Latest news with #SPOTLIGHT
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jasper Therapeutics Announces Briquilimab Presentations at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Annual Congress
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jasper Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: JSPR) (Jasper), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on development of briquilimab, a novel antibody therapy targeting c-Kit (CD117) to address mast cell driven diseases such as chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) and asthma, today announced that four abstracts have been accepted for presentation at the EAACI Congress 2025, to be held June 13-16, 2025 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. Jasper will present initial clinical data from patients enrolled in the 180mg cohort of the SPOTLIGHT Phase 1b/2a study evaluating briquilimab in subcutaneous briquilimab in cold urticaria (ColdU) or symptomatic dermographism (SD) during an oral session on Saturday, June 14. Details of the presentations are as follows: Abstract Title: Initial Results from SPOTLIGHT, a Phase 1b/2a Dose Escalation Study of the anti-c-Kit Briquilimab Antibody in Adults with Inducible Urticaria (CIndU) Who Remain Symptomatic Despite H-1 Antihistamine TreatmentAbstract Number: 269Session Type/Title: Oral Abstract Session on Clinical Trials (OAS-CT2, Clinical Trials on Dermatology) Presentation Date/Time: June 14, 3:00-4:30pm Abstract Title: A Single Dose of Briquilimab, an Anti-Human c-Kit (CD117)-Antibody, Protects Against Relapse of Epicutaneous Allergen-Induced Dermatitis in Mice Expressing Chimeric Human/Mouse CD117Abstract Number: 523Session Type/Title: Thematic Poster Session (Biologicals 02)Presentation Date/Time: June 14, 12:00-1:00pm Abstract Title: Briquilimab Demonstrates Rapid, Clinically Meaningful Disease-Control in Adults with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU): Updated Results from Phase 1b/2a StudyAbstract Number: 100281Session Type/Title: Flash Talk (L-FT08 Dermatology) Presentation Date/Time: June 15, 12:45-1:45pm Abstract Title: Targeting Mast Cells with Briquilimab, an Anti-Human c-Kit (CD117)-Antibody, Mitigates COPD-Like Features in an Allergen and Cigarette Smoke-Exacerbated Asthma Model Using Humanized h/mCD117 MiceAbstract Number: 537Session Type/Title: Thematic Poster Session (Asthma 07),Presentation Date/Time: June 15, 12:45-1:45pm About Jasper Jasper is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing briquilimab as a therapeutic for chronic mast cell diseases. Briquilimab is a targeted aglycosylated monoclonal antibody that blocks stem cell factor from binding to the cell-surface receptor KIT, thereby inhibiting signaling through the receptor. This inhibition disrupts the critical survival signal, leading to the depletion of the mast cells via apoptosis which removes the underlying source of the inflammatory response in mast cell driven diseases such as chronic urticaria and asthma. Jasper is currently conducting clinical studies of briquilimab as a treatment in patients with CSU, CIndU or asthma. Briquilimab has a demonstrated efficacy and safety profile in patients and healthy volunteers, with positive clinical outcomes in CSU and CIndU. For more information, please visit us at Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are sometimes accompanied by words such as 'believe,' 'may,' 'will,' 'estimate,' 'continue,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'expect,' 'should,' 'would,' 'plan,' 'predict,' 'potential,' 'seem,' 'seek,' 'future,' 'outlook' and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding briquilimab's potential, including with respect to its potential in mast cell driven diseases such as CSU, CIndU, and asthma; and Jasper's presentations at the EAACI Annual Congress. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of Jasper and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Jasper. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including general economic, political and business conditions; the risk that the potential product candidates that Jasper develops may not progress through clinical development or receive required regulatory approvals within expected timelines or at all; the risk that clinical trials may not confirm any safety, potency or other product characteristics described or assumed in this press release; the risk that prior test, study and trial results may not be replicated in continuing or future studies and trials; the risk that Jasper will be unable to successfully market or gain market acceptance of its product candidates; the risk that prior study results may not be replicated; the risk that Jasper's product candidates may not be beneficial to patients or successfully commercialized; patients' willingness to try new therapies and the willingness of physicians to prescribe these therapies; the effects of competition on Jasper's business; the risk that third parties on which Jasper depends for laboratory, clinical development, manufacturing and other critical services will fail to perform satisfactorily; the risk that Jasper's business, operations, clinical development plans and timelines, and supply chain