路過北角：以藝術連結社區不離地｜Via North Point: Relevance is the key to transforming a community through art
在英皇道往東行的電車叮叮來到北角道，緩慢地轉入香港最有名的一道街巿風景：電車與露天巿集融合在一起，街道兩旁開滿店舖和排檔，老街坊早已認得哪間老字號信得過、哪個魚檔的魚最合心意。走畢短短三百米的春秧街，穿過渣華道巿政大廈，卻像穿越時光一樣，眼前是先進了幾十年的景物：簇新亮麗的豪宅群，年輕人在寬闊的海濱跑步，一家大小在整齊企理的步道與花園散步。
不過是一街之隔，兩個北角儼如兩個世界。來自香港藝術中心的「路過北角」團隊，去年5月始嘗試以公共藝術把新舊兩區重新連結, 以藝術介入舊區。「一直以來，我們總是提醒自己，在社區做公共藝術不止是美化，而是讓街坊融入。」
正當深水埗大南街掀起的士紳化討論甚囂塵上，香港藝術中心的公共藝術團隊 (Ian, Elsie, Alice, Virginia & Liv)，於北角展開了為期約兩年半的「路過北角」社區公共藝術計劃。這個由巿區更新基金資助的地區活化項目與別不同，翻看資料，過往不少項目都由社福機構、文化保育機構牽頭籌辦，但由藝術機構以藝術入手活化舊區，則是一個新嘗試。7月，「路過北角」出版第一期社區報《北角有誌》，香港藝術中心總幹事Connie Lam這樣解釋計劃的初衷：「我們希望透過藝術，再次將人與人、人與地區連結，建立起一種社區獨有的文化風景——香港從來都是一個文化大熔爐，每個社區都有其獨特的發展進程，造就出其獨特的生活文化。」
Ian 說:「香港藝術中心過往在灣仔也有做過不少公共藝術的項目，我們的想法是，人人都有權去使用公共空間，但未必每個人都意識到這些空間，或者去想這些空間有沒有其他使用方法呢？因此，我們嘗試用公共藝術裝置（Public Art Installation），去刺激他們思考公共空間。」Elsie說，因為藝術中心位於灣仔，團隊過往都集中在灣仔做公共藝術的項目，這次申請巿區更新基金，於是走遍了香港不少舊區，發現北角是個很有趣的社區：它正經歷急劇轉變，但在新與舊之間，互相看來有點割裂。
2019年，團隊委託第三方在北角進行社區概況研究，了解這裏的歷史、空間格局、公共休憩空間等，其中一個發現是：「北角區內休憩空間分佈不均，而且大部份面積細小。多數正規休憩用地位處海旁及電照街以東，遠離現有社區且不便前往，因此使用率較低。相反，不少非正規休憩空間（例如北角公眾碼頭和春秧街東端的休憩處）受居民歡迎，亦有居民自發改造這些空間。區內休憩空間面積有限、設計不善，阻礙社交活動。」因此，Ian與他的團隊在想，是否可以藉著藝術，讓街坊重新發現北角呢？
在團隊正式寫計劃書之時，士紳化的討論並未重新燃起，但在以藝術作為切入點進入社區的時候，團隊早就時常自我提醒，走入社區的公共藝術，不能離地。所以，在計劃正式開始兩年前，團隊已開始到區內與街坊交談，Virginia說，與街坊建立信任是最重要的一環。「做活動做得幾好也好，與街坊沒有連繫的話，就是離地。」
要與社區建立關係，並不是擺擺街站、派派傳單就做得到。除了落區，做地區研究，至項目正式啟動，團隊再用了近半年時間做研究，透過區內的人、舉辦活動，再擴展關係網絡、深化在社區的關係。「我們會在街頭統計人流，甚至留意街坊的行走路線，了解這個區的日常的面貌。」Virginia解釋說：「我們有一個街站的位置，就在春秧街，有時候會有人擺檔，不過因為我們與他們熟絡了，所以我們可以互相遷就時間和位置擺檔。」建立了關係、計劃起步了，團隊便開始基於之前的研究分析，並舉行跨界別的集思廣益討論會 (Meeting of Minds)，為北角度身訂造、籌備藝術活動，最後決定以社區參與的方式介入春秧街休憩處的空間改善，以至其後團隊設計「都市實驗室」和「路過有Say!」活動，讓社區人士參與空間構想和表達意見，讓養份成為下年初公開點子徵集的設計原則和參考。
Liv形容，「都巿實驗室」是一個為期半年的設計旅程，成員包括新舊街坊，也有讀城巿研究的學生，一同遊走北角隱秘角落、探索鄰里身分、重新觀察北角的生活空間，最後以「城巿作為社區客廳」的想法，重新想像社區生活、共同設計出不同方案。另一個活動「社區大步走」，找來不同年紀的街坊以自己的角度導賞社區，讓參加者用不同角度了解自己的社區。
雖然計劃開始至今未足一年，但團隊從這些活動中，也觀察到街坊對於社區的想法有點改變。Elsie分享：「有一個工作坊的參加者，70多歲，他起初常問我：我們想像中的改變，幾時可以真的實現？然後到了工作坊最後一堂，他說，若有生之年也看不到改變，不緊要，就把將來才實現的改變，留給個孫吧，政策始終無法短期內就可以改變。」
以藝術作為方法嘗試改變社區，往往是細水長流的，需要花更長時間在地耕耘和觀察。而「路過北角」計劃已經展開近一年，兩年後功成身退之時，團隊期望如今種下的種子，他日有機會在社區延續下去，直至花開之時。Alice說：「我們邀請了一些團體，研究行人天橋與公共空間的關係，希望能發掘可以如何使用天橋的空間。這些最後都是希望可以留下給這裏的居民、區議員，將來有機會可以發展下去、實踐這些想法。現在我們做的，是在區內散播種子，參與過工作坊的街坊，或許能啟發他們再自發成立一些社區營造小組，定下將來的方向。那麼我們這個計劃就後繼有人了。」
香港藝術中心公共藝術團隊
梁偉然，節目經理
馮靄思，項目經理
施藝虹，助理節目經理
劉君宇，高級節目主任
詹昫嵐，節目主任
路過北角網站: www.via-northpoint.hk
路過北角Facebook & Instagram專頁:
FB: www.facebook.com/vianorthpoint
IG: www.instagram.com/vianorthpoint/?hl=zh-tw
《北角有誌》
《北角有誌》夏季號網上閱讀：www.via-northpoint.hk/en/via-community-zine/
《北角有誌》秋季號網上閱讀：https://bit.ly/33Q3sp5
「都巿實驗室」參加者以北角春秧街為藍本，務求打破局限，構想以反映社區真正需要的設計方案，成果最近在網上公開展覽。想知道他們在北角發掘了什麼，立刻到他們的網上展覽看看吧﹗
「都市實驗室」線上成果展
展覽日期：2020年9月26日 至2021年9月
網址：www.via-northpoint.hk/design-lab/
相片來源：路過北角
地點：香港, 北角
Via North Point : Relevance is the key to transforming a community through art
