INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE · GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Tour of Film and Visual Culture in England

A Feast of Arts and Culture in England

13 - 23 June, 2017
Tour Coordinators: Ms. Mandy Cheung, Mr. Wilkins Cheung

Even the longest heatwave in 20 years couldn’t reduce our appetite for a feast for the eyes in Southern England. A group of 29 students joined the “Tour of Film and Visual Culture in England” to explore the arts and cultural scenes in London, Cambridge and Bristol where high art and low art join hands together.

The menu of the feast included the typical repertoire of visiting British Museum, Tate Modern and Barbican Centre as starters. With a particular focus on the film and cultural industry, the main dishes of the tour were “eye-opening”. Having watched the musical “Les Misérables” in a West End theatre, students had a dream that love would never die. The notion of immortality was further echoed by the thrills bought by the blockbuster “The Mummy” under the biggest screen in Britain at BFI IMAX.

We fell into the fantasy world once again when we had boarded the train to Hogwarts, revisiting the props, costumes and sets of the Harry Potter franchise at the Warner Brothers Studio.

Apart from London, students had also paid a visit to Cambridge where they enjoyed the stunning landscape of the university. In Bristol, the street art tour brought us a close-up and first-hand look at the amazing graffiti artwork by Banksy. All these experiences were truly amazing and unforgettable.

"Gained insights into different cultures."

WAN Kai Ching, Wendy (Creative Digital Media Design, Year 2)

The most impressive experience in England must be the visit to Bristol. We joined a graffiti guided tour in Banksy where the world’s most famous graffiti artist was introduced. To see Banksy’s artwork in person was far more fascinating than just watching them online. It is because graffiti always carries meanings which interact with its surroundings.

The Bristol City Council allows graffiti to be put on building as long as the property owners agree and this is the reason why we could see graffiti in every corner in Bristol. People in Bristol love these artworks and consider them as part of their culture, not acts of vandalism.

In addition, street performance can also be found everywhere in Bristol and London including singing, dancing, cosplaying and juggling. I observed that audience involvement could motivate the street performers. So I hope that people in Hong Kong can also show more support to local artists and facilitate the development of street arts.

Another inspiration I got was from the exhibition about Alberto Giacometti at Tate Modern. Giacometti is one of the greatest painter-sculptors in the 20th century. His sculptures range from a variety of styles and materials whilst retaining a unique and recognisable artistic vision. I would take him as a role model and dedicate myself to pursue my dream in the multimedia industry.