Italy's Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards will perform "The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky" in November, presenting a deeply resonant theatre experience on mortality.
 
     Nineteenth-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, the originator of "Notes from the Underground" and a seminal figure in existentialism, foresaw that rationalism would wipe out the desire for freedom and ethical considerations while moral conventions would undermine the complexity of human nature. In "The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky", the Workcenter interweaves the "Art as Vehicle" approach of vibratory songs with narration to resonate deeply with the audience, and poses a compelling question: Can we liberate ourselves from becoming members of the living dead?
 
     In "Art as Vehicle", performing serves to tap an actor's inner potential and help find the road towards inner evolution, unsettling preconceived notions of the roles and relationships of spectator and performer.
 
     Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski was founded in 1986 in Pontedera, Italy, where Grotowski developed the line of performance research known as "Art as Vehicle". Within this creative investigation, he worked very closely with Thomas Richards, whom he called his "essential collaborator". In 1996, he even changed the Workcenter's name to include that of Richards.
 
     Jerzy Grotowski is considered one of the most influential theatre practitioners of the 20th century. As a young director he immersed himself in Constantin Stanislavski's pioneering investigations and often said that his own theatre work began where Stanislavski left off.
 
     Thomas Richards started apprenticing under Jerzy Grotowski in 1985, and they worked together until Grotowski's passing in 1999. Since 2008, Thomas Richards has been leading a new team at the Workcenter, the Focused Research Team in Art as Vehicle. With his team he has directed and conducted works including "The Living Room" (premiered in 2009), "The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky" (premiered in 2016) and "L'heure fugitive" (premiered in 2017). Since 2016, Richards has also been leading the newly founded Workcenter Studio in Residence.
 
     "The Underground: A Response to Dostoevsky" is one of the highlights of the New Vision Arts Festival (NVAF). It will be staged at 8pm on November 16 and 17 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio Theatre. Tickets priced at $220 and $280 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999.
 
     Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the NVAF is celebrating its ninth edition this year and is being held from October 19 to November 18. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.newvisionfestival.gov.hk.

    

     Hong Kong's iconic urban landscape is well known for its many skyscrapers, but there is another side to the city – its old and historic buildings.
 
     The Hong Kong Institute of Architects' first-ever architectural exhibition "More than High-rise – Exploring Hong Kong through Architecture" is being held in Japan as part of the Hong Kong Week in Tokyo.
 
     The exhibition features 16 groups of exhibits by 28 young Hong Kong professionals, which explore the notion that the city has more to offer than high-rise buildings.
 
     News.gov.hk spoke to some of the participants about their exhibits and their thoughts on revitalising the city's historic buildings during a time of rapid urbanisation.
 
     The story appears on news.gov.hk today (November 4) in both text and video format.

     InnoCarnival 2018, organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission, is being held from today (November 3) to November 11 at the Hong Kong Science Park in Sha Tin. Under the theme "Innovate for a Smart Future", the event showcases an array of the latest local innovations and research achievements.
 
     Officiating at the opening ceremony of InnoCarnival 2018, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said that innovation and technology (I&T) is the major engine for pushing ahead economic development. The Government strives to promote I&T development. Over the past two years, the Government has committed resources of about $80 billion. Various projects have been rolled out progressively and quite a number of them have made good progress. They include establishing research clusters on healthcare technologies and on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies at the Hong Kong Science Park, developing suitable plans for a smart city, and introducing artificial intelligence and chatbot functions to the GovHK portal.
      
     As the highlight event of InnoTech Month 2018, InnoCarnival 2018 aims to raise public interest and knowledge about I&T, further promote an I&T culture in the community and thereby nurture more I&T talents.
      
     The campaign partners of InnoCarnival 2018, the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, together with about 60 programme partners, including local universities, research and development centres, professional bodies and technology organisations, have set up booths or pavilions to display their local innovations and research achievements.
      
     Other highlights include the InnoFiesta stage performance, the InnoThon 10KM and the Vibrating Robot Car Race. More than 200 workshops, about 40 talks and nearly 200 guided tours will also be held during the InnoCarnival. Admission to all activities is free and all are welcome. For details and registration arrangements, please visit the campaign website (www.itm.gov.hk) or contact the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (Tel: 2561 6149; email: itmonth@hkfyg.org.hk).
      
     Other officiating guests at today's ceremony included the Acting Secretary for innovation and technology, Dr David Chung; the Permanent Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ms Annie Choi; Legislative Council Members Mr Paul Tse, Mr Charles Mok, Dr Elizabeth Quat and Dr Lo Wai-kwok; the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Dr Sunny Chai; the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr Albert Wong; the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, Mr Andy Ho; and the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Mr Chua Hoi-wai.

        

     Hong Kong Customs seized about 4 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $4.8 million at Hong Kong International Airport on November 1.

     Customs officers inspected an air mail parcel arriving from Argentina on November 1 and found the suspected cocaine concealed inside three metal parts.

     After follow-up investigation, Customs officers arrested two men, aged 42 and 39, suspected to be involved in the case in Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (November 3):
 
Reporter: (about flu jab)
 
Secretary for Food and Health: The Department of Health has anticipated that there will be more people taking flu jabs in this flu season. Therefore, they have already purchased more than 750 000 doses of flu vaccines in anticipation of the increased number. So far, the situation of people taking flu vaccination has been so far so good. As far as the new School Outreach Vaccination Pilot Programme is concerned, there are already 16 000 doses of flu vaccination have been given to children involving 31 schools. As for the Government Vaccination Programme , a total of 87 000 doses of flu jabs have been given. If we compare with last year, there is an increase of over 20 percent. As regards the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme, that provides subsidies for the private practitioners so people can take flu jabs at the GPs (General Practitioners), a total of 174 000 doses of vaccination have been given. Counting all these together, a total amount of 277 000 doses of flu jabs have been given, so there is an increase as compared with last year. On the one hand, we will continue to do more publicity and education. On the other hand, we believe probably public awareness has been improved in preventing seasonal flu. I think this is a good news. The Centre for Health Protection is monitoring the development of different flu viruses as well as the flu situation. Other measures include those to be implemented by the Hospital Authority. They have been preparing for the flu season and also the height of the flu season which is coming in the winter. At the Food and Health Bureau level, we have provided resources for the two universities, the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to do more research on flu vaccination, so that we can have more local data to support the work that we are doing.
 
Reporters: Will the government buy more flu jabs?
 
Secretary for Food and Health: In fact the 750 000 doses of flu jabs have already been an increase as compared with last year. We will continue to monitor the situation. In case there is not enough, we will work to see if we can buy more.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)