Between Autonomy and Sustainability: The Views of Seven Emerging Theatre Companies on the HKADC Year Grant Scheme in Reflection of the Survival Tactics and Ideals of Theatre Companies

From January to April in 2020, I interviewed seven emerging local theatre companies: Littlebreath Creative Workshop, Poor Guy Diary, Théâtre de la Feuille, Artocrite Theater, Rooftop Productions, Fiesta Space, and Heteroglossia. (Please refer to Appendix I for company profiles and information about the members) These theatre companies have been active for six to ten years. They can be regarded as a promising generation of theatre artists in Hong Kong, as they have produced acclaimed works on a consistent basis over the past four to five years. While they attempt to build on their accomplishments and establish themselves further in the theatre scene, they have to find ways to keep their companies running. One of the options is to acquire long-term funding from funding bodies. For small-sized theatre companies, the most apparent option would be applying for the Year Grant Scheme run by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC).