Canadian International School of Hong Kong Opens Their New Arts Centre

Much Ado About the Arts Canadian International School of Hong Kong Opens Their New Arts Centre

The grand opening ceremony of the Leo Lee Arts Centre at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong (CDNIS) on Thursday, May 29, 2008, represented a major milestone in the school’s history, and significantly marked the beginning of a new era in the arts for the school. school community – past and present – has been galvanized; the school’s image and reputation have been substantially enhanced, and the awareness of an educational facility with vision, drive, and ambition has been raised within the Hong Kong community as a whole.”

-12- Situated within the school’s campus, overlooking the Hong Kong hills and scenic Aberdeen waterfront, the HK $100 million complex comprises eight spacious multi-purpose art, drama, and music rooms, all of which have wall-to-wall sound proofing and are fully equipped with student-friendly equipment and furnish ings. The main attraction of the centre is the 604-seat masterpiece auditorium, which features a retractable solid Canadian maple wood stage with an orchestra pit, as well as state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and technical equipment. Prominent guests present at the opening ceremony included The Honorable Dr. Leo Lee, philanthropist, who, as the Centre’s most generous donor, the complex is named after; The Honorable Michael Suen, JP and Secretary of Education; Dr. Stanley Ho, world-renowned entrepreneur; and The Honorable Gerry Campbell, Consul General of Canada.

The idea for the arts complex was conceived in 2004 as a re sponse to the growing interest in the arts and the wish to further promote the school’s growth and development. After recognizing how much their students would benefit from a facility dedicated to music, drama, dance, and the visual arts, CDNIS embarked on an exciting and eventful four-year journey that culminated in the largest arts development ever to take place within a school facility in Hong Kong.

CDNIS is extremely thankful to the overwhelming support from the whole of its tight-knit school community, without which this project may not have succeeded.

As Dave McMaster, head of school, explains, “When the idea of raising a hundred million dollars to build a world-class perform ing arts centre for a non-profit school in Aberdeen on Hong Kong island was first mooted, it was greeted with all the awe and skepticism of the proverbial pipe dream. But the dream has become an amazing reality in a relatively short space of time. And in the process of raising the funds to realize this ambitious project, our Students, staff, governors, parents, and friends of the school were all involved in fundraising activities, ranging from donations and charity balls to parent association supported events. The cam paign to raise money became a common goal, which consequently further united all members of the school community.

The school is proud that the facility, with its original design and innovative features, will present CDNIS students with an enhanced arts education, while incorporating the school’s other strengths—linking current media technology centre to new pro duction facilities and enabling students to learn a new range of skills as well as develop their creativity.

The Leo Lee Arts Centre will not only improve the students’ learning environment but will contribute to the greater commu nity, providing Hong Kong with a unique cultural venue in which to showcase spectacular performances and conduct events. As many as 500 hours each year will be allocated exclusively to local schools and other organizations for the use of the Centre as an artistic venue.

CDNIS was established in 1991 to meet the demand for schools in Hong Kong offering a North American curriculum, and has evolved from a small campus of 81 students to a student body of over 1700 students representing 30 different nationalities to day.

Now an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, CD NIS is offering the IB Diploma Programme with its first DP graduates currently in grade 11. The school expects to receive authorization for the PYP in spring 2009 and the MYP in 2010. With over 160 teachers, it also continues to offer the Ontario curriculum, granting credits for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. For more information, please visit www.cdnis.edu.hk.