'Ways of Water' Earth Month Program | Sustainable Pearl Workshop w/ HK Pearl Cultivation Association

The workshop will introduce the 4000-year old pearl history and culture, and the modern sustainable development initiative at the sea. From the anatomy of pearl oysters to pearl cultivation, the instructor from Hong Kong Pearl Cultivation Association will discuss the delicate relationship between the ocean and the human. Get a gist of what pearl farmers do, then the partipants can shuck your own pearl oyster and discover the unique pearl using simple tools, lastly design and create your own accessory with the pearl you harvested.

--------------------------------

WAYS OF WATER Earth Month Programming

The story of Hong Kong begins with water. The significance of water to the city is inherent in its etymology, i.e. Fragrant Harbor, and while Hong Kong is no longer a humble fishing village, water remains a defining characteristic of the high-density metropolitan city. Water surrounds us, separates us, seeps through us all at once, playing a fundamental and indispensable role in our daily lives.

For Earth Month this year, we’ll shift our focus towards our city’s waterways, both obvious and obscure, that not only buoy our sustenance, but also dictate or inform the ways we navigate space and leisure. We’ll take a deeper look at the flora and fauna—which include ourselves—that face threats in these aquatic ecosystems, and learn to appreciate their relationships with each other. 

From the very real, prevalent existential hazards and threats to coral reefs, to the mythological phenomena and cultural traditions that have been passed on from generation to generation, Ways of Water aims to dive into the complex histories and sciences of our oceans, as we learn more about local fishing communities, pearl conservation, and freshwater wetlands through a series of screenings, workshops, installations, exhibitions , performances and more.