Co-presented by the Hong Kong Arts Festival and

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust

The Seventh Edition of “No Limits” opens with Jazz Excellence

By internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker

(Hong Kong, 1 March 2025)

Tickets available via URBTIX

“No Limits” 2025 festival trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXPgjR32pOA

Download high resolution images: https://bit.ly/3Pm7ywj

The seventh edition of “No Limits”, jointly presented by the Hong Kong Arts Festival and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, opened this evening at Hong Kong City Hall, with Jazz Excellence by internationally acclaimed American jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker – an Emmy Award nominee who performed at the 2024 Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony.

“No Limits” offers barrier-free performances and events, and explores and promotes inclusiveness and understanding through the arts. With the theme “The Human Touch”, this year, “No Limits” showcases eleven programmes with a total of 21 performances. These include seven live in-venue programmes spanning dance, music and theatre: the opening performance Jazz Excellence by Matthew Whitaker; the Asia premiere of Claire Cunningham’s solo dance performance Songs of the Wayfarer; Ramesh Meyyappan’s theatre production Love Beyond; celebrity content creator Zhao Hongcheng’s solo show Be Seen; ErGao Production Group’s cross-disciplinary performance Hide-and-Seek; the piano and flute concert Whispers of Wind and Keys by Anson Tang and Ruth Montgomery; and the outdoor community programme In Touch We Trust.

The “No Limits” online programmes include Patrick Botticchio’s The Chameleons, a heart-warming documentary about camaraderie and sportsmanship; Nicolas Philibert’s On The Adamant, a documentary exploring the humanising power of art; Teemu Nikki’s The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic, a film about love and the challenges of navigating the world as a disabled person; Tom Berkeley and Ross White’s An Irish Goodbye, a short dark comedy about love, loss, family and dreams; and He Qiwo’s (ErGao) video documentary of the making of the dance performance Hide-and-Seek. Tickets for live performances are available now via URBTIX . Online programmes are free and available via the official website https://www.nolimits.hk from 24 March 2025.

At the opening ceremony, Mr Sebastian Man Shiu-wai, Vice Chairman, Hong Kong Arts Festival Society, thanked the HKSAR Government and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for their tremendous support, and said: “No Limits presents a captivating array of programmes from Hong Kong and around the world, featuring works by influential artists with different abilities with the aim of promoting inclusiveness through performing arts. I also want to thank ‘No Limits’ strategic supporting partner, the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong which provides arts accessibility services for every performance to ensure inclusivity in the arts. Apart from performances, the Jockey Club ‘No Limits’ Education and Community Programme remains a key focus, enabling the public to engage in various aspects of artistic activities and gain a deeper understanding of artists’ visions."

Miss Doreen Lau Wing-yan, Chief Manager (Performance Venues Management/Urban) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, said: "As a long-term partner of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has consistently supported the festival in providing a platform for artists to showcase their talents, facilitating creative and boundary-pushing performances while creating an accessible environment for individuals of different abilities. The LCSD has for many years been providing various recreational and cultural activities, facilities, and performances for people with different abilities, the elderly, and other communities in need. We hope that through this series of activities, the public will become more engaged in inclusive art. We will continue to work closely with the Hong Kong Arts Festival to build Hong Kong's cultural and artistic brand together."

Ms Winnie Yip, Head of Charities (Culture, Sports and Community Engagement) of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “Art transcends all boundaries, offering infinite possibilities and equal opportunities for people to participate and appreciate it. To realise this vision, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has been co-presenting ‘No Limits’ with the Arts Festival since 2019, providing a platform for local and international performing arts talent of different abilities to showcase their skills. I wish this year's 'No Limits' programme great success. May all performers unleash their potential and embody the spirit of 'No Limits’ through their works— ‘transcend boundaries, limitless possibilities await’ and inject positive energy into society."

This year “No Limits” is presenting a new series of the Jockey Club “No Limits” Education and Community Programme “Small Steps, Giant Strides”. Through highlighting the transformative power of art from diverse perspectives and unique everyday experiences, the aim is to cultivate a deeper appreciation of the power that inclusivity brings to our communities, as well as to nurture future generations of disabled artists. Programmes include an International Symposium How Creative Considerations of Inclusivity are Transforming Asian Cities; a School Touring Programme Three Design Tales; a Pilot Creative Programme and Community Showcases.

Arts Accessibility Services

“No Limits” collaborates with the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong to enhance high-quality art projects with accessibility services and ensure that audiences with varying needs can enjoy performances without barriers. Accessibility services differ from programme to programme, and include audio description, accessible captions, sign language interpretation, theatrical interpretation, braille booklets, audio booklets, easy-to-read booklets and relaxed performances. Extra wheelchair seats may be available at the venues, and guide dogs are welcome.

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About the Hong Kong Arts Festival

Launched in 1973, the Hong Kong Arts Festival is a major international arts festival committed to enriching the cultural life of the city. In February and March every year, the Festival presents leading local and international artists from all genres of the performing arts, giving equal importance to great traditions and contemporary creations. The Festival also commissions and produces work in theatre, music, chamber opera and contemporary dance by Hong Kong’s own creative talents and emerging artists, many of which have subsequently had successful runs in Hong Kong and overseas. Every year, the Festival also presents more than 250 “PLUS” and educational activities that offer diverse arts experiences to the community as well as tertiary, secondary and primary school students. In addition, through the “No Limits” project co-presented with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Festival strives to create an inclusive space for people of different abilities to share the joy of the arts together.

For more information about the Hong Kong Arts Festival, please visit https://www.hk.artsfestival.org/.

About “No Limits”

Launched in 2019 and co-presented by the Hong Kong Arts Festival and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, “No Limits” offers barrier-free performances and events, and explores and promotes inclusiveness and understanding through the arts.

This year, the seventh edition of “No Limits” showcases 11 accessible programmes of music, dance, theatre and film by international and Hong Kong artists of different abilities. Alongside in-venue performances and free film screenings, “No Limits” also presents an international symposium, and education and community programmes for young people, highlighting creativity and talent in a variety of forms.

For more information, please visit https://www.nolimits.hk.

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