Drama troupe loses venue over NSL row

A local drama troupe "was forced to cancel" nine performances this weekend after authorities ordered the venue rental terminated on grounds of national security.

Fire Makes Us Human drama troupe founder and leader Alex Tong Ho-cheung said that the sudden suspension could have been prompted by his online comments during the social unrest in 2019, but he was unsure of the specific content, and that his online postings had already been deleted.

The group has rented the Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity and was scheduled to perform two stage plays, from today to Sunday.

The school cited the Education Bureau as saying that it had received complaints against the group members' comments online, and had been instructed to suspend the rental of the venue by the guidelines of National Security: Specific Measures for Schools.

The troupe posted on Facebook that it has been liaising with various parties but in vain, since it was informed on January 19 that the school would stop renting out the venue.

"However, the two plays could not be staged as scheduled, and hundreds of hours of hard work by all the participants ... went down the drain. We feel helpless and desperate about the future of arts development in Hong Kong," its post read.

The troupe also announced a moratorium on all its art project productions.

Tong said the stage plays contained no politically sensitive issues, and had been performed at Sha Tin Town Hall in 2019 and 2021.

He added that he had contacted the bureau for clarification, but was not allowed to explain to officials.

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

It added that the bureau attaches great importance to 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.

Winton Au Wing-tung, a representative of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, expressed disappointment in the bureau's decision, saying that the incident had caused concerns within the industry. "[The Education Bureau] suppressed artistic creation and contradicted the official vision of building Hong Kong as a hub for cultural and artistic exchange between local and international communities," Au said.

Renowned playwright Candace Chong Mui-ngam slammed the 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.