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A Community Festival Featuring Complimentary Arts and Cultural Activities for All
Quarryside, a harbourfront community space in Quarry Bay which aims to strengthen community connections, is celebrating its second anniversary. Launched in 2023, the project has so far staged more than 700 community activities, benefitting over 50,000 individuals. To mark the occasion, the Quarryside Community Festival ("the Festival"), organised by St. James' Settlement (SJS), funded by Swire Group Charitable Trust (Swire Trust) and supported by Swire Properties, is running today and tomorrow (18-19 October) and features a series of free arts and cultural activities inspired by the vibrant culture of Eastern District.
Today's opening ceremony was attended by representatives from the Government, Eastern District Council, social welfare and creative industries. Officiating guests included Mr Ivan Ho, Chairman of the Harbourfront Commission, Ms Iris Hau, Assistant District Social Welfare Officer (Eastern/Wan Chai)3, Ms Josephine Lee, Chief Executive Officer of SJS, Mr Richard Sell, Chair of the Swire Group Philanthropy Council and Mr Tim Blackburn, Chief Executive of Swire Properties.
The opening ceremony showcased the achievements of various community members and artists that had taken part in the Quarryside-incubated signature programmes. These included "Tong Sui Kitchen with Mr Bean and Ms Sesame", as well as the "Across Boundaries and Generations: A Thread, Seafarer, and Mooring" Performance Research and Community Dance Project, inspired by the industrial history of the Taikoo Sugar Refinery and Taikoo Dockyard.
"Quarryside Community Festival is the annual celebration of community co-creativity and the flagship event of the year. Over the past year, we have proudly hosted a range of innovative projects within our neighbourhood. We are delighted to collaborate with a diverse array of creative practitioners, differently-abled artists and community members to curate all the exciting activities for this festival and will continue to foster a creative, healthy and sustainable community through on-going co-creation." said Josephine Lee, Chief Executive Officer of SJS.
"The Harbourfront Commission has been actively encouraging operators of harbourfront spaces to pursue experimentation and innovation, with the aim of creating a more comfortable, diverse and inclusive harbourfront of which each section can be made special. The operation model of Quarryside has exemplified the ˉvision-driven' development approach put forward by the Harbourfront Commission, demonstrating the efficacy of cross-sector collaboration among the Government, social welfare organisations and the private sector in creating more interactive and open spaces for the public." said Ivan Ho, Chairman of the Harbourfront Commission.
"At the Swire Trust, we believe that connected and inclusive communities are the foundation for a flourishing future. Our support for Quarryside reflects this belief. It is encouraging to see how this space has empowered creative practitioners, local groups and residents to come together, showcase their talents, and contribute towards new experiences for all to enjoy," said Richard Sell, Chair of the Swire Group Philanthropy Council.
As well as providing activities requiring pre-registration, the Festival also offers walk-in workshops including "Weave at the Moment - Weaving Experience Workshop" designed by St. James' Settlement Jockey Club Artspiration Academy, and "Block Printing Workshop - Impressions of Quarry Bay", along with performances and a mini-market in which the public can immerse themselves in a variety of creative and cultural happenings over the weekend.
The highlight of the Festival is the Sunset Music Show, to be held on 19 October at 5:30pm. The line-up includes singer-songwriter Cath Wong; up-and-coming singer Arvin Tsang; independent singer-songwriter and guitarist Ryan Cheung; independent singer-songwriter Lester Lam; singer-songwriter Siu Yuen; singer-songwriter Peace Lo; independent singer Hubert Mak; keyboardist Ronald Lau; and the New Gen Cantonese Musical Series. This exciting line-up of up-and-coming Hong Kong music talents will gather at Quarryside and showcase a variety of musical genres.
Quarryside is operated by St. James' Settlement, with funding support from the Swire Trust. Swire Properties also provided consultancy support for the design and construction of the community space, as well as its operations. Quarryside provides a vibrant community space that offers diverse programmes to strengthen community connections and promote creativity, wellness and sustainable living.
Quarryside Community Festival details:
Date: 18 - 19 October 2025 (Saturday and Sunday)
Time: 18 October 2025 (12pm-8pm^)
19 October 2025 (12pm-7:30pm^)
Location: Quarryside (20 Hoi Shin Lane, Quarry Bay, next to Quarry Bay Park Phase 2, near Hoi Tai Street)
^Workshop and experiential activities finish at different times. Please refer to the event timetable for more details.
