HK Phil launches ‘We Pick You Up!’ scheme to bring more children to live concerts
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra has launched a new education and outreach initiative designed to make live orchestral concerts more accessible to children and families across the city.
Called ‘We Pick You Up!’, the scheme aims to remove some of the main barriers that can prevent young audiences from attending concerts, including cost, distance and unfamiliarity with the concert experience. Under the programme, children aged six to 12 and their families receive free tickets and dedicated transport to and from the Hong Kong Cultural Centre for selected HK Phil performances.
The initiative began on 31 January, when more than 450 students and family members from Tai Po Baptist Public School and Tsuen Wan Government Primary School travelled on specially wrapped HK Phil buses to attend two ‘Cinematic Adventures: The Magic of Movie Music’ concerts, presented as part of the Swire Community Concert series.
The orchestra said the buses will continue operating in April and May, bringing more students and their families from neighbourhood schools to concerts before taking them home afterwards.
Bernhard Fleischer, Chief Executive of the HK Phil, said, ‘The HK Phil believes in the transformative power of music. The “We Pick You Up!” initiative opens the door to the concert hall for students who might not otherwise have the chance to experience a live orchestra. We hope to provide an unforgettable first concert experience that serves as the foundation for a lifelong relationship with music.’
The HK Phil said the programme has been made possible through support from individual donors and partner organisations, and added that it hopes to expand the initiative further with additional sponsorship.