The KT Wong Foundation aims to foster a mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world, through collaborative cultural projects presenting the best of the East and West to each other. The Foundation therefore acts as a catalyst and sponsor for innovative creative ventures that bring together artists in disciplines such as opera, horticulture, architecture, fashion and costume design.
The Foundation’s leitmotif is an exploration of the traditional as a complement to contemporary culture; celebrating art forms of various periods within a modern context provides a new perspective that deepens appreciation. As Lady Davies, Founder and Chairman of the KT Wong Foundation remarks, ‘The arts are the best way to build understanding and respect between cultures, because they express that which is noble and enduring in the human spirit and values that are universal’.
Creating a space for dialogue is the impetus behind the Foundation’s cross-cultural summits, which aim to inspire collaboration, partnership and creative innovation. Bringing together cultural leaders and thinkers provides a platform for both strategically addressing areas such as education and cultural preservation, and responding to the demands of commercialisation, globalisation and the new digital landscape.
The KT Wong Foundation sponsors educational programmes in China, Europe and the US as well as cultural exchanges and internships for the gifted. Among its many successful projects are the gold medal-winning lost scholar’s garden, by artist Shao Fan at the 2008 RHS Chelsea Flower Show; the production of Handel’s Semele at both the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie de Munt and the Beijing Music Festival, directed and designed by contemporary artist Zhang Huan; and a presentation in Beijing of the National Theatre’s critically acclaimed Frankenstein, as part of the NT Live series.