could be adversely affected by the effects of health epidemics; the risk that Jasper will be unable to obtain and maintain sufficient intellectual property protection for its investigational products or will infringe the intellectual property protection of others; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in Jasper's filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. If any of these risks materialize or Jasper's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. While Jasper may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Jasper specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Jasper's assessments of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Contacts: Alex Gray (investors)Jasper Therapeutics650-549-1454 agray@ Allaire (investors)LifeSci Advisors617-435-6602jallaire@ Lauren Walker (media)Real Chemistry646-564-2156lbarbiero@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jasper Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jasper Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: JSPR) (Jasper), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on development of briquilimab, a novel antibody therapy targeting KIT to address mast cell driven diseases such as chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) and asthma, today reported results for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2025 and provided a corporate update. 'During the first quarter of 2025 we made great progress advancing briquilimab toward important data readouts later this year from all three of our clinical programs in mast cell diseases,' said Ronald Martell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Jasper. 'Updated data from the BEACON study in CSU presented at the AAAAI annual meeting continued to demonstrate the potential of briquilimab to deliver differentiated onset of action, depth of response, and tolerability. We look forward to our mid-year data update in the first half of Q3 2025, which will include additional CSU patients treated in the BEACON study and in the open-label extension study. These data will inform final dose selection for our planned Phase 2b study, expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2025. We also remain on track to present additional data from the SPOTLIGHT study in CIndU in the second quarter as well as initial data from the ETESIAN study in asthma in the second half of 2025.' Highlights for First Quarter 2025 and Recent Weeks Continued to enroll patients in the BEACON Phase 1b/2a study of subcutaneous briquilimab in CSU. Jasper plans to report data from additional patients enrolled in the BEACON study, as well as from CSU patients enrolled in the open-label extension (OLE) study, in the first half of Q3 2025. Completed enrollment in the third and final cohort (180mg) of the SPOTLIGHT Phase 1b/2a study of subcutaneous briquilimab in cold urticaria (ColdU) or symptomatic dermographism (SD), the two most prevalent sub types of CIndU. Jasper plans to report data from additional patients enrolled in the study at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Annual Congress in June 2025. Presented updated data from the BEACON Phase 1b/2a study of subcutaneous briquilimab in adult participants with CSU at the annual meetings of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). The update presented was based on a data-cut date of January 31, 2025, and includes approximately one month of additional dosing and follow-up from the 49 participants featured in Jasper's previous data disclosure in January 2025. Briquilimab continued to be well tolerated and demonstrate a favorable safety profile in the study, with no additional adverse events (AEs) potentially related to KIT blockade observed. Data collected in the study to-date support advancing briquilimab into a registrational program in CSU, beginning with a planned Phase 2b operationally-adaptive study expected to commence in the second half of 2025. Final dose selection for the Phase 2b study will be further informed by additional clinical data from patients administered doses of 180mg and higher, expected to be reported mid-year 2025. Open-label Extension Study – Study commenced in CSU that will roll over patients from the BEACON and SPOTLIGHT studies upon completion of their initial follow-up period. The ETESIAN Phase 1b/2a allergen challenge study evaluating a single administration of subcutaneous briquilimab in allergic asthma continues to enroll patients. Jasper expects to report initial data from ETESIAN in the second half of 2025. First Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2025, totaled $48.8 million. Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $16.2 million. General and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $5.6 million. Jasper reported a net loss of $21.2 million, or basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders of $1.41, for the three months ended March 31, 2025. About Jasper Jasper is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing briquilimab as a therapeutic for chronic mast cell diseases. Briquilimab is a targeted aglycosylated monoclonal antibody that blocks stem cell factor from binding to the cell-surface receptor KIT, thereby inhibiting signaling through the receptor. This inhibition disrupts the critical survival signal, leading to the depletion of the mast cells via apoptosis which removes the underlying source of the inflammatory response in mast cell driven diseases such as chronic urticaria and asthma. Jasper is currently conducting clinical studies of briquilimab as a treatment in patients with CSU, CIndU or asthma. Briquilimab has a demonstrated efficacy and safety profile in patients and healthy volunteers, with positive clinical outcomes in CSU and CIndU. For more information, please visit us at Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are sometimes accompanied by words such as 'believe,' 'may,' 'will,' 'estimate,' 'continue,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'expect,' 'should,' 'would,' 'plan,' 'predict,' 'potential,' 'seem,' 'seek,' 'future,' 'outlook' and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding briquilimab's potential, including with respect to its potential in mast cell driven diseases such as CSU, CIndU, and asthma and its potential to deliver differentiated onset of action, depth of response and tolerability; Jasper's expected timing for presenting study results for additional CSU patients treated in the BEACON study and in the open-label extension study; its expected timing for presenting additional data from the SPOTLIGHT study and initial data from the ETESIAN study; and its expected timing for commencing its planned Phase 2b operationally adaptive study. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of Jasper and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by an investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Jasper. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including general economic, political and business conditions; the risk that the potential product candidates that Jasper develops may not progress through clinical development or receive required regulatory approvals within expected timelines or at all; the risk that clinical trials may not confirm any safety, potency or other product characteristics described or assumed in this press release; the risk that prior test, study and trial results may not be replicated in continuing or future studies and trials; the risk that Jasper will be unable to successfully market or gain market acceptance of its product candidates; the risk that prior study results may not be replicated; the risk that Jasper's product candidates may not be beneficial to patients or successfully commercialized; patients' willingness to try new therapies and the willingness of physicians to prescribe these therapies; the effects of competition on Jasper's business; the risk that third parties on which Jasper depends for laboratory, clinical development, manufacturing and other critical services will fail to perform satisfactorily; the risk that Jasper's business, operations, clinical development plans and timelines, and supply chain could be adversely affected by the effects of health epidemics; the risk that Jasper will be unable to obtain and maintain sufficient intellectual property protection for its investigational products or will infringe the intellectual property protection of others; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in Jasper's filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. If any of these risks materialize or Jasper's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. While Jasper may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Jasper specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Jasper's assessments of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Contacts:Alex Gray (investors)Jasper Therapeutics650-549-1454 agray@ Joyce Allaire (investors)LifeSci Advisors617-435-6602jallaire@ Lauren Walker (media)Real Chemistry646-564-2156lbarbiero@ ---tables to follow---JASPER THERAPEUTICS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (in thousands, except share and per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 2024 Operating expenses Research and development(1) $ 16,157 $ 10,298 General and administrative(1) 5,645 4,774 Total operating expenses 21,802 15,072 Loss from operations (21,802 ) (15,072 ) Interest income 624 1,386 Other expense, net (63 ) (42 ) Total other income, net 561 1,344 Net loss and comprehensive loss $ (21,241 ) $ (13,728 ) Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted $ (1.41 ) $ (1.03 ) Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted 15,022,122 13,334,900 (1) Amounts include non-cash stock based compensation expense as follows (in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 2024 Research and development $ 1,240 $ 820 General and administrative 571 349 Total $ 1,811 $ 1,169 JASPER THERAPEUTICS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands) (unaudited) March 31, December 31, Assets 2025 2024 Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 48,799 $ 71,637 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 4,375 4,174 Total current assets 53,174 75,811 Property and equipment, net 1,599 1,875 Operating lease right-of-use assets 1,875 976 Restricted cash 417 417 Other non-current assets 532 820 Total assets $ 57,597 $ 79,899 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 2,995 $ 4,027 Current portion of operating lease liabilities 1,835 1,089 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 7,504 10,121 Total current liabilities 12,334 15,237 Non-current portion of operating lease liabilities 755 724 Other non-current liabilities 2,264 2,264 Total liabilities 15,353 18,225 Commitments and contingencies — — Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock — — Common stock 2 2 Additional paid-in capital 304,352 302,541 Accumulated deficit (262,110 ) (240,869 ) Total stockholders' equity 42,244 61,674 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 57,597 $ 79,899
