Education Bureau instructs school to terminate venue rental with drama troupe over national security concerns

The Education Bureau has instructed a Hong Kong school to terminate a venue rental with a drama troupe days before their performance, citing national security concerns.  

Speaking to a radio program on Thursday, Alex Tong Ho-cheung, founder of the drama troupe “Fire Makes Us Human”, revealed that the stage manager at HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity had told him that the move could be related to comments he made online during the 2019 protests.  

He said he was unsure about the specific content, as he could no longer retrieve his social media posts. He also noted that he had contacted the Education Bureau in a bid to offer clarification, but was not given the opportunity to explain to the officials.  

Tong said politically sensitive issues were not included in their plays, and the group had previously performed at the Sha Tin Town Hall in 2019 and 2021. Yet they were unable to perform at the Shouson Theatre in August last year.  

Tong said the group’s six years of effort had gone down the drain, and he was uncertain about the group’s future. He, at the same time, announced the disbandment of the drama troupe.  

Renowned playwright Candace Chong Mui-ngam, a six-time winner of the Hong Kong Drama Awards for Best Script, said she had tried assisting the group in liaising with the Education Bureau but in vain.  

She said the bureau's Kowloon City District School Development Section had refused to meet with the group, slamming authorities for disregarding the dreams and efforts of young people.   

She also accused authorities of making a decision and imposing punishment without conducting a proper investigation or allowing for discussion, describing authorities’ move as extremely foolish and disruptive.  

Her views were echoed by Winton Au Wing-tung, a representative of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.  

Au expressed disappointment in the bureau’s decision in a statement issued in his personal capacity, saying that the incident has caused concerns within the industry and may lead to associations of arbitrary denial of public performances, hindering artistic creation.  

He also noted that the decision goes against the concept of Hong Kong as an " East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange."  

When asked to comment on the case, the Education Bureau said it had previously drawn up the “National Security: Specific Measures for Schools,” which outlined that schools are responsible for preventing their facilities from being misused.  

The bureau said it had contacted the school to learn about the situation after receiving a complaint and provided proper advice and support to the school from the perspective of protecting students.  

It added that the bureau emphasizes nurturing students' interest in art while also having a responsibility to ensure the safety and orderliness of the school environment, preventing the dissemination of improper or harmful information, and allowing students to learn and engage in activities with peace of mind.