As the eastbound tram dings its way from King’s Road to North Point Road, it slowly carries passengers through one of the most notable street scenes in Hong Kong – trams and an open-air market entwine in harmony, and shops and stalls lining the streets merge into the hustle and bustle of the district. Some locals have lived here long enough to tell which old shops are honest and where to find the best deals among all fish stalls.
The end of the 300-metre Chun Yeung Street meets Java Road Municipal Services Building. The short stroll feels like a journey through time, as your eyes will soon meet constructions of modern times – luxury apartment blocks, young runners sweating away along the promenade, and families strolling around the neat pathways and gardens.
One street divides North Point into two seemingly mutually exclusive worlds. That is why the Via North Point team from the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) have been trying to employ public art to reunite the old and new areas since May of 2019. “We keep reminding ourselves that public art is not a tool to powder a community. It must blend in with the locals.”
When controversies over the gentrification of Tai Nam Street in Sham Shui Po got stormy, the HKAC Public Art Team (Ian, Elsie, Alice, Virginia & Liv) kick-started a two-and-a half-year community art project ‘Via Northpoint’ in North Point.
Financed by the Urban Renewal Fund (URF), this district revitalisation project does seem different on many levels. While projects of this kind were mostly steered by social welfare or cultural preservation groups in the past, it is a novelty to commission an art institution to revitalise a district.
Earlier in July, Via Northpoint released their first community zine and in the forward by Executive Director Connie Lam: “We want to use art as the tool to connect people with their neighbours and neighbourhood, ultimately to build a cultural scene that is unique to a district.” The team explains the mission of the project, “Hong Kong has always been a cultural melting pot. Every district has its development path and thus a unique kind of lifestyle.”
“Hong Kong Arts Centre has done many public art projects in Wan Chai. We believe that everyone has the right to access to public space, though not everyone is aware of such spaces and other ways to use them. This encouraged us to use public art installations to open up people’s mind to the possibilities of public space.” says Ian.
According to Elsie, most of their previous public art projects focused on the area adjacent to the location of HKAC, namely Wan Chai. When applying for the URF grant, the team roamed about almost every old district in Hong Kong before North Point stole their minds: rapid development has divided the historic area between heritage and modernity.
