HACK

Leung Kei-cheuk, better known as GayBird, is a Hong Kong composer and media artist. He holds a Master in Creative Media from the City University of Hong Kong, and a Master of Music (Composition & Electronic Music) from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. His music works have been nominated or awarded in Asian Composers League Young Composer Competition, CASH Golden Sail Music Award, Hong Kong Film Award, Taiwan Golden Horse Film Award, to name a few.

His works have been exhibited around the world, including the Ars Electronica Festival (Austria) and OzAsia Festival(Australia). In 2017, he was commissioned to create his first large-scale outdoor sound installation Home in Australia. In 2018, his sound installation Fidgety (in between up & down) received the 3D/Interactive Award in UK’s Lumen Prize.

In recent years, GayBird has endeavored to create innovative new media works, blending elements of spatiality, installation and visual arts into live performances. His recent works include: 18 Ways to Create or Mute Sound, commissioned by M+ museum; One Zero, co-created with award-winning film director Tsai Ming-liang; site-specific works 18 Scenes in a Cage (set at a heritage site) and Emergency Kit & Wishing Pool (set at a swimming pool).

A director, choreographer, actor, physical theatre director and drama instructor. He is currently a full-time lecturer of Physical Narrative / Musical Theatre at the School of Drama, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). 

Wong won the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards for Young Artist (Drama) in 2017. He received the award for Outstanding Performance in Promoting Arts and Culture from the Secretary for Home Affairs’ Commendation Scheme in 2019. Wong was the recipient of the Asian Cultural Society’s Altius Fellowship 2021. He acquired a 6-month individual fellowship and set off to Japan to study traditional and contemporary art forms.

Wong graduated from the School of Dance of HKAPA in 2005 and later studied at École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris in 2008. He was one of the few Chinese artists who completed the two-year programme. There, he furthered his studies and obtained his teaching qualification in 2018.

Wong founded Théâtre de la Feuille in 2010 and has served as director and artistic director. In 2018, he was nominated for Best Director (Comedy/Farce) for Papa at the Hong Kong Drama Awards. In 2019 and 2020, L’Orphelin won him Best Director and Best Overall Performance at Hong Kong Theatre Libre, and Director of the Year at IATC (HK) Critics Awards. His other works include The Lost Adults, #1314 and more.

Recent directorial works include: Cities of Light, French May Arts Festival; Cinderella, Hong Kong Ballet. His concert choreography credits include: four songs at Sammi Cheng’s #FOLLOWMi Concert 2019 presented by Media Asia; Yoyo Sham’s Home is… Concert 2022 presented by Sunny Idea. Wong’s movement direction credits include: Johnnie To’s crime thriller Three, and Ng Yuen-fai’s sci-fi action film Warriors of Future.

Born and brought up in Northern Shaanxi, China. She received a scholarship from City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) and CCDC Dance Centre to study contemporary dance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

She won the Outstanding Performance by Female Dancer at Hong Kong Dance Awards 2010 for Homecoming by Passoverdance. She was the first runner-up in the 18-District Singing Contest 2018. Han joined JohnChen Ensemble as vocalist in 2019. She was named Performer of the Year at IATC (HK) Critics Awards in 2021, for her performance in Théâtre de la Feuille’s The Lost Adults. 

Her recent appearances include: live performance with In One Stroke at Freespace Happening; Self-Searching and Gratification through World Music by JohnChen Ensemble; Kassandra — oder die Welt als Ende der Vorstellung and Ballads of Expulsion by On & On Theatre Workshop; The Lost Adults, #1314 and The Breast Man by Théâtre de la Feuille, etc.

Cheng completed her BMus (Hons) with first-class honours and Master of Music with distinction at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She was recipient of several scholarships.

She has participated in performances across styles and forms, including solo, chamber, orchestra, opera and multimedia. In 2014, she became the first female drummer in collaboration with the Hofesh Shechter Company and garnered praise for her performance in Political Mother in the New Vision Arts Festival. In 2019, she was selected as one of the artists of World Percussion Group 2019 directed by Maraca2 for a tour in Europe, and was invited by the Shatin Symphony Orchestra to perform percussion concerto Frozen in Time as a soloist. In 2020, she presented her solo Metamorphosis — Emily Cheng Multimedia Percussion Recital, supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council’s Emerging Artists Scheme. In 2021 and 2022, she performed in 18 Ways/Another 18 Ways to Create or Mute Sound, a performance by GayBird, as one of the M+ museum’s opening programmes and its sequel. Cheng is also co-founder of the percussion duo RE．MIX, and an active freelance percussionist for many professional ensembles, including Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta and City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, etc.

Born in Hong Kong, Chun graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), majoring in contemporary dance. During his studies, he has worked with numerous local and overseas dance artists, such as Noel Pong, Rebecca Wong (Hong Kong, China), Zhang Congbin (Guangdong, China), Mickael ‘Marso’ Riviere (UK), John Utans (Australia), Stephanie Lake (Australia) and Jorge Jauregui Allue (Spain). School productions include: Coven, I Will Jump Over the Fire, We are in the Same Wilderness (student work) and, Colossus (Hong Kong Arts Festival).

He was the recipient of Keep Moving Danz Scholarship and HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund — Scholarships for Outstanding Performance. Participated programmes include: a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao exchange programme of dance, WuDaoQingNian — Podium Dance Performance, International Youth Dance Festival in Macau. In 2022, he was selected to train in England under the internship programme orgainsed by the Akram Khan Company and HKAPA’s School of Dance.

Born in Hong Kong, Ho graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a BFA (Hons) in Dance, majoring in contemporary dance. She was the recipient of the Contemporary Dance Faculty Scholarship 21/22 and was twice awarded WuDaoQingNian Scholarship by the City Contemporary Dance Company.

Collaborated local and overseas artists include: Pewan Chow, Stephanie Lake (Australia), Jorge Jauregui Allue (Spain), Alexander Whitley (UK), Mickael ‘Marso’ Riviere (UK), John Utans (Australia), Elise May (Australia), Olé Khamchanla (France/Laos), to name a few.

Her debut choreographic work Distant World was presented by Passoverdance in 2018, as a response to the norms and regulations reinforced in our society.

Born in Hong Kong, Lai graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in contemporary dance. She was the recipient of Dr. & Mrs. George Choa Memorial Scholarships, Second Chance Scholarship. She also received a scholarship from the City Contemporary Dance Company to join the Beijing Dance Festival. She won a Gold Award in the 46th Hong Kong Open Dance Contest. She passed the ballet examination (Advanced 2) at the Royal Academy of Dance.

Passionate to explore dance, she has worked with numerous choreographers, such as Stephaine Lake (Australia), Jorge Jauregui Allue (Spain), Mickael ‘Marso’ Riviere (UK), John Utans (Australia), Richard Causer (Australia) and Raphael Hillebrand (France/Germany), to name a few.

Born in Hong Kong, Yeung recently graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA), majoring in contemporary dance. Yeung was the recipient of A Cup of Hope Scholarship. She also received a scholarship from the City Contemporary Dance Company to join the Beijing Dance Festival. In 2022, she was selected to train in England under the internship programme organised by the Akram Khan Company and HKAPA’s School of Dance.

Collaborated choreographers include: Stephanie Lake (Australia), Mickael ‘Marso’ Riviere (UK), John Ultans (Australia), Alexander Whitley (UK), Jorge Jauregui Allue (Spain) and Richard Causer (Australia), to name a few. She is active in performing arts and dance education. She welcomes any cross- disciplinary collaborations.