Revitalization
with creativity.
The Process of Revitalization
In 2010, HKSAR defined the major usages of PMQ - to promote creative industries and to educate about the history [1].
At first four organizations/ parties were interested, and they submitted their proposals of how to revitalize PMQ respectively with their own interpretations. Some of the applicants were already experienced in the cultural field, like 胡恩威, the Art Director of Zuni Icosahedron 進念二十面體. And some used the "star approach" to increase their chance of being selected.
But the winner of the project turned out to be 同心基金 Musketeers Foundation and its supporting team, HKDI, Hong Kong Design Center and PolyU. This result was highly criticized by 胡恩威, who said in a telephone interview that the name 原創方 was "so out-fashioned". And he did not even know why PolyU, which was "unrelated to creative industries", was being involved in the project[2].
And of course the government defended its choice later. At the news conference, the Secretary for Development (who was 林鄭月娥 at that time) clarified that since Musketeers Foundation's proposal satisfied the three main objectives raised by the HKSAR, it was a project that matched well with the governmental policy.
The three objectives were (also mentioned earlier in the "PMQ Revitalization Objectives"):
- Creative Industries Value
- Heritage Preservation/Protection
- Social Value
Final Result:
- Musketeers Foundation signed a 10-year contract with the government
- Profit has to be shared between the Foundation & the government
- The name changed from 「原創方 (Originality)」to 「元創方 (Creation)」in 2012 for better branding & promotion
- PMQ re-opened to the public in June 2014
[1] Teresa Chow (2013), "A Creative Future", Perspective, pp. 78-82. Retrieved from http://www.pmq.org.hk/media/201309_perspective_1.pdf
[2] "荷李活道新地標 同心基金奪魁 活化大龍鳳 建天幕拆頂樓",蘋果日報, 2010年11月16日。擷取自: http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20101116/14666540