Swire Properties Placemaking Academy 2023
Since 2019, the Swire Properties Placemaking Academy ("SPPA") has been offering Hong Kong university students the opportunity to design, plan and execute the White Christmas Street Fair – the Company’s annual year-end community celebration. The SPPA is a crucial part of our placemaking work, with a goal to empower Hong Kong’s youth to build vibrant and sustainable local communities.
In 2023, ten university students from the City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Metropolitan University were mentored by members of our senior management, industry experts and thought leaders. They participated in a series of masterclasses and mentorship sessions, which equipped them with new skills to make the Street Fair greener, smarter, and more engaging.
In addition, our youth empowerment efforts achieved a new milestone with the Placemaking Academy Junior Programme, an extension of the Swire Properties Placemaking Academy for secondary school students. Through partnership with the E-League Programme by the Eastern District Office of the Home Affairs Department, seven Hong Kong secondary school students added their creativity and skills to the Street Fair. Split into a Digital Communication Team and a Music Team, the students took part in an apprenticeship that included mentorship by the Company's IT team and professional music producers and musicians to help enhance the Street Fair’s offerings.
Surveys were conducted before and after the SPPA programme to assess its social impact, which focused on programme satisfaction, content relevance, knowledge and skills acquisition, preparedness for future careers and behavioural change. The results showed positive outcomes, with most students reported feeling more prepared for their future careers as well as improved design thinking and presentation skills after completing the programme.
Swire Properties Placemaking Academy 2023
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Swire Properties Placemaking Academy Key Figures
17
80
24
Over HKD500,000
White Christmas Street Fair 2023
The 2023 White Christmas Street Fair was fully designed and ran by participants of the SPPA university students, which was themed as “CHOCOLAND!”. Furthermore, seven secondary school students under the junior programme created an interactive digital map, an original theme song and live music performances for the Street Fair. By extending the operating hours of the event, the Street Fair expanded its reach and recorded a total of 60,000 visits, helping the company raise HKD1.1 million for Operation Santa Clause in 2023.
To reinforce our commitment to sustainable development, the SPPA incorporated several innovative waste reduction initiatives, including on-site rental tableware to eliminate single-use plastic waste; digital coupons to minimise paper waste, and a water-soluble, biodegradable packaging for the souvenirs. The waste diversion rate from landfill has been continuously improving for three consecutive years, increasing from 90% in 2021 to 95% in 2023. For more details on the resource and circularity measures used at the fair, please click here.
White Christmas Street Fair 2023
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White Christmas Street Fair 2023 Key Figures
The Street Fair attracted a total of
60,000visits
Created economic benefits for local businesses and artists
Over HKD2.2million
Total donations to Operation Santa Claus since 2013
Over HKD8million
The Hong Kong Palace Museum’s Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Programme
In 2022, the Hong Kong Palace Museum (“HKPM”) launched the “Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Programme”, a flagship youth learning initiative designed to promote Chinese culture and foster cultural exchange, with Swire Properties as the lead sponsor. This two-year programme has sparked enthusiastic participation from university students in Hong Kong and Beijing – igniting their creativity, broadening their horizons and nurturing the next generation of cultural talents.
The second edition of the programme commenced in July 2023, with 16 outstanding university students from the two cities selected to participate in a series of cultural exchange and learning activities in both places. In Hong Kong, their six-week programme included visits to archives and exhibitions, and weeks-long internships at arts and cultural institutions – including the HKPM, the M+ Museum, and four museums managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. They then travelled to Beijing for two weeks, visiting Taikoo Li Sanlitun and participating in a cultural exchange session at the Palace Museum on topics such as promoting the inheritance of Chinese culture, the future of cultural enterprises and the application of technology and innovation in cultural promotion.
The Hong Kong Palace Museum’s Bi-city Youth Cultural Leadership Programme
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