HKAPA partners with Cyberport and technology companies to expand AI and creative education

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) has signed two memoranda of understanding aimed at developing new opportunities in arts technology, AI-assisted creative production, entrepreneurship and employment.

The agreements were signed on 28 August at the Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF) at Cyberport. One establishes a partnership between HKAPA and Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company, while the second brings the Academy together with technology company BytePlus and Ultra Instinct, part of Mei Ah Entertainment Group.

Under the Cyberport agreement, the two organisations will work together across talent development, knowledge exchange, entrepreneurship and industry-academia collaboration.

Plans include increasing internship and employment opportunities for students, connecting the Academy with companies in Cyberport's start-up ecosystem and supporting student entrepreneurship. The partners will also explore the development of immersive creative spaces bringing together performing arts students and technology innovators.

The partnership will support HKAPA's plans to establish a new Performing Arts Innovation Centre in early 2027, intended to provide a platform for students, alumni and artists to experiment with emerging technologies.

AI enters film and television training

A separate three-way agreement with BytePlus and Ultra Instinct will focus specifically on AI-supported film production and creative education.

The partners plan to explore an integrated industry, academic and research ecosystem combining intellectual property, artificial intelligence and talent development.

The collaboration will bring together Ultra Instinct's 'Wuji' AI film production platform and industry experience, BytePlus's AI generation technology and cloud infrastructure, and HKAPA's role in training performing arts and screen professionals.

Activity is expected to include AI-assisted film production training, curriculum development, workshops and masterclasses, alongside collaborative content creation and research into new approaches to storytelling and creative production.

Professor Anna CY Chan, Director of HKAPA, said the agreements represented a significant step in combining artistic excellence with technological innovation as AI and other technologies reshape the creative industries.

She said the Academy's role extended beyond introducing students to new tools, encompassing collaboration with industry around creative development, knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship and future career opportunities.

The partnerships form part of a wider HKAPA strategy placing greater emphasis on industry engagement, interdisciplinary education and technology-enabled performing arts practice.

HKAPA currently teaches across six schools covering Chinese Opera, Dance, Drama, Film and Television, Music, and Theatre and Entertainment Arts. Its current ten-year strategy includes a specific focus on research into technology-enabled performing arts and strengthening connections between education and industry.