Rooftop Productions bringing arts to the city, developing the language of new media
Young Artist Award, Drama
"When we create, we often don't think about what impact it will bring. We hope to do our best to share it and then promote further development based on that foundation."
In recent years, there has been a rise of art and technology in Hong Kong. Ivor Houlker and Michelle Li, with their visionary ideas, have been integrating technology into theater productions since 2014, exploring the artistic language of different media. The two directors met during their studies in the Performance Making Masters program at Goldsmiths, University of London. They collaborated on some projects while in school, sharing a common interest in music, technology, and environmental theater. To find their own identity and style, they later established Rooftop Productions in Hong Kong, initially working with local theater companies and eventually producing their own shows.
Integrating technology into storytelling
One of the defining features of Rooftop Productions is the use of live projections, mobile applications, and web programming. Michelle Li traces the team's creative elements back to theater itself, where technology, primarily in the form of stage, lighting, and sound, has always been present. It communicates with the audience through its distinct language and resonates with the surrounding environment and narrative. However, Li humbly acknowledges that utilizing technology is not their team's sole advantage: "Different creators have their own preferred ways of storytelling, and we incorporate live projections into our theater works because we believe it can provide an additional layer to help convey our stories."
Moving from theater to society, the directors have developed mobile applications in recent years, bringing art and technology into everyday life through environmental theater. Ivor Houlker jokingly mentioned that initially, they chose to develop applications because of their lower costs, although the creative process itself took longer. "It's similar to live projections in theater: we have a grand, complex creative concept that is hard to materialize, so we use cameras, lenses, and projection to change the scale of the stage and objects, allowing the unrealized concepts to appear in another form. Using mobile phones on the streets adds another layer, presenting interventions in the real community that are difficult to implement."
Breaking boundaries with art and technology
The emergence of the pandemic became an opportunity for deep reflection and creativity. Last year, the directors developed a mobile application that shifted the background of the story to the city, leading the audience to discover fragments of history in the streets and alleys. Art and technology help break the framework of creation, allowing art to transcend specific time, space, and audience experience patterns. However, Michelle Li admitted that site-specific art that takes place in urban spaces still faces many constraints: "You can imagine that whenever you enter a government-managed park, there are numerous signs prohibiting various activities. I've seen one sign that listed 22 things you couldn't do. There are many restrictions and guidelines within the system, especially after the pandemic, making it challenging for us to use urban spaces and engage in creative activities freely."
Nevertheless, they have observed that in recent years, curators from various institutions have begun thinking about how to break existing performance frameworks, reallocating resources, finding new ways to collaborate with artists, or fostering new partnerships. They are also pleased to see that Hong Kong audiences have a high level of acceptance and enjoy trying new things, seeking interesting experiences and embracing art. With these opportunities, Michelle Li stated, "When we create, we often don't think about what impact it will bring. Instead, our mindset is more like: I have a good idea, and I hope to do my best to share it, and then promote further development based on that foundation."
About Rooftop Productions:
Ivor Houlker and Michelle Li founded Rooftop Productions in 2014, with a focus on developing local art that revolves around Hong Kong's social and cultural issues. They create distinctive interdisciplinary theater works, particularly excelling in environmental theater and contemporary theater modes. Both directors obtained their Master's degrees in Performance Making in London and have worked on creative projects and performances in London, Edinburgh, Greece, Sicily, Poland, Prague, and other locations. Their recent works, such as Testimony, Lost Shoreline, and The Furies Variations have received acclaim, including awards from the International Association of Theatre Critics (HK) and the Hong Kong Theatre Libre Awards. They also emphasize artistic and technological innovation as well as cross-disciplinary collaborations, personally writing computer programs to develop innovative performance modes.
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Originally published in: The Culturist. We create a mirrored version of reviews and articles about our shows for archival purposes, so that we can retain a version if the original disappears. We always link to the original publisher and credit the author. However, if you are the owner of this material and you would like us to remove it, please get in touch.