Global Creative Industries

Category: Events

  • Symposium:Evolutions of Cinematic Virtual Reality

    Event: Symposium:Evolutions of Cinematic Virtual Reality

    Date: May 18-19, 2026 (Monday-Tuesday)

    Time: 9:00 – 18:00

    Venue: Room 4.36, 4/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus

    Registration link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/vNYcP6ugpj

    Abstract

    Just over a decade ago, the arrival of consumer-grade VR head mounted displays (HMDs) enabled the development of a new form of linear storytelling in digital virtual reality. In industrial and academic settings, this new narrative medium has been referred to as Cinematic Virtual Reality (Dooley 2021; Mateer 2017; Ross and Munt 2018), a label that recognises the adaptation of cinematic conventions and tropes within virtual spaces. The CVR medium continues to be well represented as an important filmic category within programs at major film and XR festivals around the world and has seen significant investments by leading media companies in the past. This symposium takes stock of recent developments in immersive linear storytelling.

  • Animating the Japanese Music World: Exclusive Workshop with Yumi Matsuzawa and Hibiki Kubota

    Animating the Japanese Music World: Exclusive Workshop with Yumi Matsuzawa and Hibiki Kubota

    Date: April 21 (Tuesday)

    Time: 02:00-04:00 pm

    Venue: Arts Tech Lab (RRST-4.35), Centennial Campus, HKU

    Registration: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Pqblo45MNRqhPo

  • Putting Anime to Song: Anison Performance with Yumi Matsuzawa and Hibiki Kubota

    Putting Anime to Song: Anison Performance with Yumi Matsuzawa and Hibiki Kubota

    Date: April 21 (Tuesday)

    Time: 10:00-11:30 am

    Venue: Arts Tech Lab (RRST-4.35), Centennial Campus, HKU

    Registration: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bab3tP9ivEHo03I

  • Augmenting the Scene: The Role of Digital/Analog Interfaces in the Platformization of the Hong Kong Independent Music Scene

    Augmenting the Scene: The Role of Digital/Analog Interfaces in the Platformization of the Hong Kong Independent Music Scene

    Date: April 13, 2026 (Monday)

    Time: 6:00 – 7:00 pm

    Venue: Arts Tech Lab (Room 4.35), 4/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus

    Abstract
    Digital platforms have become central to virtually all aspects of the production, circulation and promotion of musical activities worldwide. In many contexts of music production, musical content has become optimized for online circulation and discovery, while new music and social aesthetics as well as new music career strategies and intermediaries continue to emerge in relation to platform mediations of music. At the same time, offline or ‘analog’ activities continues to be a fundamental part of all forms and stages of musical activities for producers and fans alike. Bridging insights from scene studies, music industry studies and platform studies, this talk introduces the concept of scene interfaces as a new type of music intermediaries that connect, translate and distribute elements of music cultures and activities across media in the Hong Kong independent music scene. Taking the cases of the Zenegeist and Mansion collectives and their various online and offline activities as scene interface case studies, the talk specifically argues that they are at the core of processes of ‘music scene augmentation’ understood as the qualitative co-constitution of analog and digital practices and aesthetics that enable the renewal, expansion, and preservation of music scenes. In turn, this talk makes the case that scene interfaces and strategies of scene augmentation in Hong Kong and in other fragile contexts of music production both respond and provide an alternative to globalized processes of music platform optimization and diversify contemporary music platform imaginaries.

    About the Speaker
    Dr. François Mouillot holds a PhD in Communication Studies from McGill University, and is currently Assistant Professor of Humanities and Cultural Studies in the Academy of Languages and Culture at the Hong Kong Baptist University. He researches cultural scenes, the music industries and independent music practices in industrialized minority contexts, with a focus on the digital and analog infrastructures that make music practice possible. He has extensive ethnographic experience in Hong Kong S.A.R., the province of Québec in Canada, and the Basque region of France and Spain. In Hong Kong, he led the Hong Kong Live Music Study, the first survey of the cultural and social value of the live music sector and of its infrastructures (venues, concert organizations, promotional agencies and digital platforms) across all music genres in Hong Kong. He has co-edited the book Fractured Scenes Underground Music-Making in Hong Kong and East Asia (Palgrave MacMillan, 2021), and his work appears in Convergence, Popular Communication, Perfect Beat, Organised Sound, Perfect Beat, Cinéma & Cie. and Critical Studies in Improvisation among other academic journals and anthologies.