In 2019, the team invited a third party to study the social fabric of North Point, including its history, spatial layout and public leisure space. One of the findings was that “the distribution of leisure space in North Point was uneven, and they are mainly tiny patches of land. Formal leisure areas mostly concentrate around the promenade and the east of Tin Chiu Street, meaning they are far and inaccessible. Hence the low usage.
On the contrary, the locals love and take the initiative to transform informal leisure areas, such as North Point Public Pier and the sitting-out area at the east end of Chun Yeung Street. North Point is just deficient in leisure space; it also needs a great design that doesn’t hinder social interactions.”
Given that, Ian and his team began to explore the possibilities of using art as a tool to inspire the kaifongs (meaning ‘local residents’ in Cantonese) to rediscover North Point.
As the team began to pen the project plan, they did not see the rekindling of debates over gentrification coming. But ever since they decided to intervene through art, the team often reminded themselves one thing: to introducing public art in a community, they must keep their feet on the ground.
As the team rolled up their sleeves two years ago, they engaged residents in the conversation. It is because, as Virginia puts it, building mutual trust with the kaifongs is crucial. “If residents don’t feel connected, even the best programme would be nothing but a pie in the sky.”
Setting up a street counter or handing out leaflets won’t build a social bond. Besides community outreach and analysis, the team spent another six months on research after the project officially commenced. They went great lengths to interact with residents and organised an array of activities, which helped them expand their local network and take root in the community.
“We would record pedestrian flows on the streets and pay attention to their walking routes so that we could understand their everyday life better.” Virginia explains, “We had a street counter on Chun Yeung Street, and the spot used to be someone else’s stall. We befriended the stall owner and shared the space with him alternately.”
With relationships built and the project kick-started, the team began to host cross-disciplinary meetings of minds with their previous analysis as the basis. Those meetings aimed to customise artistic activities for North Point. In the end, they chose to engage the entire community in improving the leisure area on Chun Yeung Street. The decision eventually morphed into two activities, ‘Urban Design Lab’ and ‘Your Say! Neighbourhood Survey’, which allowed community stakeholders to reimagine and share thoughts on the space, which will inform the design principles and references for the open call for ideas next year.
Urban Design Lab, according to Liv, is a six-month design journey. Members including old and new neighbours, urban studies students and others would roam about hidden corners across North Point. They were to explore the identities of neighbours, observe the living space of North Point from a fresh perspective, and finally to co-create solutions that would redefine their community life and would see a city as a community living room.
Another activity ‘Community Wanderer’ invites kaifongs from different generations to be guide tours around their neighbourhood using their perspective.
Less than a year into the project, the team has already witnessed changes in residents’ views about their neighbourhood. “One of the workshop participants, who was in his seventies, asked me at first: ‘when will the changes we imagine come true?’,” Elsie recalls. “At the final workshop, he said it did not matter if he couldn’t witness such changes in his lifetime – he would pass on future changes to his children and their children. Policies just could not bring quick results.”
Creating transformation through art is a long journey. It takes even more time to cultivate and observe locally. When the two-year project comes to an end, the team may withdraw themselves from the scene, but they hope that the seeds they plant will grow and flourish.
Alice says: “We invited some groups to study the dynamics between footbridges and public space to explore the possibilities of overhead spaces. We want to pass them on to residents and district councillors so that they can develop and implement these ideas in the future. Now we are sowing seeds around the neighbourhood. All residents who have joined our workshops may be motivated to set up community-building groups and create development paths. Then, they will become successors of this project.”
Hong Kong Arts Centre Public Art Team
Ian Leung, Programme Manager
Elsie Fung, Project Manager
Alice Sze, Assistant Programme Manager
Virginia Liu, Senior Programme Officer
Liv Tsim, Programme Officer
‘Urban Design Lab’ invited participants to use Chun Yeung Street, North Point, as the blueprint to come up with design solutions that genuinely meet social needs. These proposals are now open to the public via our online exhibition. Curious about what they found in North Point? Explore more now!
Online Exhibition – Our City, Our Home
From 26th September 2020 through September 2021
Website: www.via-northpoint.hk/design-lab
Via North Point Website: www.via-northpoint.hk
Via North Point Facebook & IG:
FB: www.facebook.com/vianorthpoint
IG: www.instagram.com/vianorthpoint/?hl=zh-tw
Zine
《Via Community Zine》 Summer Issue online version：
www.via-northpoint.hk/en/via-community-zine/
《Via Community Zine》 Autumn Issue online version：https://bit.ly/33Q3sp5
Photo source: Via North Point
Location: North Point, Hong Kong
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