Criticisms of Hong Kong as a cultural desert have mostly been laid to rest by international art fairs and galleries whose vernissages attract the city’s art lovers in droves. (The winding queue waiting at the entrance of Joan Cornellà’s solo exhibition a few months ago was difficult to miss.) Among your White Cubes and your Gagosians, though, local Hong Kong cultural hubs are not to be neglected. If you’re hankering to experience creativity with a more local flavour – whether film, visual arts, or independent media – here are three places you should be sure to explore.

Photography: Elky Siu

Foo Tak Building 
A tong lau located next to a pawn shop on bustling Hennessy Road, Foo Tak Building is a hidden hub for local multi-disciplinary artists. Foo Tak features a variety of creative spaces and an undoubtedly friendly atmosphere: visit Ying E Chi Cinema, an indie film organisation that hosts regular screenings, talks and workshops on the 4th floor; make an appointment at the Old Textbooks Showroom, a private space exhibiting vintage textbooks on the 13th floor; or flip through some carefully curated English and Chinese tomes at an independent bookstore run by Art and Culture Outreach on the 14th floor. We particularly enjoy resting our feet at Makee, a café on the 8th floor that also doubles up as a boutique and events space. Enjoy a slice of cake and some sultry jazz before perusing the unique tchotchke on display.

Broadway Cinematheque
This cinema recently made a name for itself for being the first among a handful of cinemas that screened the controversial local production Ten Years, a dystopian film that depicts Hong Kong in 2025. In addition to showing over 700 flicks per year – the widest spectrum among local public cinemas – Broadway Cinematheque also launched Hong Kong’s the television channel MOViE MOViE in 2012, which is dedicated to festival and arthouse hits as well as international blockbusters. The space is more than a place to enjoy a movie, though: purchase a copy of your favourite titles at its DVD store, or pull up a chair at the Kubrick bookstore and café, a cosy spot that boasts an extensive array of books on film, art, music and literature.

Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC)
This former factory building was transformed into an art village housing over 100 local artists in different fields, including drama, dance, photography, painting, and sculpture. The Black Box Theatre in its basement serves as an ideal space for experimental stage performances, while films are screened at its rooftop cinema. Events are regularly organised for the general public, such as the JCCAC Handicraft Fair that is held every three months and the JCCAC Festival typically held in December, the centre’s main event where multiple resident artists band together for a month of workshops, talks, performances, and other activities. During these events, guests can sign up for guided tours through the numerous arts studios within the 9-storey building.

By: Elky Siu