11月大館有一個Berlin project, 能不能和我們的聽眾介紹這個project?
這是一個很特別的機會去展示大館不為人知的不同場所，好好利用這個有集不同場地的地方，例如在漂亮開揚的監獄操場、JC Cube，漂亮的禮堂、洗衣場石階，一個較自然隨意的地方、F Hall studio，適應性強的的室內空間、檢閱廣場，壯觀的室外空間。今年的主題是柏林。柏林是個非凡的城市，是文化活動的集合點，就算經過了300年動盪的歷史，它還是重新創造了一個刺激有趣的都市。你不會想像到柏林在WW2後是完全被摧毀的，你有沒有看過1945年戰機飛過的相片，沒有一棟完整的建築物。當時你覺得柏林完蛋了，但現在它是世界上最刺激的城市之一。我會叫它歐洲的首都，英國人應該不認同，但它刺激因為它有不同類型的文化活動，從經典劇院表演到街頭表演，整個城市都充滿活力。
為什麼有這個計畫？
兩年前就有，當我和德國領事吃飯，我們兩個在討論我們都想推廣柏林，所以就開始討論如何做，慢慢就變成藝術節形式。我們對如何使用場地配合節目想了很久。我們會在監獄操場邀請管弦樂樂團表演，會有500名觀眾，和一個大舞台給樂團表演。我們同時也想確保鄰近地方不會受騷擾，這是一個人口密集的地方，我們會確保在一個合適的音量。
我們想專注在一個不用很大聲量的較「親密」的音樂表演類型，所以就有這個表演節目。
所有表演者都是從德國來的嗎？
頭3個表演是邀請了德國著名樂團符騰堡海布隆室樂團表演，他們會和香港音樂家合作表演18-20世紀的音樂，他們之間很有火花和彈性，一齊度過有意義的時光。第二個禮拜有著名的Ute Lemper為我們進行歌舞表演。
目標觀眾是誰？不熟悉德國文化的人？
絕對是，我們多元化的活動希望吸引所有人參與，不論對德國文化、音樂、電影有多少的認識。我們的節目有很多元素，對所有人開放，例如，我之前提過的在監獄操場邀請管弦樂樂團表演經典音樂。節目期間，我們也將有大型燈光藝術裝置投射在監獄操場的牆上，讓遊客能體驗光影與聲音交錯的獨特體驗。
大型燈光藝術裝置是第一次在大館做嗎？
不只這個，這次多數的節目都是我們第一次做，例如我們請了4個柏林的街頭塗鴉藝術家在檢閱廣場牆上街頭塗鴉，這整個星期，遊客能親眼見證藝術品的誕生。我們也有街頭舞蹈hiphop ,break dance表演者——「The FlyingSteps」,我們也不知道他們會表演什麼，完全隨性地表演，他們很有活力，更會和香港的舞者一齊表演。這種不規則且隨性的表演正式在柏林街頭能看到的，所以對於大館能成為這類表演的舞台，我們很高興。
所以你歡迎所有人士前來？不同年紀？
是的。我們想所有人都能體驗柏林活力的文化。
我們還有做一個有趣的東西——《巴比倫柏林》馬拉松。在最後的星期，我們會由早到晚連續播放《巴比倫柏林》，F倉展室將會設置梳化和豆袋讓觀眾能舒適地享受劇集。我們也會有德國啤酒提供。這是也個新的概念，我不認為全香港有人曾經做過。
你為什麼有興趣做這個節目？你喜歡德國文化裡的甚麼？
我從小就喜歡德國文化，我有點叛逆，我父親喜歡義大利歌劇，我就喜歡德國歌劇。我也有一個姨姨是德國人。我對德國文化就是有濃厚的興趣，我也不知道為什麼，所以我最後學習了德語，因為我當時在經典音樂的範疇裡發展，而經典音樂的中心在德國。所以我要懂德語。這就是開始。其實就是希望舉辦一個有趣的節目，今年的主題就剛好是德國，另外也想盡量有創意地活用我們的場地。我希望這能令人看到德國文化別開生面的一面，若令人想到德國旅遊，就更好了，我們希望這個是一個能和人們分享我們的熱情的地方和機會。
大館柏林藝術節
今年11月，大館將會舉行柏林藝術節。今天，我們有大館總監Timothy Calnin（簡寧天）親自為我們介紹這個別開生面的藝術節。
Timothy Calnin對德國的興趣在兒時已萌生。雖然柏林經歷了嚴酷的二次大戰後曾經變得滿目瘡痍，但現在，它卻是不同文化的薈萃，整個城市都充滿活力。
大館由不同的建築物拼合而成，而本次藝術節將會把所有場地的獨特性發揮得淋漓盡致。在偌大的監獄操場，將會有德國著名樂團符騰堡海布隆室樂團表演管弦樂；在檢閱廣場的牆上，會有德國和本地藝術家街頭塗鴉；F倉展室將化身為舒適的家居電影院播放《巴比倫柏林》，讓參加者能在柔軟的梳化和豆袋上「煲劇」一整天。歡迎所有不太了解德國文化而希望探索德國的人參與其中，一同發掘德國別開生面的活力面貌！
Can you introduce the Berlin project to our audience?
