Teenagers were given opportunities to explore different facets of art
March 31, 2018 was a special day for a select group of teenagers and children from less advantaged families. They were taken by our Flying Young Program’s volunteers, led by Desiree Jebsen, to visit Art Basel, the largest art gallery exhibition in the world, for the first time. The event was held in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The teenagers never dreamt of the opportunity to attend the highlight of Hong Kong’s cultural calendar. Many of them were humbled by the day, having never been given the opportunity to appreciate art before.
During the tour, it was satisfying to see all the teenagers captivated by the creative works of the dynamic installations at the fair such as the “Encounters” and “Insights” sections. The huge scale of the Fair provoked everyone’s imaginations. Desiree Jebsen, Hospitaller of Order of Malta Hong Kong, says, “I believe every child deserves equal rights and care. We hope that by giving them the opportunity to experience various things, we would help expand their horizons. I think their enjoyment of the day was clear for all to see.”
While the teenagers and children were touring inside the exhibition, we also invited Ms. Jaffa Lam, who is an avid artist and art educator in Hong Kong, to give a talk to the parents at the booth hosted by Hong Kong Art Centre. She shared her personal life and how art nurtured her from a poor migrant kid to an art student, and then became an artist. Her life example and testimony was an excellent proof to the parents that there are tremendous potential within their children and numerous possibilities for them in the future.
