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The annual BODW CityProg is back! Organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre, BODW CityProg is a large-scale creative arts and design event that spans November and December, acting as a community-focused extension of Hong Kong’s Business of Design Week (BODW), Asia’s flagship event on design, innovation, and brands.
This year’s BODW CityProg will follow the theme of “20/20 Vision of Post-pandemic World,” inspiring the public to stay resilient and realise their own designs for society through citywide creative events. With over 200 events related to the Made in Hong Kong movement, wellness and sustainability, placemaking, and social enterprises, here are seven to get you started!
You have probably tasted an airy and creamy millefeuille before, but have you ever had a beef millefeuille? What about a Chinese beef millefeuille? Don’t just simply eat one—bake the crispy curiosity yourself at the “Let’s Get Baking!” workshop on 2 December! Running from 2.30 pm to 5 pm and hosted by the Finnish Chamber of Commerce, attendees will also learn how to bake a savoury, traditional Finnish Karelian pastry at the English-led workshop. Sign up here to bag this one-of-a-kind experience for just $550!
The Big Things Cooking Studio, Shop 204, 2/F, The Mills, 45 Pak Tin Par Street, Tsuen Wan
The folks at the Japanese community-run Electronicos Fantasticos recycle old electronics by converting them into instruments, then performing on them. Sample some of their electronic music (literally!) for yourself at the “Revive—From Old Electronics to Musical Instruments” exhibition from 4 December to 11 December. Expect to inspect instruments up close and even use one; to play the Barcoder, simply scan different barcodes to play different notes! Find out more on their website here.
Fab Café, G/F, 10 New Street, Sheung Wan | (+852) 7071 3709
Like in many other big cities, Hong Kong’s non-Chinese ethnic minorities are often overlooked. By screening human interest classics such as Boat People, Miss Hong Kong, and Hands Over the City, indie cinema Thy Lab hopes to shine a spotlight on all ethnic minorities and their untold stories. Registration in advance is required for the free screenings, which run from 29 November to 3 December; find out more here.
Thy Lab, 135 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po
Other than screenings, Thy Lab strives to preserve Hong Kong memories of Hongkongers of various ethnicities from different generations in a time machine of sorts. The time machine was created by young designers with input from the neighbourhood’s elderly, demonstrating the interwoven nature of collective memory. Still sounds like a mystery to you? Describing it all would spoil the fun—so go check out the exhibition for yourself any time between 15 to 31 December; more details on the event page here.
Thy Lab, 135 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po
Hand sanitisers can be so much more than squat bottles! British design studio Bombas & Parr set out to prove this by hosting the London-based “Fountain of Hygiene” competition, where applicants submitted designs for categories such as luxury, sustainability, and communication. Most recently, the second part of the competition saw Hong Kong applicants submit their own inspired takes. Along with part one’s winning entries, which were showcased in the Design Museum in London, part two’s winners would be on display at Haw Par Music from 30 November onwards. Browse past winners’ designs and find out more on their official website here.
Haw Par Music, 15A Tai Hang Road, Tai Hang | (+852) 3165 1212
For this year’s Italian Design Day, the Italian Cultural Institute in Hong Kong is going online to present “Design Made in Hong Kong 2020-2021.” In the cross-cultural dialogue, design companies, local universities, and renowned Italian designers exchange ideas about the future of design, whether it’s in Hong Kong or in Milan. Best of all, you can learn everything from the comfort of your home: Simply tune in to their YouTube livestream here on 30 November from 4.30 pm until 6 pm—no registration required.
After the year of social isolation and general malaise we have all collectively gone through, it would sure be nice to press the reset button. While that is (sadly) not a real option, you can get a glimpse of what leisure and recreation might look like in “the new normal” at the “Design Your Life” festival between 28 November and 6 December.
The event—which is a collaboration between White Do Lab and Deep Food—will feature a number of food-themed events, installations, and workshops across Admiralty’s hip Starstreet Precinct. Sit inside a large-scale installation at “Obscura Apple House” to view the humdrum of everyday life from a micro perspective, or roll up your sleeves and make a delicious-looking scented candle at the “Nicecreaming” workshop. Find out more here.
That’s not all—be sure to check out the hundreds of other events scattered around 10 districts in the city. Whether it’s one of the 17 one-to-three-day-long anchor site festival events, five educational Design EduVation events, or 50 plus sundry satellite events and offers, there’s bound to be something for all creatives and curious citizens out there.
To sweeten the deal, get rewarded for attending events around the city, or even just for wandering around town! Collaborating with local creative platform Think of a Style and the app start-up Scannow, BODW CityProg has launched the CityProg Design Scavenger Hunt. From 13 November until 20 December, drop by any one of the 80-plus checkpoints around the city to collect points, then redeem them for prizes that range from local designer products to AirPods Pro. Don’t miss out on all of these juicy opportunities and get started planning what to do this winter!
Check out BODW Cityprog’s website to find out more.
In light of the current pandemic situation, the event organiser reserves the right to cancel, postpone or change any details such as dates and formats of all events without prior notice. Please stay tuned to BODW CityProg website and social media for the latest updates. You are also encouraged to enquire about individual events with the event organiser before attending.
BODW CityProg is a citywide programme that aims to activate the community and foster collaboration among local creative businesses and organisations. By connecting these creative units, BODW CityProg engages people of all ages to nurture an ecosystem of innovation through co-creation and partnership. It was debuted in 2018 by the Hong Kong Design Centre, with Create Hong Kong of the Hong Kong Government as the lead sponsor.
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