Socially Engaged Art and Service Learning in Hong Kong: Interests, Conflicts and Balance

Abstract: This roundtable aims to discuss the intersections between service learning and socially engaged art in Hong Kong.The conversation will be hosted by two presenters, who are collaborating in ongoing research and teaching projects, and bring experiences and expertise across design and socially engaged art with intercultural dimensions.

Using two projects as jumping off points, the presenters will illustrate the social context of the communities collaborated with and discuss the challenges encountered and highlight the strategies used to address potential conflicting interests. They wish to open the roundtable to explore how educators, as facilitators, can understand the diverse expectations stakeholders might have and how to manage and satisfy them, while learning from that process and generating teaching methodologies that continue to align and expand. They wish to look deeper into whether there is a common goal within the intersections of needs from communities, universities, teachers and students and how that may be reached and in what ways?

Ultimately, the roundtable will bring a Hong Kong and socially engaged art context into the fold of global service learning discourse and foster future potential collaborations.

Narrative: 1. Format
First, the two presenters will:
- introducing themselves and their experience in the topic
- introduce one of the two projects featured for this roundtable
- share what their findings, insights and concerns that have risen from the project

Second, the summary of those main concerns and questions will be prepared prior to the conference and printed in the form of postcards and given to the participants/audience.

Thirdly, the presenters will give the audience a small amount of time to write their ideas onto the relevant questions or concerns. Then, the presenters will randomly pick one of the topics on the postcards and raise it as a way to open discussion on the floor. Interactions between participants and presenters continue, and there will be a timer to make sure an equal amount of time can be shared among at least 3 of the various topics/concerns on the postcards.

Finally, the presenters will ask to collect the postcards from the audience to see what their ideas were and summarize what was discussed and revealed. The collected materials will be documented and shared with the participants via an Instagram account created for this event and or other digital means to continue the conversation beyond the conference.

2. Purpose and Research questions:

The purpose of the round table is to share the insights, challenges and concerns from the two featured projects that involve socially engaged art and service learning in Hong Kong. From this sharing, the goal is to open the dialogue to the audience and cross-pollinate and generate new ideas. As the presenters’ case studies are specific to Hong Kong, the sharing also aims to provoke discussion within and beyond the Asian context and explore similar or different experiences within other creative disciplines and or other culturally diverse learning environments.

The research questions are:

1. Are there common goals within the intersections of needs from communities, universities, teachers and students and how that may be reached through the contexts of a socially engaged art and service learning curriculum? If so, how to reach these goals?

2. How do educators facilitate and understand the diverse expectations of stakeholders and strike a balance in satisfying those and learning from that to create future teaching methods?

3. Theoretical foundation

Critical Service Learning (CSL) demonstrates the importance of self-reflexivity, through the conversation, could help to shape effective service-learning pedagogy (Ash and Clayton 2009). The round table discussion opens the space to exchange ideas, highlights the challenge and difficulties faced by facilitators in creating a balanced teaching and learning experience and satisfy different stakeholders' interests. Apart from the balance and equality of the interests, we will also discuss the appropriate approaches for different interests groups. Wide, Rahima C., Ed mentioned that ‘service to idea’ seeks to turn the programme as a way of redistributing power (2000). How would a redistribution of power be possible, and what would it look like in an art institution where there are considerations in meeting the student's expectations and as well as artistic skill development?

4. Scholarly significance to the field

In Why Service-Learning Is Bad (1998), John Eby asserted that service learning is organized according to the aims of academic institutions and the funding department. Realistically, in many situations, the funding department may dominate the collaboration, with community stakeholders’ needs deprioritised. From the survey of Tryon and Stoecker, many of the community organizations point out that they worry they may never get a call from the institution if they reject the instructor offer (2008). In the roundtable, the discussion will have a focus on learning with the community stakeholders.

In addition, service learning courses are rarely discussed in an art institution context, as developing students' practice skills and critical conceptual development can often be prioritized above social impact. Teachers, as agents between the community and academic institutions, have an important role in facilitating and catering to both parties and align different expectations and ensure the quality of learning experience for the students.

The proposed roundtable adds value to service learning research in the context of teaching socially engaged art in Hong Kong and beyond. In the end, the discussions generated by the postcards will provide insights and different contextual and geographical perspectives, which will foster a shared understanding and appreciation for the principle of collaboration and equality in critical service learning endeavors.

5. Plans for allocation of time

5mins Roundtable session introduction
15mins The presenters share case study
5mins Invite participants to respond and share by writing keywords onto postcards
30mins The presenters will select some of the keywords and open up the floor
5mins The presenters summarizes and concludes

6. Keywords
#Hong Kong #socially engaged art #art institution

7. How ethical concerns will be addressed and or vulnerable populations safeguarded.

The case studies will uphold anonymity of individuals and only community organizations’ names will be mentioned. Students or members of the community will be addressed by Student A or Member 1. At the beginning of the roundtable, there will be a content warning if any cases mention issues that will require sensitivity. Presenters will prepare and adapt to any other concerns prior to the roundtable.