     
     

     

  • GCIN Students Gain Exclusive Insights at Vivienne Westwood Flagship Store

    GCIN Students Gain Exclusive Insights at Vivienne Westwood Flagship Store

     

    Global Creative Industries (GCIN) students recently enjoyed an inspiring company visit and store tour at the iconic Vivienne Westwood Flagship Store in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Located in the vibrant Fashion Walk area, the experience provided valuable industry insights for those interested in fashion design and the creative industries.

     

    This visit complements our strong emphasis on real-world industry exposure. Students were thrilled by the eye-opening perspectives shared, and we are excited about emerging collaboration opportunities with Vivienne Westwood, including potential internships, part-time roles, and more exciting joint initiatives to showcase Vivienne Westwood’s creative concepts and core values. Stay tuned!

  • VR Exhibitions on Storytelling in Virtual Reality

    VR Exhibitions on Storytelling in Virtual Reality

    Please join us to experience VR exhibitions and learn about storytelling in virtual reality. Students of GCIN 2108 have created six virtual exhibitions:

    1. Science Fiction Narratives in VR
    2. Horror Stories in VR
    3. Historical Narratives and Memory in VR
    4. Biographical Storytelling in VR

    Date: December 10
    Time: 11 am – 5 pm
    Venue: G/F in Centennial Campus

    Everybody is welcome, no reservations required! Come and try out VR narratives and VR exhibitions.

    *Image created by Grok

  • Between Capture and AI Synthesis: Convergent Paradigms in 3D Media – Lukasz Mirocha

    Abstract
    Building on nearly a decade of research and practice in cinematic content design leveraging 3D/XR environments, game engines, and procedural cinematography, this talk will explore current paradigm shifts in 3D content design. On one hand, the latest 3D capture and reconstruction technologies make it possible to create high-fidelity virtual representations and digital twins of real-world objects and locations. On the other hand, the capabilities of AI 3D synthesis reduce the complexity of generating such assets by leveraging the power of AI model. This convergence raises a central question: How can capture-based and synthetic 3D content generation reshape creative practices in real-time 3D/XR media design for visualization, storytelling, and gameplay use cases? To explore this question, the presentation will delve into Dr. Mirocha’s creative projects and research on emerging 3D design pipelines, as well as provide several industry and artistic case studies. This talk is addressed to all interested in the current state and future of digital media and the role of AI in game design, media arts, and storytelling at large.

    Date: November 12 (Wednesday)
    Time: 5:00 – 6:15 pm
    Venue: Arts Tech Lab (Room 4.35), 4/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus

    About the Speaker
    Dr. Lukasz Mirocha is a research and design professional specializing in immersive and real-time 3D media, Generative AI, 3D Gaussian Splatting, and AI world models. He founded Opus Lab to advance spatial media and 3D imaging through strategic industry collaborations, delivering exploratory research, proof-of-concept demonstrations, training, and consulting services globally. As a Research and Practice Fellow at the Visualization Research Centre, Hong Kong Baptist University, he researches emerging AI cinematography, storytelling, and real-time moving image workflows, while teaching XR/AI-based 3D design and theory courses at universities in Asia and Europe. From 2021 to 2024, he held a government-funded Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at the Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, exploring game engine-based design techniques for 3D, interactive, and video content for art, entertainment, and visualization. Mirocha holds a PhD from the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong (2021). His research has been published on new media, digital aesthetics, and digital arts/design, with artworks exhibited internationally.

    This event is jointly hosted by the HKU Arts Tech Lab and GCIN.

