soundpocket’s Artist Support Programme (since 2010)

This programme provides direct material, artistic and social support to young artists in Hong Kong who have shown commitment to becoming professional artists working with sound and listening.

To begin is always challenging for any artist. For the art student, the first year after graduation is often a process of struggle. Questions they often ask include: “Am I prepared to become an artist?” “Is it meaningful personally and socially to become one?” “What support do I get, and how can I support my family with what I get?” For practitioners in the art community who have eventually discovered, by experience, that they actually want to become artists, similar questions may arise.

soundpocket’s Artist Support Programme (ASP) is a direct and positive response to this small but focused “floating population” of aspiring artists. We believe that offering encouragement at this crucial time is vital for their thriving as individuals and social beings.

ASP aims at those who have either studied art on a higher level or have experienced the field of art in various ways to realize their vocation as an artist, and who have shown to have the potential and demonstrated their commitment in becoming one. Those in need (particularly because of having no full-time employment, or being unhappily engaged in full-time employment) are our priorities. In short, the program supports commitment, potential, and need.

The Programme has been directly contributing to the nurturing of artists in Hong Kong by engaging awardees in dialogues across artists of multiple art forms and generations, encouraging their continuing self-­reflection, and sustaining an intellectually open environment for the contextualization of their practices. Even after the completion of the Programme, we have been keeping these activities going, so that the deliberations would become enduring and settle in a deeper way in the culture of art making in Hong Kong. We believe this kind of direct support keeps artists active in their practice, open in their vision, committed in their purpose, and ambitious with their own potential.

In the past, the scheme supported Edwin Lo, Jantzen Tse Chun-sing, Tsang Sin-yu. They were selected by invitation.

In 2012, 2014-2023, we started open up the programme for proposal submission. Jacklam Ho Tsz-yeung and Nicole Wong, Chloe Cheuk Sze-wing and Samson Cheung Choi-sang, Mark Chung Ching and Alvin Lee Siu-hin, Bunchi Chan Cho-kiu and Cher Ng Chun-tung, Dave Chow Yui-wang and Li Hiu-wa, Brian Chu Yin-woo, Jess Wong Tsz-ying, Josephine Chan Ching-man and Aaron Lam Kwok-yam, Michele Chu and Vunkwan Tam, Jeff Cheng Tsz Fung, Step Ip, Lee Ka-wai, and Wong Chung-yan were selected.

This year, two young artists, Colbie Fung Ho-pui and Johnny Au Kin-wai were selected.

They have initiated a series of presentations – some open to the artists community, others to the public – to tell us what they have been discovering about themselves, their practices, and the art of sound.

聲音掏腰包「藝術家支援計劃」

本計劃為香港年輕藝術家而設，為矢志成為從事聲音與聆聽相關創作的專業藝術家提供物資、藝術及社交上的支援。

要踏出第一步，對任何藝術家都是具挑戰性的。對藝術學生來說，畢業後的第一年通常是一個充滿掙扎的過程。他們經常提出的問題包括：「我準備好成為一個藝術家嗎？」、「成為藝術家是否對個人和社會有意義？」、「我能得到怎樣的支持？我又能如何從創作之所得支援我的家人？」通過經驗發現自己想成為藝術家的藝術工作者們，都可能遇上過類似的問題。

聲音掏腰包的藝術家支援計劃（ASP）是一個對這些為數不多但集中的「浮動人口」──一群有抱負的藝術家的直接而且積極的回應。我們相信，在這個創作路上的關鍵時刻對藝術家們作出的鼓勵，對他們個人和他們於社會中的發展都至關重要。

ASP的對象為曾經接受高水平藝術教育，或曾透過各種方式經驗藝術、試著將藝術創作作為職業的藝術家，以至具備成為藝術家潛力及志向的人士。我們會對有需要（特別是沒有或不願意從事全職工作）的人作出優先考慮。簡而言之，本計劃所支援的是對藝術創作的承諾、潛能和需求。

本計劃一直致力培育香港藝術家，讓獲選藝術家與來自不同藝術範疇及不同年代的藝術家進行對話，鼓勵他們持續自我反省，並維持一個開放的知識環境，使他們的實踐得以脈絡化。即使在計劃完結後，我們仍會繼續進行這些活動，讓思辯能夠持續下去，並更深入地紮根於香港的藝術創作文化中。我們相信這種直接支援能使藝術家積極實踐、開闊視野、致力達到目標，並對自己的潛力具有抱負。

過往獲支援藝術家包括羅潤庭、謝振聲及曾倩瑜，他們皆是受邀參與計劃的。2012、2014至2023年我們使用公開募集申請形式，獲選年青藝術家是何子洋、王思遨、卓思潁、張才生、鍾正、李肇軒、陳楚翹、吳俊東、周睿宏﹑李曉華﹑朱彥龢﹑黃梓瑩﹑陳靖汶、林國鑫、朱凱婷、譚煥坤、鄭子峰、葉珮君 (Step Ip)、李嘉慧及黃頌恩。

本年度繼續以公開募集申請形式，獲選年青藝術家是馮可貝及歐健韋。

他們將透過跟其他藝術家的聚會及開放予公眾參與的分享會，跟大家分享他們就自己、藝術實踐及聲音藝術的探索。