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PROJECT 4
TRANSPACIFIC CONNECTIONS｜Transpacific Connections: Black Music in the GBA and across the Global South

Year: 2-3｜SDGs: 10, 17

Project Lead: Dr. Jason Petrulis (LCS)

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Collaborations: This project will develop regional and national connections by highlighting how the early history of Black performance was rooted in South China — today’s GBA, including Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, and Huangpu — and around Asia, spanning such places as Shanghai, Singapore, and Japan. Collaboration will be sought with research centres and units with a focus on arts practice, as well as theory and history.

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Synopsis

This project seeks to explore the cultural exchanges and transformations that occur in contact zones like Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Macao, spanning Asian, African, and American heritages and connections. By mapping these regions as nodes on the Black Pacific, this study will focus on the local and global history of African diasporic music, singing, and dance performance. It aims to showcase how these performance forms serve as rich sites for global research, conveying shared ideas, affect, and traditions across time and space. By acting as “portals,” they allow audiences and participants to evoke and embody longer heritages. Scholars recognise African diasporic music, song, and dance as repositories of culture and history, channels of resistance and liberation, avenues for creativity and expression, and mediums through which Black performers can connect their past and present lives across the diaspora, including in Hong Kong.

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Objectives

  1. Curate and present historically informed and award-winning Black artistic performances, particularly in the realms of dance and music, for audiences in the GBA. Showcase the cultural richness and significance of these art forms in connecting diverse communities across the Black Pacific region.

  2. Explore and showcase the historical and contemporary exchanges across the Black Pacific, emphasising the global connections between Hong Kong, the GBA, Africa, and the Americas. Highlight the cultural, social, and economic ties that link these regions and underscore their shared heritage and experiences.

  3. Develop a platform for creating educational content that delves into and illustrates the modern-day global connections between Hong Kong, Greater China, and countries along the oceanic Belt and Road. This initiative aims to deepen understanding and appreciation of the interconnectedness and cultural exchange that shape these regions and their relationships with the wider world.

  4. Organise and host a conference focused on positioning Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a significant node on the Black Pacific, with a focus on African and African diasporic connections. Publish related research findings in academic journals and other publications to disseminate knowledge and insights.

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