Together in Time: Cheung Chau Theatre Collective Archive Screening

Looking at how meaning is constructed in architecture and how it mediates between the past, present and future, this project seeks to intervene in the Cheung Chau Theatre through action in space. The collective memory of the local community was collected through a combination of research, interviews and questionnaires; the current state of the theatre was carefully documented through 3D photogrammetric modelling and archaeological drawing; and a miniature model of the theatre’s past form and its filming apparatus was created based on the previous research, representing images of the theatre’s past space. The whole process produced a film that acts as an archive, making the building a vessel that reveals the space and the story to people. 

After community screenings, the project goes beyond the preservation of a monument to emphasise the design of a place for understanding the past and dialogue with the future. Participants will learn about the Archive of Cheung Chau Theatre, which was built collectively by local residents, through screenings and workshops, and together they will join in the sharing of memories of the theatre's past and discussions about its future.

Born in 1998 in Shanghai, Jason Gu Jiacheng graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Master of Architecture degree in 2023. Focusing on the collective memory of communities, he reveals the changes of space in time through works of installation and film.