Associated Press
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts Returns to Bring Outstanding Multidisciplinary Productions from Hong Kong, Macau, Japan and Beyond to a New Stage
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 March 2025 - Now in its fifth year, Tai Kwun's SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts presents a new lineup of vibrant interdisciplinary collaborations exploring not just the far edges of various art forms but also the cracks that fall in-between. With works from previous seasons commissioned especially for Tai Kwun's distinctive venues and outdoor spaces having now advanced well beyond Hong Kong onto the international stage, SPOTLIGHT once again returns to provide a new stage for performing arts for both local and international creators to contemplate subjects that are deeply personal yet universally significant. This year's eclectic offerings, a mix of returning guests and artists new to Tai Kwun, opens with Fragile! Human Inside, a synthesis of sound, moving images, installation and performance art by multimedia artist GayBird contrasting the historic durability of an architectural exterior with the resilient potential of its human inhabitants. An unlikely pairing of rap and contemporary dance sparks a pioneering performance style in ARIKA, where the physical vocabulary of dancer SHIMAJI Yasutake confronts and converses with the improvisatory verbal contortions of rapper TAMAKI ROY in their first Asian appearance outside Japan. Three young choreographers from Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Keung Hoi-ling, Paula Wong and Fu Binjing) showcase their innermost thoughts through their distinctive grasp of personal and public space in the triple-bill Infinite Extension, while the artists of Vividly explore the centuries-old connection and intertwined destinies of Hong Kong and Macau in Fugue of Two Shores, the final instalment of an immersive theatrical trilogy that first took root at Tai Kwun in 2021. 'Since our opening in 2018, Tai Kwun has not merely championed artists in interesting projects, but continues to nurture those artistic talents over time,' says Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts. 'Vividly's immersive Fugue of Two Shores brings to a close a collaboration we started back in 2021, when the company first explored Tai Kwun's unique history and environment through the geological layers of granite underlying Victoria Prison. Their final chapter's shift from rock to water, befitting the journey of Hong Kong and Macau from two fishing ports to thriving modern cites, is a testament to how working with the same artists over time can yield entirely different perspectives.' Linda Yip, Head of Performing Arts, adds, 'Apart from our wide range of venues and performance spaces—from the outdoor Laundry Steps to the supremely flexible JC Cube, which gives a veteran artist like GayBird a unique canvas to incorporate elements of virtual games in a live spatial design—Tai Kwun offers an artistic platform arguably more valuable than the physical spaces themselves. This is a zone where conventional barriers of generation, geography and genre no longer apply, where local artists like the young choreographers of Infinite Extension or overseas artists like SHIMAJI Yasutake and TAMAKI ROY of ARIKA can join together to break borders and create cross-disciplinary synergy.' Spanning six weeks, SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts invites lovers of music, dance, theatre and visual art from across Hong Kong and beyond to sample the diverse range of local talents and international artists gathered here to find creative inspiration and sustenance in Tai Kwun's incomparable heritage spaces. [Installation x Moving Images x Sound] Fragile! Human Inside | 04-06,08–10.04.2025 Packed within dozens of cardboard boxes forming an installation on the Laundry Steps (visually echoing the bricks of Tai Kwun's historic structures) are the materials of a full multisensory experience, with soundscape and video projections curated by award-winning media artist GayBird. The cartons of Fragile! Human Inside represent not just the stability of bricks but also the fluidity of building blocks reassembling the human form. Within the JC Cube, physical boundaries between performer and audience as well as the tangible and virtual world blur into a dreamlike experience where sight and sound combine in an expansive exploration of fragility and stability. Multisensory Experience Artistic and Music Director, Installation and Programme Design, Live Performance: GayBird Date & Time: 4–6, 8–10 Apr 2025, 7:30PM–8:40PM Venue: JC Cube & Laundry Steps, Tai Kwun Ticket: HK$280 In Cantonese with Chinese and English surtitles There will be post-performance talks and Unboxing Backstage sessions, details to be announced, please stay tuned to the Tai Kwun website. [Contemporary Dance x Rap] ARIKA | 04–05.04.2025 The vocabulary of dance meets the motion of rhyme in this breathtaking display of multidisciplinary improvisation. Subtitled 'A Pursuit of Dance, Music and Words,' ARIKA ('Whereabouts') features SHIMAJI Yasutake, a veteran dancer of the renowned Forsythe Company trained in ballet, hip-hop dance and martial arts, joining forces with rapper TAMAKI ROY, an award-winning master of spinning atmosphere through rapped and sung texts, in a collaboration shaking those respective genres to their core, where fluid dancing unfolds with musical grace and hip-hop rhymes propel with palpable physical force. Making their Hong Kong debut after appearances in Japan and France, SHIMAJI and TAMAKI ponder the nature of their respective fields to their very roots. If all music is simply a song and dance, which comes first? Contemporary Dance x Rap Direction, Choreography and Performance: SHIMAJI Yasutake Direction, Composition and Performance: TAMAKI ROY Date & Time: 4–5 Apr 2025, 6PM–7PM Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun Ticket: HK$280 In Japanese without surtitles [Contemporary Dance x Exploration] Infinite Extension | 11–13.04.2025 Tai Kwun's F Hall Studio will be draped in a triptych of distinct kinetic visions of body-space interaction Infinite Extension. Keung Hoi-ling's I Saw a Ping-Pong. I Crushed It. It Was an Egg. redefines the relationship between individuals and their surroundings, traversing between analysis and the stream of consciousness connecting thoughts throughout the body. Paula Wong's Come closer, go deeper! explores the female experience through physical posture, inviting the audience to feel the resulting pain, pleasure, tension and ease as bodily shifts draw public attention. The imaginative realm of Fu Binjing's Neverland questions traditional notions of 'beauty,' 'standardisation' and 'meaning' by using artificial materials and waste to connect the body with the external world. Experiential Contemporary Dance Theatre Choreography and Performance: Keung Hoi-ling, Paula Wong, Fu Binjing Date & Time: 11 Apr 2025, 7:30PM–9PM 12–13 Apr 2025, 2:30PM–4PM Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun Ticket: HK$280 In Cantonese with no surtitles Post-performance Talk Date & Time: 11 Apr 2025, 9PM-9:30PM 12-13 Apr 2025, 4PM–4:30PM Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun [History x Environmental Theatre] Fugue of Two Shores | 25.04–17.05.2025 The collaborative arts group Vividly conclude their trilogy of immersive theatrical surveys of Hong Kong, which began with The Inner Études (2021) exploring the rocks near Victoria Prison and continued with The Sublime Progressions (2023) investigating themes of migration and diaspora, focusing their final chapter on the longtime relationship between Hong Kong and Macau. Fugue of Two Shores begins by contrasting their histories and comparing their intertwined destinies from sleepy port cities to vibrant urban centres. Interpreting historical texts through multidimensional realms of lighting, soundscape, projection and live performance, Fugue of Two Shores highlights Macau's influence on Hong Kong and the contrasts in local people carving their own contemporary identity after having been long defined by others. History x Environmental Theatre Curated and Produced by: Vividly Concept, Co-Director and Multimedia Director: Jay Lei Concept, Research, Co-Director and Playwright: Jay Lee Dramaturg: Kok Heng Leun Performers: Chan Wing-shuen, Chan Tze Sum Cecilia, HuiJim, Hanks Li Voice Narrator and Acting Coach: Sam Choy Date & Time: 25–26 & 28 Apr; 1–3, 5, 8–10 & 15–17 May 2025, 8PM–9:30PM 27 Apr; 4 & 11 May 2025, 7PM–8:30PM Venue: F Hall Studio & Prison Yard, Tai Kwun Ticket: HK$280 In Cantonese with no surtitles Artist Talk Date & Time: 1 May 2025, 6PM–7PM Venue: Laundry Steps, Tai Kwun Ticket: Free admission Ticketing Tickets available at now. SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts 2025 4 Apr–17 May 2025 Site-wide, Tai Kwun
Zawya
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Zawya
SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts Returns to Bring Outstanding Multidisciplinary Productions from Hong Kong, Macau, Japan and Beyond to a New Stage