For us, this is a remarkable and unique opportunity to really showcase all of the special and rather unique venues of Tai Kwun in a way the public has not seen before. The concept is really to take advantage of this cluster of venues for example the prison yard which is a beautiful open space in the upper part of the site, the JC Cube, which is a beautiful intimate auditorium, the laundry steps, which is a more spontaneous and informal space, the F hall studio, very adaptable indoor space, the parade ground, which is a spectacular outdoor space. And to have all of these venues used in a way to explore different facades over an interesting subject, this year our subject is Berlin. Berlin is an extraordinary city, it’s a hub of cultural activity, but it’s a city managed to reinvent itself over 300 years of very dramatic and tumultuous history, and it always find its way to become relevant and exciting……I think people who look at Berlin and say, at the end of the WWII, when it is completely destroyed, I don’t know if you’d ever seen the footage of an airline plane flying over Berlin in 1945, and there is not a single building standing. You will, at that stage, said “Well that’s it. Berlin is finished.” And now you look at Berlin and it’s one of the most exciting places in the world, it’s the thriving……you know I would call it “the capital of Europe”, which the English people wouldn’t agree with me, but it’s an incredibly exciting place because it has so much across all the different fields of cultural activity from the highest to the lowest, from the most sophisticated art forms to street theatre and street performance, and the whole city feels like it’s buzzing with creative energy.
So how come you have the idea to organize/to have this project in your mind?
We sort of talked about it I think like was about like 2 years ago, when I had lunch with council general of Germany and we were talking about how both of us really want to celebrate Berlin, and we sort of pull our ideas. The ideas started to really evolve into a quite a rich programme that will form a festival.
We were very thoughtful about the programme ideas were perfect fit for each of the unique venues that we have. So I suppose the most spectacular thing that we are doing is setting up the prison yard as a concert venue where we will have a seating for an audience of 500 and there is a stage for chamber orchestra from Germany. But again we want to make sure we are putting the right kind of performance into that space. We are in the middle of a densely populated residential area, we didn’t want to have anything that will be loud or intrusive to the neighbourhood.
We want to focus on a style of music that is more intimate,that doesn’t have to be in a loud volume. And we came up with this programme with really does focus on that style of musical performance.
Are all those performers from Germany?
We are bringing a chamber orchestra from Germany to do the first 3 concerts, it’s the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra, quite a famous from Luxembourg. And in the 2nd week, we have Ute Lemper, the legendary artist to do Berlin caberet. We have asked the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra to work with young HK musicians to share their insights into Baroque’s arts.....it is a very flexible, ensemble, they have a great flair, for performing music from the 18th 19th 20th century. Baroque music style is not something that is very well developed in the Hong Kong music scene and we thought here is a great opportunity to bring some of the lady musicians in that style together with some HK students to spend some really meaningful time.
So what about the target of audience, like simple audience which are not familiar with German culture?
That’s certainly the intention. With such a diverse programme, we wanted to make sure that there was a way/a entry point for everybody, doesn’t matter how knowledgeable they are about German culture and music or about film. We’ ve selected a really big range of elements in the programme to make it really open to everyone, for example, you know I’ve mentioned before about turning the prison yard into a performance space for classical music, but actually we are also arranging for sound and light installation to be projected onto all of the walls around the prison yard every evening throughout the festival, so members of the public can come, and actually experience this completely engrossing and developing sound and light experience by a Berlin creative group.
Is it the first time for you to have these brilliant lights in Tai Kwun here?
No this is the first time we’ve done……most of the things we have been doing in this festival are first time for us, for example having the Berlin street art wall in the parade ground is the first for us because we will have 4 Berlin graffiti artists to come and the public will be able to watch over a period of a week as they create this enormous mural, it’s about 5m high. And it will be very much a working progress that will be almost like a performance taking place over a period of 5-6 days, and then in the end of that week you get to see the finished work. Similarly we are having a Berlin based hip-hop and break dance group called “The Flying Steps”, and we don’t even know what are they going to do. They are very very athletic, and they will be working with some Hk street performers to create a show that is going to just spontaneously pop up somewhere on some sides on the last weekend. This kind of unstructured and spontaneous performance is a kind of reflection of bold creativity that you see in all the streets of Berlin, so for us it’s great to be able to turn Tai Kwun into a platform for this kind of performance.
So you welcome all kinds of audience to come? Different ages?
Yes that’s very much the intention of it, we wanted everybody an opportunity to experience the flavor and the vitality of Berlin culture.
There is one more fun thing that we are doing-“a Berlin Binge”. On the last weekend of the festival, we are showing the entire series of “Babylon Berlin” in the F Hall studio. We are furnishing the F Hall studio with sofas and beanbags, and people can go in this place for the entire day there immersing themselves in this experience. We will make sure they will have some German beer or something to get them through the day. I think this will be quite a new concept and I don’t think anybody’s done that in hk.
How come you have so much interest to organize a festival, like this project? Are there anything special you like in German culture?
For me, I think when I was a kid I became really interested in German culture, I think part of it was a kind of rebellious, my father really loved Italian opera, and I thought “Im not gonna like that”. I like German opera. I also had a German aunt and I had a great interest in all things German. I’m not really sure why that was, so I ended up studying German. I thought I will pursue some kind of career that is around the classical music world and at that stage, that classical music world’s head quarter’s in Germany. So I got to speak German to get anywhere near in this field. So this is where it all started. But actually the idea in HK is to really try to take an interesting subject, this year it just happens to be Berlin, and to activate all of the venues as creative ways we possibly can, but all related to this one theme, because here in Tai Kwun we have such an unique opportunity to make the whole site buzz with one theme for a period of time, and to give a really profound experience, and I think it excites the whole of interesting people who perhaps never thought about Berlin before and they come away thinking wow what an interesting place, I knew this about Berlin but I never knew that about Berlin. And if that makes people wanna travel to Berlin, that’s s much better, but for me it’s an inspiring place and I hope that we can share our enthusiasm for Berlin and really ignite other people’s enthusiasm in the future.