  • Both Ends of Time: Craft, Curiosity and the Future of Imagination – Eric Lau

    Abstract
    This talk explores how design, strategy, and art intersect in shaping creative leadership today. Drawing from two decades across advertising and innovation—spanning Nike, LEGO, HSBC, and Omnicom’s sparks & honey—Eric Lau shares how structure, foresight, and storytelling shaped his creative foundation. Eric has helped global brands build everything from large-scale Times Square activationsto multi-year, multi-national campaigns and major global rebrands for Jameson, Wendy’s, and Smirnoff. As an entrepreneur, he has co-founded ventures on both ends of the creative spectrum: MEC Watches, a mechanical brand grounded in centuries-old horological tradition (featured in GQ and on the Formula1 Singapore circuit), and emerging AI startups exploring the frontier of design intelligence. The session examines how imagination, rigor, and risk connect analog craftsmanship with technological invention.

    Date: 24 October 2025 (Friday)
    Time: 10:00-11:15 am
    Venue: Arts Tech Lab (Room 4.35), 4/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus

    About the Speaker
    Eric Lau is a multidisciplinary creative director, strategist, and artist working at the frontier of design,AI, and cultural transformation. Formerly at TBWA\NY, Saatchi & Saatchi, and sparks & honey (Omnicom), he helped pioneer AI-powered cultural strategy for brands including Nike, LEGO, HSBC, and Pepsi—earning recognition from Ad Age, the Clio Awards, and Cannes Lions. His team also built the world’s largest LEGO structure and set a Guinness World Record for Cotton’s“24-Hour Runway Show.” As co-founder of MEC Watches,he designed the first U.S. jump-hour mechanical watch with an in-house movement. As an artist, Eric has sold photography through Sotheby’s and been featured by The New York Times, Apple, and exhibitions at the Oculus (World Trade Center) and the New York Stock Exchange.

    This event is jointly hosted by the HKU Arts Tech Lab and GCIN.

  • The AI+Art Movement – Adrian Notz

    Abstract
    Contemporary artists have been working with machine learning and artificial intelligence for almost as long as these concepts have existed, ever since scientists and engineers began researching and developing them. Today, we can even speak of an AI+Art movement, which can be divided into different categories. As AI brings together various societal fields, including science, technology and art, the roles of scientists and engineers are becoming more similar to those of artists, and vice versa. Artists are developing exciting new technologies with applications far beyond the field of art. They are also exploring ethical and critical issues surrounding artificial intelligence in creative, sensual and playful ways, thereby broadening our understanding of the subject. By asking new and different questions, artists offer alternative perspectives. The contemporary art system provides inspiration and enables us to create speculative visions and fictions for the future. In this way, artists reshape our perceptions of reality and generate new data and information for scientific research.

    Date: 22 October 2025 (Wednesday)
    Time: 5:00- 6:15 pm
    Venue: Arts Tech Lab (Room 4.35), 4/F, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus

    About the Speaker
    Adrian Christopher Notz (*1977, Zurich) is an independent curator and lecturer based in Zurich. He studied time-based media and Fine Arts at the University of the Arts Bremen and Theory of Art and Design at the Zurich University of the Arts. In 2024, he co-curated the AAA Experiments in Kunsthalle Zurich and in 2023 the Art Encounters Biennial in Timișoara. He is currently lecturer at ETH Zurich, where he led the AI+Art Program at the ETH AI Center from 2021 to 2024. From 2020 to 2022, Notz served as curator at the Tichy Ocean Foundation in Zurich. Previously, he was the artistic director of Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich (2012–2019), following roles as co-director (2006–2012) and curatorial assistant (2004–2006). From 2010 to 2015, he also headed the Department of Fine Arts at the School of Design in St. Gallen. Throughout his career, Notz has organized and curated numerous exhibitions, events, conferences, and interventions, collaborating with international artists, scientists, activists, and thinkers both at Cabaret Voltaire and globally.

    This event is jointly hosted by the HKU Arts Tech Lab and GCIN.

  • HKU Employer Connectivity Event

    This new networking event aims to foster stronger collaboration between industry practitioners and HKUArts students, providing an invaluable platform for meaningful engagement and partnership. It offers us a unique opportunity to gain industry insights, explore exciting collaborations within the creative industries, and establish connections with target corporate partners.