Invitation to Dinner

The creative dissent, or 'happy action' being engaged in by the Sham Shui Po Kaifong is beautifully effective. People are less scared of art than politics, and find it easier to engage. Two major newspapers covered the art exhibition and then came to photograph the locals in their native habitat. No amount of worthiness could get them out there before. I can't find it in the Ming Pao website, because i'm illiterate. Have a look at Apple Daily's articles:
First Article 10 March 2008 Summary: Reports on the action of inviting Mrs Lam to dinner. Introduces the stay-behind plan by neighbours and the feedback from Development Bureau. Also reports on some community-life stories from the neighbours.


Second Article 10 March 2008


The Community's current 'happy action' is a re-thinking of the hunger strikes that previous activists have used at the Li Yuen Street 'renewal' and the Star Ferry/ Queens Pier 'renewal'. (Both have been renewed to the ground). Instead, they are inviting Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, JP, Secretary for Development to dinner.

Ms Lam visited the hunger strikers in other communities and got good press, but did not in the end do anything. The Sham Shui Po community wants her to listen this time. They are setting a place for her in the garage where the community meets, and will wait for her each night for 14 days. Obviously, they are also using the community dinners to pool ideas and focus energy. Tonight is the fourth night.

Here is a video i took of a 'daydreaming workshop' at the same garage, run by a visiting dutch artist, Elena Simons.

(By 'daydreaming', Simons means powerfully visualising and describing the impossible future you intend to create, and having the community as a whole align on the one vision).