical art. ProjectPlayaround is a continuation of Playaround – a collaboration between technology, arts and other disciplines. Our Hong Kong debut in 2023 focuses on the cross-disciplinary collaboration between media art and performing arts.
The first cohort (2023) commenced with a series of intensive workshops led by internationally acclaimed Japanese sound artist Ei Wada and New York-based experiential media designer Crystal Jow. Following these sessions, over 40 participating artists participated, leading to the selection of eight artist groups who showcased their new works at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre (EKCC) during the ProjectPlayaround FIRSTAGE exhibition. Pp2023 reached its finale with REMEDIATION ENSEMBLE, a new stage performance created by local Media Artist Keith Lam and Ei Wada. The production was presented as part of the "Unbox EKCC" series at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre, a supporting programme for the 2024 Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo, and was recognised as a contributing programme of The 4th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival, marking its significance within the region’s cultural scene.
Alongside cultivating artists' awareness of the cross-disciplinary possibilities of media art and performing arts, ProjectPlayaround is a catalyst for future collaborations. We hope to connect artists from the two fields and open the door to more cross-disciplinary creative projects, sparking new and exciting artistic endeavours.