Origins and Development of the Hong Kong Teachers Drama Association

江葉秀娟女士

Founder of the Hong Kong Teachers Drama Association
Former Inspector of the School Activities Section, Hong Kong Education Department

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I was born in Hong Kong during the 1950s. While material life was modest, our spiritual life was rich and colorful. Without modern technology or toys, we had siblings, neighbors, friends, and nature—most importantly, we had imagination and creativity. Childhood games like "Cops and Robbers," detective adventures, and playing "school" nurtured my organizational skills and innovative spirit, teaching me communication and self-expression. These experiences shaped me into both an educator and a drama enthusiast.

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Though I had no exposure to drama during my primary and secondary school years, I rediscovered confidence and a passion for performance through church activities. Fellowship life cultivated my independent thinking, and later, I joined the Kindling Theatre Troupe, performing in several plays written by Ms. Chang Hsiao-feng. These experiences ultimately led me to drama education, where I could inspire students' creativity and expression while fulfilling my own educational ideals. This path brought me to the Hong Kong Education Department as an Inspector, where I actively championed the establishment and growth of the Hong Kong Teachers Drama Association.

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In 1992, when the Education Department planned to launch the Hong Kong Schools Drama Festival, I requested a transfer from the Curriculum Development Section to the School Activities Section. From 1992 to 1997, as an Inspector, I organized every facet of the Festival: opening ceremonies, teacher training, school performances (preliminaries), public performances (finals), and award ceremonies. This was both my career and my passion.

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In those five short years, I met exceptional colleagues and like-minded teachers. We shared a vision: drama could be applied to education in diverse forms. At the time, most teachers lacked formal drama training, but we had enthusiasm and conviction. With support from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Chung Ying Theatre Company, we designed tiered training programs—introductory and advanced courses in scriptwriting, directing, acting, and even lighting. Sponsored by the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, we hosted drama camps at The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Shaw College, offering free training. Teachers emerged from these workshops not only with new skills but also the ability to guide students in participating in the Festival.

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The most impactful moments were the annual finals and winners’ performances held in professional venues like Hong Kong City Hall. These experiences exposed students and teachers to full-scale theatrical production—opportunities no classroom could replicate. I still recall the awe-inspiring English performance of Macbeth by Kwun Tong Industrial Secondary School, led by their foreign teacher, which left judges and audiences spellbound and marked a milestone for the Festival.

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Back then, teachers burned with a shared fire to advance school drama. Hoping to sustain this flame, I encouraged them to establish the Hong Kong Teachers Drama Association in 1994. With advisors Dr. Chung King-fai and Principal Mok Yan-lan, we held our founding dinner on November 23.

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In its early days, the Association operated from my office in the Education Department’s School Activities Section. Executive Committee members contributed to the Drama Festival, published newsletters, and planned initiatives—including our first public performance, Peeping·This Life, staged in 1994 at the Hong Kong Arts Centre’s McAulay Studio. What began as a modest proposal blossomed into a cornerstone of Hong Kong’s drama education landscape. Today, the Association stands as a professional body uniting elite drama educators—an evolutionary journey I hope will continue shaping Hong Kong’s education and nurturing future generations.

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Postscript:
After emigrating to New Zealand (1998–2003), Ms. Kong produced the first Cantonese children’s radio drama series for immigrant youth through a local Chinese station. In 2015, at the Association’s invitation, she authored Life Education Radio Theatre: The Lion King Children’s Theatre—Theory and Scripts, a 200-page bilingual guide with 12 radio play scripts. Below are two audio archives from her series:

• Play 2: Harmony

• Play 3: A Gentle Word

Her full interview, "Drama and My Inextricable Destiny," appears in the Association’s Stories of Drama Educators column.

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我與香港教師戲劇會

黃愛華博士、教授
杭州師範大學戲劇教育研究所所長

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​       我與香港教師戲劇會的緣份，始於2007年7月作為大陸代表應邀去香港參加 “IDEA 2007百年樹人——國際戲劇/劇場與教育聯盟第六屆世界會議”，其間聽了錢德順主席關於香港中學戲劇教育的演講，得以初識該會。2008年10月，我與錢主席又在臺灣藝術大學舉辦的“教育戲劇與劇場應用國際學術研討會”上會晤，有了較深接觸。2009年5月，我邀請錢德順和黃麗萍主席來杭州傳經送寶、推廣戲劇教育，受到杭州師範大學、杭州市大關小學和浙江省“領雁工程”中小學校長培訓班學員的熱烈歡迎。同年12月，我作為特邀嘉賓赴港參加“華人世界戲劇會議”時，興致勃勃地參觀了錢德順和黃麗萍主席任教的香港五旬節中學，對他們在戲劇教育方面的投入和成就敬佩有加。其間還應邀參加了香港教師戲劇會成立十五周年慶祝晚會，對於香港教師戲劇會在他們領導下十餘年來成績斐然讚歎不已，至今留下美好記憶。此後我邀約錢德順和黃麗萍主席一起就國內、香港和台灣三地中小學戲劇教育進行比較研究，得到他們贊同。榮幸的是，我們準備多年的合作研究，終於在2013年12月以《比較視域中的大陸與港臺地區中小學戲劇教育研究》為名，獲得教育部哲學社會科學後期資助項目立項。這既是國家對大陸和港臺推廣戲劇教育的意義和成就的肯定，也是對我們前期辛勤工作的認可，是非常令人歡欣鼓舞的。

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       香港戲劇教育發展迅速，取得如此巨大成就，成為大陸學校戲劇教育的表率，香港教師戲劇會功不可沒。毫無疑問，香港教師戲劇會是香港中小學戲劇教育的領導中堅，更是當前華人團體中推動學校戲劇教育的翹楚。該會為中小學出版大量教材，培訓了大量中小學教師，不單在香港推廣戲劇教育，更積極與國內大學交流合作，參與華人地區戲劇教育的研究工作，體現了可貴的領導風範和廣闊的學術視野。

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       在此，我謹祝香港教師戲劇會興旺發達、事業蒸蒸日上！

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戲劇是關乎人的藝術

陳韻文博士
臺南大學戲劇創作與應用學系副教授​

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       隨著當代劇場視野的擴延、教育思潮與國家課程的變革，戲劇教育近年來在華文地區不約而同獲得重視與開展，並且透過研究出版和國際交流，建立戲劇教育工作者互相學習支持和發展專業的網絡。緣此，我有幸認識香港教師戲劇會這個持續以課程研發出版、教學實踐、舞台製作等戲劇教學多元面向，積極深入教育現場前線推動戲劇教育的組織。

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　　身為台灣的戲劇教育工作者，我非常敬佩香港教師戲劇會的凝聚力、推廣動能和實踐成果。首先，香港教師戲劇會教師培訓工作不只發展個別教師戲劇教學的專業素養，也經由積極輔導校本戲劇課程，促成有利戲劇教學的學校文化；網站與《會訊》則提供絕佳平台，容教師掌握新知、自修充電或者在分享交流中生產「相遇的知識」；戲劇教材相關出版品有系統並且循序漸近地指引教師運用戲劇，引導學生認識進而反思華人文化傳統暨當代議題。不僅如此，香港教師戲劇會更以周年公演和辦理創意戲劇節的方式，讓第一線教師乃至中小學生有機會在導向展演的創作過程中，實際探索、觀摩與反思戲劇藝術的要義。此等細密的規劃與傲人的成就，誠為香港教師戲劇會全體教師共同努力的成果和共享的果實，謹獻上最高敬意！

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　　戲劇是關乎人的藝術，教育則是關乎更好的生活。因此，戲劇教育乃是關乎人的志業，需要我們保持對人、對社會、對藝術的開放與敏覺，持續耕耘、灌溉與關照。謹祝願香港教師戲劇會不懈成長，我亦將就戲劇教育的學理探究與台灣經驗，貢獻棉薄之力。

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百尺竿頭，更進一步

何洵怡博士
香港大學教育學院助理教授

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       香港教師戲劇會於2007-2008年籌辦由課程發展處撥款之「新高中中國語文戲劇工作坊單元課程編寫及教師培訓」計劃，邀請我擔任顧問，為課程內的各個環節提供意見，包括教學內容、教學目標、評估方案等。在籌備過程中，我感受到香港教師戲劇會執行委員對推動戲劇教育的熱誠和所抱持的專業態度。他們培訓了七間中學共二十多名中文教師，又開辦多個工作坊和研討會，使香港中文教師更瞭解修讀戲劇單元對增強學生語文能力的意義，成效有目共睹。

　　事實上，香港教師戲劇會一直在學界推廣各類型的戲劇活動，肩負培訓教師的工作。該會每年都籌辦公演，目的是讓更多教師有舞台實踐的機會，對編、導、演有更深入的認識，從而把戲劇藝術帶回校園。此外，該會又協助多間中小學推行正規戲劇教育，包括初中戲劇課程和現在新高中中文和英文科的戲劇單元教學。

　　近年，香港教師戲劇會對學界的服務更趨多元化。他們與香港教育學院合作，向多間中小學推廣「創意教學策略」，把藝術創意融入教室內。香港教師戲劇會又致力推廣教育劇場，過去數年籌劃的教育劇場項目計有《無知不再無知》(國情教育)、《健康飲食》(健康教育)、《責任超人》(品德教育)等；又應沙田區議會的邀請，向沙田十多間中小學推廣禁毒信息，演出《點解你咁毒》(禁毒教育)，該劇再分別被教育局、保良局、衛生署等邀請在香港多區演出，並大獲好評。

　　香港教師戲劇會及其執行委員會在過去十多年，努力不懈推動戲劇教育工作，服務的學校數以百計，培訓的教師逾千名，對戲劇教育之承擔實在無庸置疑。我祝願該會百尺竿頭，更進一步，為香港的藝術教育作更大的貢獻。