Dǎ Jiān Ninja: Finding Dreams - Interactive Music Theatre at International Arts Carnival, August 2-4, Sheung Wan Civic Centre.

Interactive family music theatre production "Dǎ Jiān Ninja: Finding Dreams" to be staged in August

The International Arts Carnival (IAC), a summer arts festival organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will present an interactive music theatre production, "Dǎ Jiān Ninja: Finding Dreams", from August 2 to 4. Produced by local percussionist Anna Fan, who will perform together with percussion group dǎ jiān, the programme melds live music and original songs with drama and dance. It is most suitable for family audiences who can learn more about the cultures of Chinese and Western music through trying out different kinds of percussion instruments.

Filled with drum beats and laughter, the production guides audiences to know more about musical instruments such as the Chinese drum, Brazilian parade drum and glockenspiel, to sample for themselves the immense power of percussion music.

At the core of the play is a group of dǎ jiān ninjas living on the sea. These cheery ninjas are not just good at drumming but have hidden skills lying in their superpower: using percussion to concoct a dream essence. A catastrophe has robbed people of their ability to dream when they sleep. To pull them out of the blues, dǎ jiān ninjas call on children and adults alike to embark on a sea adventure. Together they learn various percussion instruments so that everyone can have great dreams again.

Programme Producer Anna Fan, a local percussionist, drummer, arranger and composer, graduated from the Music Department of Hong Kong Baptist University in percussion and studied jazz drumming at the Berklee College of Music in the United States. Fan is currently the creative director, band leader and lead singer with percussion groups dǎ jiān and FANtastic Line. Keen to promote boundary-pushing percussion and jazz culture, Fan has founded PE LAB, a collective that creates chiefly for percussion groups' original work that fuses pop, jazz and Broadway musical songs. Fan is also a drummer for local band m.a.R.K, making frequent appearances at music festivals at home and abroad.

Interactive music theatre production "Dǎ Jiān Ninja: Finding Dreams" will be staged at 7.30pm on August 2 and 3, and 3pm on August 3 and 4 at the Sheung Wan Civic Centre Theatre. The programme will be performed in Cantonese with limited lyrics in English. It also contains strobe lighting and loud sound effects. Tickets priced at $160, $240 and $300 (half-price tickets for children) are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288, or use the mobile ticketing app "URBTIX". For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.hkiac.gov.hk.

Each performance will be followed by a meet-the-artist session.

This year's IAC is running from July 5 to August 11, featuring a wide array of fun-filled educational programmes by overseas, Mainland and local art groups and artists. In addition to acrobatics, magic, dance, music, theatre and puppetry, the IAC also offers film screenings, online programmes, parent-child workshops and an exhibition.

Interactive family music theatre production "Dǎ Jiān Ninja: Finding Dreams" to be staged in August Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

S for S leads heads of disciplined services to visit Beijing and Fujian for study and exchange

​The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, today (September 6) led the directorate officers of six disciplined services to continue the study and exchange programme in Beijing. The delegation called on the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, this evening and will depart for Fujian tomorrow (September 7).

During the meeting with Mr Xia, Mr Tang expressed gratitude to the Central Government for its long-standing and staunch support for the Security Bureau (SB) and its disciplined services. He also briefed Mr Xia on the key areas of work.

Mr Tang and the delegation arrived in Beijing yesterday (September 5) to commence a five-day study and exchange programme organised by the Ministry of Public Security. The delegation watched the flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square this morning and later attended sharing sessions and study courses held at the National Academy of Governance and the International College of Defence Studies of the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army.

Mr Tang will lead the delegation to visit the National Anti-Fraud Center tomorrow morning, and will travel to Fujian in the afternoon to meet with the provincial leaders and officials of the Provincial Public Security Department.

Mr Tang will depart for Jiangsu on September 8 and attend the 2024 Conference of Global Public Security Cooperation Forum (Lianyungang) the following day (September 9) with the Commissioner of Police, Mr Siu Chak-yee. The conference seeks to foster win-win co-operation and build a global public security community. Participants from different countries and regions will have in-depth exchange of views on public security and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Other members of the delegation will continue the itinerary in Fujian on September 8 and return to Hong Kong on September 9. Members of the delegation include the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Ms Louise Ho; the Director of Immigration, Mr Kwok Joon-fung; the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing; the Director of Fire Services, Mr Andy Yeung; the Controller of the Government Flying Service, Captain West Wu; the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Chow Yat-ming, and directorate officers of the departments.

Mr Tang will return to Hong Kong on September 10.

S for S leads heads of disciplined services to visit Beijing and Fujian for study and exchange Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

S for S leads heads of disciplined services to visit Beijing and Fujian for study and exchange Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

S for S leads heads of disciplined services to visit Beijing and Fujian for study and exchange Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

S for S leads heads of disciplined services to visit Beijing and Fujian for study and exchange Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases