When Faye Leong Huey-yi returned to Hong Kong seven years ago, news of teenage suicide attempts caught her attention – and deepened her desire to give back to the community.
“If I am not a mother, I would not resonate so much with this news,” explained Leong, who is an artist and lecturer at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Leong has collaborated with Olivia Yan – the founder of the Lost Child Project Hong Kong – on an immersive creative project to foster children’s mental well-being.
Inspired by the belief that everyone is born with “wings” that are often forgotten amid the stress of life, Leong named the project “Regain the Lost Wings”.
“I do believe everyone has that pair of wings: it’s already in you, in me and in everyone,” the artistic director said.
Launched in March, the programme will last for a year and a half, bringing free nature and art workshops to children in Hong Kong. Leong hopes it can make a positive impact on participants’ well-being and strengthen their connection to the environment: “We’re planning for the project to be an immersive experience.”
“We have to think outside of the box, but this is the fun part! Art must have limitations, and this motivates us to think out of the boundary. It takes a lot of time, but we always end up with creativity at the end,” the artist shared, adding that she hopes for the programme to host a festival outdoors with an immersive puppet show.
Leong also invited Mok Ho-kwong – better known as “Yeah Man”, an environmentalist who lives off-grid in Hong Kong – to help craft interactive learning experiences for students. Mok noted that he joined the project to promote green living and help others connect with nature.
“My aim is to promote green living as it leads to happiness and health. The target of the project was mental health, and I think it aligned with these positive aspects of connection to the environment,” he shared.
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His workshops show youngsters how to use bamboo and woodwork scaffolding to create a tree house.
“It is so amazing,” Mok shared.
He encourages people young and old to join initiatives that protect our planet. “Our environment is deteriorating,” he noted. “We have to change our mind towards nature. It is not only a resource but a part of our lives.”
He added that the power of nature could also heal and improve mental well-being: “I am living proof that this living style works ... I have learned that having a materialistic life does not equal being happy.”
Leong and Mok are both eager for the project to inspire creativity, compassion and resilience in the city’s children.
If you have suicidal thoughts, help is available: 18111 for the government’s “Mental Health Support Hotline”; 2896-0000 for The Samaritans; or 2382-0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.
Junior reporter Kessie Cheng Cheuk-kiu (Shatin Tsung Tsin Secondary School)
