Hong Kong Wet Market Go Plastic Free!
Funded by: Sustainable Development Goals Action Fund, Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Office, CUHK
Co-organized by the Centre for Cultural Studies and the Centre for Social Innovations
Principal Investigators: Prof. Wu Ka Ming and Prof. Chan King Chi
Period: May 2021- October 2021
Background:
Wet market is a treasurable local tradition and social space in Hong Kong that allows community members to trade fresh, healthy and affordable foods. However, single-use plastic bags are heavily and excessively used in wet markets without proper recycling and citizen awareness.
Currently there is a lack of legislation regulating the use of plastic bags in local wet markets. At the same time, there is little public education and research on the current situation of single use plastic bag wastage. For instance, how many single use plastic bags is used daily in wet markets in Hong Kong? One million each day or more? What is the pattern of usage? Do users put different produces in one large plastic bag or do they use several small plastic bags for different produces? How often do Hong Kong residents bring their own bags for grocery in the wet markets? If the majority of wet market users are domestic helpers and elderly, how can we communicate to them effectively? Also, how can we work with wet market traders and small business entrepreneurs to promote a plastic free wet market? A good SDG action on the local wet market will be successful if we can gather all the above information and related data.
Project objectives:
- Involve CUHK members and community stakeholders to investigate the numbers, patterns, and users of plastic bag usage in local wet markets.
- Ensure the availability and sustainable management of use of plastic for all.
- Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and full and productive employment and decent work for all.
- Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
Click here for details: https://padlet.com/culturaltstudiescuhk/goplasticfree
Archival work on Forum on Community Arts (2014-2020)
Funded by: Chung Chi College, CUHK Student Helper Scheme
Principal Investigator: Prof. Ho Hing Kay Oscar
Period: February 2020 – May 2020
Background:
Since 2014, MA in Cultural Management Programme, CUHK and the Centre for Cultural Studies, CUHK have been organizing a series of forums on the topic of community arts. With the mission of exploring concepts, philosophies and the skills of implementation in community arts, the aim of this annual forum is to facilitate knowledge exchange between academics and practitioners, strengthen academic network between local and oversea scholars who are interested in community arts, encourage active participation, and to nurture new practitioners in this particular field. To document previous international engagements and discussions in the last six years, an archival project will be conducted to consolidate recordings, presentations, art works, short films and all related materials. This project aims to create an online archive for artists, practitioners, scholars who would like to yield recommendation for the development of local community arts projects and collaborations.
Online Database on Community Arts in Asia (Phase I)
Funded by: Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, CUHK
Principal Investigator: Prof. Ho Hing Kay Oscar
Period: November 2016 – June 2018
Background:
Community art believes in bringing artistic expressions back to the peoples, with the objectives of animating and empowering individuals and communities of different histories, social, cultural and religious backgrounds, especially the marginal and underprivileged ones. Applying the commonly recognized forms of arts and crafts as well as cultural creative expressions such as rituals, symbols, oral histories and other forms of individual and communal expressions, community arts helps to build a sense of belonging, nurture creative expression and artistic pleasure, and to enhance the ability to reflect, articulate and to take initiative in creating a just, equal and compassionate society.
Community arts have always been an important cultural activity in Asia. Responding to critical issues such as social injustice and the drastic urban development, community arts experiences a rapid growth in Hong Kong in recent years. A research will be conducted with a focus on collecting information of case studies in community arts. It intends to provide local and overseas references for current and potential practitioners of the field and to serve as an initial step for further research in the field of community arts in Hong Kong and in the region. Primary research data will be collected and shared, with a focus on projects in Asia.