In spite of its claims to being a global city, Hong Kong society suffers from significant racism. Africans currently living in Hong Kong have come from over 30 countries but little is known about them, as negative mainstream media portray them as being poor asylum seekers, and even criminals. While China and African countries have established extensive economic, sociocultural, and political partnerships, the idea of Africa as the poor continent defined by suffering still shapes the public imagination in Hong Kong. It is a fact of daily life that Africans in the city are targets of explicit discrimination.
儘管香港自稱為國際大都會，社會上仍存在明顯種族歧視。目前居港的非洲人士來自超過三十個國家，但一般大眾對他們的認識少之又少。在主流媒體的負面描述下，他們往往被標籤為貧窮的尋求庇護者，甚至罪犯。當中國與非洲多國已廣泛建立經濟、社會文化和政治合作夥伴關係，在大眾的想像中，非洲仍是個充滿苦難的貧窮大陸。事實上，非洲人士在香港每天都遇到明顯的歧視。
With an aim to raise cross-cultural awareness and create inter-ethnic dialogue, the project Africa in Hong Kong was carried out in Fall 2017. The project was spearheaded by Centre Fellow Prof. Sealing Cheng, and was made possible by a generous funding from the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation. This project used art as a platform for mainstream society to interact with Africans in Hong Kong as cultural and social actors. With collaboration among various units, including the Department of Anthropology and School of Journalism and Communication of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the African Studies Programme of the University of Hong Kong, and SKH Bishop Baker Secondary School, the project engaged university students, secondary students, and African dance and drum instructors in a series of workshops, outreach programs, and public performances. Weekly seminars were co-taught by researchers who understood the everyday and institutional marginalization of Africans in Hong Kong. These inspired the energy and passions of university students who subsequently transferred their newfound knowledge to secondary students in outreach programs. The collaborative sessions culminated in three public events: LCSD’s World Cultures Festival in Tsim Sha Tsui, Freespace Happening in West Kowloon, and Africa in Hong Kong Fair in Yuen Long, when local Chinese residents enjoyed hands-on experience in African drumming and dancing.
為了提高跨文化意識及開啟族群之間的對話，本中心成員鄭詩靈教授在2017年秋天開展「非洲在香港」計劃，並獲得何鴻毅家族基金的慷慨資助。這個計劃以藝術為平臺，讓主流社會與非洲人士進行文化和社會交流。合作單位包括香港中文大學人類學系、新聞與傳播學院，香港大學非洲研究課程，以及聖公會白約翰會督中學。這個計劃推動大學與中學生，非洲舞導師和非洲鼓導師，透過一系列工作坊、社區外展活動和公眾表演相互合作、共同學習。每週的研討會，由研究非洲人士邊緣化情形的研究人員作導師，啟發大學生的動力和熱情，讓他們把自己學到的新知識，在社區外展活動中傳授給中學生。本計劃在三個公眾活動之下完美結束，包括：在尖沙咀舉辦的康文署世界文化節、西九文化區自由約，以及在元朗舉辦的「非洲在香港」嘉年華。來參加的街坊對親身體驗非洲鼓和舞蹈都樂在其中呢。
The project was a pioneering effort to promote knowledge of the creative and artistic talents of the Africans in Hong Kong, and with it, awareness of the cultural textures and social diversity of African societies. This two-tier training model of cross-cultural exchange has successfully bridged academia and the local communities, and demonstrated the transformative potential of creative art in developing a more inclusive approach to diverse ethnic cultures.
作為一個先導計劃，「非洲在香港」推廣大眾對居港非洲人的創意及藝術才華的認識，以及提升大眾對非洲文化及社會多樣性的理解。跨文化交流的雙層培訓模式成功為學術界和社區築起橋樑，並展示了創意藝術如何在發展包容文化方面的潛力。
Follow this link to view a documentary of the project: https://vimeo.com/273844118
點擊此鏈接查看本計劃紀錄片：https://vimeo.com/273844118
Ugandan drum instructor and university students teaching the djembe drum at the LCSD World Cultures Festival （Photocredit: Sealing Cheng）
烏幹達擊鼓導師與大學生在康文署世界文化節教導市民打非洲鼓 (照片鳴謝：鄭詩靈)