Hong Kong creative industries in need of a boost
- Hong Kong used to be a global player in the television, film and music sectors but the shine has worn off in the past couple of decades; now is the time for a reboot
If there is anything indicative of Hong Kong’s soft power, it would probably be the television, film and Canto-pop industries. They have helped put the city on the global map of pop culture, with their works followed by Chinese-speaking communities and beyond around the world during the golden era of the last century.
Today, they continue to have an appeal, though not as strong as before.
The recent surge in the popularity of boy band Mirror and a gay-themed TV soap opera featuring its members have been in the spotlight in the city and elsewhere. Whether it is the start of a new golden era remains to be seen.
ViuTV, the underdog broadcaster, is flexing its muscles by thinking outside the box.
But it will take more than one popular performance group or production to reboot the wider creative industries. Hong Kong used to be at the forefront in the region when it came to pop culture, until South Korean K-pop and K-dramas seized centre stage.
The phenomenon warrants deeper soul-searching.
Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong recently weighed in, urging the city to improve its international image on the arts and culture front and tap into China’s larger heritage rather than be limited by a local focus. This follows the country’s formulation of the 14th five-year plan, which encourages, among other initiatives, the development of Hong Kong as a centre for arts and cultural exchange between the country and the world.
This is a wake-up call for the city to try to regain its strength in the creative industries. Increasingly, the sector is an important part of the economy the world over, with governments pumping money into research and development.
Here, as much as HK$2 billion (US$256.9 million) has been injected into the CreateSmart Initiative to help finance relevant projects. Figures in late 2019 showed some 530 projects had funding approved, with the total amount reaching HK$1.45 billion.
With a workforce of some 217,300 across 43,100 establishments and an economic worth of HK$118 billion, the importance of creative industries cannot be overstated. The city must seek to reinvent these industries or risk losing out to competitors across the globe.
