Arts Tech and Youth Development Arts Tech and Youth Development Arts Tech and Youth Development

As such, young people shall master two types of skills. First is the traditional, which includes drawing, body language, and modern proficiencies such as coding and understanding emerging technologies like immersive sound, projected visuals, motion capture, and virtual reality. By combining analogue and digital skills, young people can carve out space for personal development and diverse applications.

The true essence of Arts Tech lies in its practical application. How so? Application and practice are essential for the authentic expression of Arts Tech. As more people become adept at applying Arts Tech, profound changes will occur in the ecosystem. To genuinely develop soft power, what we need is an ecosystem instead of a simple elevation of skills education.

To cultivate experts in Arts Tech, we need a substantial pool of talent. Just as scientists require a supportive scientific team to excel, expertise in both science and art hinges on teamwork. Arts Tech isn’t a solitary endeavour but demands collaborative design. For example, TeamLab, a renowned Japanese art collective, underscores the importance of teamwork in its name. TeamLab’s creative output results from collective efforts, not individual brilliance. Nurturing teamwork abilities from childhood to adulthood equips young people with the tools to lead or participate in teams effectively. The Japanese are known experts in teamwork.

In Hong Kong, aspiring youth often express a desire to become medical doctors. While medical doctors may seem like independent professionals, their success depends on team support. A successful surgery relies on the coordinated efforts of doctors, nurses, anaesthetists, and other team members. In the end, the key lies in the size and strength of the team. 

To tell a compelling Hong Kong and China story as a competitive canon to the West, it’s imperative to build teams rather than strive in isolation. Arts Tech inherently values teamwork. Art collectives and theatre troupes serve as ideal platforms for cultivating this practice. Producing a performance isn’t solely the director’s work; it necessitates the collaboration of actors, backstage crew, lighting and sound technicians, and the entire production team. The director’s role is to lead the team towards a unified vision, underscoring the paramount importance of teamwork.

Soft power hinges on teamwork, not just on the display of individualism. Individual creativity is but a process of artistic creation. However, to be a successful artist, one requires a robust team responsible for planning, organising, managing, and executing projects. Without these collaborations, artists would work in isolation within their studios, waiting to be discovered.

Vincent van Gogh’s success wasn’t solely his own; it was facilitated by the system of his time. He emerged at a time when Japan had a thriving economy and a deep appreciation for art, aligning perfectly with Van Gogh’s painting style and narratives. Consequently, he was hailed as an artistic master during Japan’s economic boom, for instance.

Similarly, today’s art world hip, the British graffiti artist Banksy, emerged from the paradigm of anonymous artists on the internet. Thus, whether art is deemed high or low doesn’t just hinge on artistic prowess. It’s also a question of power within the broader art ecosystem. Ultimately, it’s a contest of artistic prowess, which, in itself, reflects the competition between different art systems.

Therefore, the foundational skills of Arts Tech are vital for the development of young individuals. Young people shall possess a grasp of technology, theoretical knowledge, and an awareness of the intersection of art and science. This knowledge equips them for future pursuits in fields such as business, design, or any other industries, offering them significant advantages and rewards.