Arts Hub's New Venue To Open Next Month

The West Kowloon arts hub will open its second venue next month, providing a new platform for contemporary and avant garde artists in the city.

The HK$1.2 billion West Kowloon Cultural District had unveiled the Xiqu Centre in January, which is dedicated to traditional Cantonese opera.

The latest landmark, known as "Freespace", will have a signature "black theatre" as well as two smaller, multi-purpose rooms for artistic collaborations.

The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority's CEO, Duncan Pescod, said to fulfil the hub's vision to nurture budding talent, the theatre would be made available for "reasonable" rates.

The rates for artists will be from about HK$6,000 for nine hours to HK$9,000 for 14 hours.

He added that the venue is "more or less fully booked" until next year. The first performance at the Free Space will be on June 14.

The arts hub chief also added that officials may consider subsidising young artists, after the arts centre starts getting income from its commercial facilities.