On & On Theatre workshop
About Us
On & On Theatre Workshop is a professional theatre company subsidized by Hong Kong Arts Development Council. Commonly known as On & On, it was set up in 1998 and started off as a theatre-in-education organisation. Inspired by a peer running workshops for kids, who named his initiatives as “no-hurry story workshop” , we named our group "On and On", with the image of a child in mind, who ambles along the path of art exploration, and gradually grows to make great strides.
In 1998, On & On set up its first headquarters in Oil Street Artist Village to become one of the first art groups that operated its own performance space. In 2001, the company was relocated to Cattle Depot Artist Village in Tokwawan and converted one of the heritage blocks into Cattle Depot Theatre, the first public venue for performance that was independently run by a theatre company.
Theatre in education, experimental theatre, and venue operation were the three artistic focuses of On & On in its early stage. Moving beyond traditional drama, we strived towards cross-disciplinary collaboration and a diversity of creativity, while holding onto the belief that art should speak to our society, culture and history. Our collaborators included educators, visual artists, musicians, performance artists, cultural advocates and designers, etc..
The year 1998 to 2005 mark the founding stage of On & On, best remembered for the classic programmes of “i-D Generation”, “Little Theatre Movement”, “New Directors Series”, “Directors Lab”, and also the original works by Chan Ping-chiu. A wide array of events were held, including workshops, art salons, community tours, exhibitions and performances.
“Cattle Depot Theatre Season” was first introduced in 2006 where the company curated and produced its own seasonal repertoire. Spearheaded by a line-up of experimental works and cultural exchange programmes, Cattle Depot Theatre was soon heralded as a cultural venue innovative and progressive. From 2006 to 2011, the company enjoyed a period of maturity and vibrancy, witnessing a growth in productions, as well as the publishing of an independent online art magazine.
A new initiative in 2012 was “New Writing for Contemporary Theatre”, a flagship programme that drew references from European new writing to investigate the boundary of text-based theatre in relation to the changing socio-cultural and political landscapes of our times. Encouraging the translations and productions of exemplary play texts from Europe, and the creations of local works that are responsive and relevant, as well as innovative in forms, the programme has resulted in new works, art appreciation events, research and archive, translations and publications.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2018, with the achievement from the “New Writing Movement”, On & On is ready to embrace the next phase of exploration. “AAAAAuthenticity!!! – From Stage to Reality” is launched in 2022 to explore the dynamics between theatre and reality. An exciting line-up of local creations will be introduced to envision the many possibilities of the company’s next stage.
Company Staff
Artistic Director: Chan Ping Chiu
Programme Director: Emily Cheng
Marketing Manager: Olivia Chan
Administrative and Promotion Officer: Cherie Wong
Stage Manager: Vicki Yeung
Assistant Stage Manager: Lina Ip
Creative Communications Assistant: Manson Leung
Administrative Assistant: Winnie Fung
Board of Directors
Faye Leong(Chairperson)
Ng Chun Hung
Yuen Chi Hung
Poon Chan Leung
May Fung
Cheng Sea Ling
Yuen Sze Man Wendy
Tit Hong Lane (2022)