For more information, please visit Quarryside's social media channels and website.
Quarryside Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quarryside.hk/
Quarryside Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quarryside.hk/
Quarryside Website: https://quarryside.hk/
Photos with captions:
For high-resolution photos, please click here.
Photo 1: Mr Ivan Ho, Chairman of the Harbourfront Commission (Centre), Ms Iris Hau, Assistant District Social Welfare Officer (Eastern/Wan Chai)3 (1st right), Ms Josephine Lee, Chief Executive Officer of SJS (2nd left), Mr Richard Sell, Chair of the Swire Group Philanthropy Council (2nd right) and Mr Tim Blackburn, Chief Executive of Swire Properties (1st left) officiate at the Opening Ceremony of the Quarryside Community Festival.
Photo 2: Wai Yin Cheung and Tsz Wai Pun of Quarryside-incubated "Across Boundaries and Generations: A Thread, Seafarer, and Mooring" Performance Research and Community Dance Project perform during the opening ceremony.
Photo 3: Guests visit the Community Kitchen at Quarryside and meet the elderly ambassadors from the Quarryside-incubated "Tong Sui Kitchen with Mr Bean and Ms Sesame" project.
Photo 4: The Festival presents a diverse range of free arts and cultural activities that celebrate the vibrant spirit of the Eastern District over two consecutive days. The first day attracted a large and enthusiastic crowd, receiving warm support from the community.
Photo 5: The highlight of the Festival is the Sunset Music Show on 19 October, featuring an exciting line-up of up-and-coming Hong Kong performers.
Operated by St. James' Settlement, "Quarryside" is a new harbourfront community space project near Hoi Shin Lane in Quarry Bay through the concerted efforts amongst the Government, NGOs and the private sector. The project has transformed a vacant land plot spanning 3,740 sqm into a vibrant leisure space for community-led creative initiatives. The construction of the project is financially supported under the "Funding Scheme to Support the Use of Vacant Government Sites by Non-government Organizations" of the Development Bureau. Swire Properties, as the Supporting Partner of the project, provides consultancy support for the design, construction and operation of the community space. St. James' Settlement received a HK$15 million sponsorship from the Swire Trust to operate the space and organise a series of public programmes, with strategic focuses on Creative Place-making, Creative Health and Creative Sustainability to cultivate a creative, healthy and sustainable community.
Quarryside's website: https://quarryside.hk/
About St. James' Settlement
Founded in 1949, St. James' Settlement began as a club for boys and girls in a temple in Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai. It was then developed into a six-storey building on Kennedy Road in 1963 to provide diversified services, including children and youth services, elderly services and rehabilitation services. In 1987, the headquarters was opened in Stone Nullah Lane so that the scope of services could be further extended. Our first centre outside Wan Chai (named Central and Western District Elderly Community Centre) was established in 1990. Since then, different service centres have been developed and most of them are located along the north coast of Hong Kong Island, from The Belcher's in Western to Hing Wah Estate in Chai Wan. In recent years, in view of the society's ever changing needs, we have opened service centres in Kowloon and the New Territories. Until now, our 114 service points are in operation across Hong Kong serving around 3.5 million person-times every year. Our target beneficiaries include children, teenagers, adults, families, the elderly and people with disabilities.
St. James' Settlement's website: https://sjs.org.hk/
About the Swire Group Charitable Trust
Established in 1983, the Swire Group Charitable Trust (Swire Trust) is a Hong Kong charity registered under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Its aim is to effect positive change in the areas of Education, Marine Conservation and the Arts by supporting registered non-profit organisations primarily in Hong Kong. The Swire Trust is overseen by the Philanthropy Council, which is chaired by a member of senior management. Guided by Swire's motto - Esse Quam Videri - the Trust is motivated by altruism and aims to act for the direct benefit of society and greater good. Currently, the Swire Trust is supporting over 40 inspirational projects in partnership with over 85 non-profit organisations, benefitting around 2.9 million people.
About Swire Group
The Swire Group is a highly diversified global corporation, with businesses encompassing property, beverages and food chain, aviation, marine, as well as trading and industrial activities. Its core businesses are mainly focused on Asia, with its key operations in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. Within Asia, Swire's activities primarily come under the Group's publicly quoted arm, Swire Pacific Limited (HKSE: 00019/00087), which is the largest shareholder in two Hong Kong listed companies: Swire Properties and Cathay Pacific Airways.
Swire Group's website: https://www.swire.com