The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is pleased to announce a partnership with Swire Properties to launch the two-year "Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Programme" (the Leadership Programme), which aims to nurture the next generation of cultural talents in Beijing and Hong Kong.

As HKPM's flagship youth-learning initiative, the Leadership Programme is supported by Swire Properties as the programme's Lead Sponsor. The programme has been designed to encourage and facilitate cultural exchange between youth in Beijing and Hong Kong, enlighten them and ultimately nurture their creativity via an immersive and eye-opening arts and culture experience.

Echoing the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the Programme is a testament to HKPM's vision to promote Chinese arts and culture - locally and globally. It will have a long-lasting impact on the cultural development of both cities, and transform Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

The two-year programme, which will start in the second half of 2022, will offer an array of hybrid learning activities and training with a focus on fundamental arts and cultural knowledge, innovative thinking, cross-disciplinary capacity building; as well as internship opportunities. The goal is to provide a platform for young people in Beijing and Hong Kong to connect, share and exchange cultural ideas. University students from any discipline are welcome to apply. The programme outline is as follows:

In 2022:

• A maximum of 80 university students from Beijing and Hong Kong (approximately 40 from each city) will participate in an online gamified exchange programme over a four-month period. They will interact with each other through a virtual learning platform to complete various creative missions online and offline.
• To enrich participants' learning experience, the Leadership Programme will also invite arts and cultural leaders as well as innovators to host online talks and workshops to share valuable insights with students. Participants who excel in the first-year programme will be selected to join the next stage of the programme, which includes in-person exchange opportunities and internships.

In 2023:

• A maximum of 16 university students (eight students per city) will join a two-month summer-learning programme and participate in various visits, talks and workshops in Beijing and Hong Kong.
• The Leadership Programme will also include a three-week summer internship at leading arts and cultural organisations or companies in Hong Kong. These learning activities aim to cultivate participants' strategic foresight, cross-disciplinary capacity, systematic thinking and global mindset - to train them to respond to and lead change, and to realise HKPM's vision of nurturing the next generation of all-rounded cultural talent from these two cities.

Mr Tim Blackburn, Chief Executive of Swire Properties said, "As part of our signature 50th Anniversary celebrations, we are excited to be co-creating the multi-faceted youth Leadership Programme with the Hong Kong Palace Museum. This initiative resonates strongly with our commitment to placemaking, especially in terms of making arts and culture a part of everyday life and encouraging youth empowerment. This joint effort will help raise Hong Kong's profile as a cultural hub and foster the next generation of exceptional leaders."

Dr Louis Ng, HKPM Museum Director said, "Promoting the inheritance of Chinese culture to future generations is at the heart of HKPM's mission. The HKPM is committed to facilitating cultural, artistic and academic exchanges among young people from different regions and cultural backgrounds through collaborations with key industry stakeholders. We are grateful to Swire Properties for their support and for sharing this common vision with us. Encompassing traditional arts and culture and innovative technological know-how, the Programme will inspire arts and cultural leaders of the future, contributing to the promotion of Chinese arts and culture across the two cities for decades to come."

For more details on the "Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Programme", visit HKPM's official website in mid-August. Registration and more details will be announced later this year.

Hong Kong Palace Museum and Swire Properties unveil "Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Programme"
© Hong Kong Palace Museum

About the Hong Kong Palace Museum
The Hong Kong Palace Museum aspires to become a leading institution on the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture while advancing dialogue between world civilisations. The Hong Kong Palace Museum is a collaborative project between the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and the Palace Museum, which is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with a donation of HK$3.5 billion for its establishment, as well as some of the annual exhibitions and education programmes in 2023-2031.

Embracing new curatorial approaches, the museum combines a Hong Kong perspective with a global vision to present precious artefacts from the Palace Museum and other important cultural institutions around the world. Through research, exhibitions, and educational and professional exchange programmes, the museum aims to build international partnerships and position Hong Kong as a global hub for art and culture. At heart a resource that belongs to the local community, the museum strives to inspire community engagement, foster dialogue, and promote creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration.
http://www.hkpm.org.hk/

About the West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on 40 hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances and cultural events, providing 23 hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.
http://www.westkowloon.hk/

About Swire Properties
Swire Properties develops and manages commercial, retail, hotel and residential properties, with a particular focus on mixed-use developments in prime locations at major mass transportation intersections. Swire Properties is listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and its investment portfolio in Hong Kong comprises Taikoo Place, Pacific Place, Cityplaza and Citygate. The Company's completed portfolio in Hong Kong comprises approximately 15.8 million sq ft (approximately 1.5 million sqm) of space.

In the Chinese Mainland, Swire Properties has six completed mixed-use developments in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. They include Taikoo Li Sanlitun and INDIGO in Beijing, HKRI Taikoo Hui and Taikoo Li Qiantan in Shanghai, Taikoo Hui Guangzhou and Sino Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu. INDIGO Phase Two in Beijing and Taikoo Li Xi'an are currently under development. The Company's completed portfolio in the Chinese Mainland comprises approximately 14 million sq ft (approximately 1.3 million sqm) of space.

In addition to Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland, the Company has investments in the United States, Indonesia and Vietnam.

2022 is Swire Properties' 50th anniversary. Throughout the year, the Company will be celebrating its achievements and the core values that have underpinned its success, over the past five decades, under the theme of "ORIGINAL. ALWAYS". "ORIGINAL" captures Swire Properties' forward-looking and innovative spirit, and "ALWAYS" refers to the Company's long-term commitment and trusted reputation. A range of special events and campaigns will be launched to celebrate this milestone.

Visit Swire Properties' website at https://www.swireproperties.com/