Civil society and art are often in a dynamic interrelationship: social themes that are perceived as relevant and meaningful find their expression in the arts. And art offers a medium for social debates. Hong Kong, with its vibrant cultural and creative scene and a very active civil society, is an impressive testimony to this.
The Goethe-Institut is continuing its series of talks on the subject of civil society and art, which will focus on various areas in a loose sequence. The next event will focus on civil society, art and mental balance: Our guests will share their analysis about the mental health situation in Hong Kong today and give insights into prevention and assistance programmes that exist here in Hong Kong. This before the backdrop of a situation in which, as surveys have found, more and more people feel themselves under mental stress. Where can individuals find assistance in times of crisis, and what can/ should the community provide?
Comments and questions from the audience are welcome!
The panel discussion will be live-streamed on Goethe-Institut Hongkong's Facebook page. If you do not wish to be filmed, please inform our staff at the venue. Thank you very much for your kind cooperation.
Speakers:
Dr. Elisabeth Wong, Advisor of MindHK
Brenda Scofield, Chairwoman of the suicide prevention NGO Samaritans
Prof. Siu-man Ng, Professor & Deputy Head, Department of Social Work & Social Administration, HKU, a leading expert on health and social work
Wong Ka Ying, Artist and Curator
Moderator:
Kate Whitehead, SCMP journalist
Dr. Elisabeth Wong
Dr. Elisabeth Wong is a Specialist in Psychiatry and the Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor of the Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong. She graduated from King's College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London. She pursued her specialist training in Hong Kong.
Brenda Scofield
Since arriving in Hong Kong in 1977, Brenda has had many professional experiences. She is a former Head of Drama, the one time owner of Hong Kong’s most famous sex shop Fetish Fashion, minority sexuality activist, a certified counsellor and a promoter of opera and chamber music through a family foundation. She edits and contributes to magazines and is a board member of a suicide prevention NGO.
Prof. NG Siu Man
With a dual professional background in mental health social work and Chinese medicine, my research theme is mental health, mental disorders and culture. My current research areas include (i) operationalization of the Chinese medicine stagnation syndrome as a psychological construct useful to all mental health practitioners; (ii) family expressed emotion of persons with schizophrenia and its impacts on the course of illness; (iii) critical re-examination of the conceptualization of mindfulness; and (iv) workplace well-being: a paradigm shift of focus from stress and burnout to meaning and engagement.
Wong Ka Ying
Wong Ka Ying (b. 1990) is an artist and writer based in Hong Kong. She received her BFA degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2013 and will obtain her M.Phil. Visual Arts from Hong Kong Baptist University in 2020. A keen observer of the art community and society, Wong critically reflects on the various social, cultural and gender issues today through using a wide range of media, from polaroid photography, collage, screen printing, painting, performance to social media platform. Wong expresses passion in writing, curating and art education. She made an outward appearance on various public sharing, seminars, panel discussions and talks, actively engaging with students and art lovers.