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 March 2025 - Now in its fifth year, Tai Kwun's SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts presents a new lineup of vibrant interdisciplinary collaborations exploring not just the far edges of various art forms but also the cracks that fall in-between. With works from previous seasons commissioned especially for Tai Kwun's distinctive venues and outdoor spaces having now advanced well beyond Hong Kong onto the international stage, SPOTLIGHT once again returns to provide a new stage for performing arts for both local and international creators to contemplate subjects that are deeply personal yet universally significant. This year's eclectic offerings, a mix of returning guests and artists new to Tai Kwun, opens with Fragile! Human Inside, a synthesis of sound, moving images, installation and performance art by multimedia artist GayBird contrasting the historic durability of an architectural exterior with the resilient potential of its human inhabitants. An unlikely pairing of rap and contemporary dance sparks a pioneering performance style in ARIKA, where the physical vocabulary of dancer SHIMAJI Yasutake confronts and converses with the improvisatory verbal contortions of rapper TAMAKI ROY in their first Asian appearance outside Japan. Three young choreographers from Hong Kong and Guangzhou (Keung Hoi-ling, Paula Wong and Fu Binjing) showcase their innermost thoughts through their distinctive grasp of personal and public space in the triple-bill Infinite Extension, while the artists of Vividly explore the centuries-old connection and intertwined destinies of Hong Kong and Macau in Fugue of Two Shores, the final instalment of an immersive theatrical trilogy that first took root at Tai Kwun in 2021. "Since our opening in 2018, Tai Kwun has not merely championed artists in interesting projects, but continues to nurture those artistic talents over time," says Timothy Calnin, Director of Tai Kwun Arts. "Vividly's immersive Fugue of Two Shores brings to a close a collaboration we started back in 2021, when the company first explored Tai Kwun's unique history and environment through the geological layers of granite underlying Victoria Prison. Their final chapter's shift from rock to water, befitting the journey of Hong Kong and Macau from two fishing ports to thriving modern cites, is a testament to how working with the same artists over time can yield entirely different perspectives." Linda Yip, Head of Performing Arts, adds, "Apart from our wide range of venues and performance spaces—from the outdoor Laundry Steps to the supremely flexible JC Cube, which gives a veteran artist like GayBird a unique canvas to incorporate elements of virtual games in a live spatial design—Tai Kwun offers an artistic platform arguably more valuable than the physical spaces themselves. This is a zone where conventional barriers of generation, geography and genre no longer apply, where local artists like the young choreographers of Infinite Extension or overseas artists like SHIMAJI Yasutake and TAMAKI ROY of ARIKA can join together to break borders and create cross-disciplinary synergy." Spanning six weeks, SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts invites lovers of music, dance, theatre and visual art from across Hong Kong and beyond to sample the diverse range of local talents and international artists gathered here to find creative inspiration and sustenance in Tai Kwun's incomparable heritage spaces. [Installation x Moving Images x Sound] Fragile! Human Inside | 04-06,08–10.04.2025 Packed within dozens of cardboard boxes forming an installation on the Laundry Steps (visually echoing the bricks of Tai Kwun's historic structures) are the materials of a full multisensory experience, with soundscape and video projections curated by award-winning media artist GayBird. The cartons of Fragile! Human Inside represent not just the stability of bricks but also the fluidity of building blocks reassembling the human form. Within the JC Cube, physical boundaries between performer and audience as well as the tangible and virtual world blur into a dreamlike experience where sight and sound combine in an expansive exploration of fragility and stability. Multisensory Experience Artistic and Music Director, Installation and Programme Design, Live Performance: GayBird Date & Time: 4–6, 8–10 Apr 2025, 7:30PM–8:40PM Venue: JC Cube & Laundry Steps, Tai Kwun Ticket: HK$280 In Cantonese with Chinese and English surtitles There will be post-performance talks and Unboxing Backstage sessions, details to be announced, please stay tuned to the Tai Kwun website. [Contemporary Dance x Rap] ARIKA | 04–05.04.2025 The vocabulary of dance meets the motion of rhyme in this breathtaking display of multidisciplinary improvisation. Subtitled "A Pursuit of Dance, Music and Words," ARIKA ("Whereabouts") features SHIMAJI Yasutake, a veteran dancer of the renowned Forsythe Company trained in ballet, hip-hop dance and martial arts, joining forces with rapper TAMAKI ROY, an award-winning master of spinning atmosphere through rapped and sung texts, in a collaboration shaking those respective genres to their core, where fluid dancing unfolds with musical grace and hip-hop rhymes propel with palpable physical force. Making their Hong Kong debut after appearances in Japan and France, SHIMAJI and TAMAKI ponder the nature of their respective fields to their very roots. If all music is simply a song and dance, which comes first? Contemporary Dance x Rap Direction, Choreography and Performance: SHIMAJI Yasutake Direction, Composition and Performance: TAMAKI ROY Date & Time: 4 – 5 Apr 2025, 6PM – 7PM Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun Ticket: HK$280 In Japanese without surtitles [Contemporary Dance x Exploration] Infinite Extension | 11–13.04.2025 Tai Kwun's F Hall Studio will be draped in a triptych of distinct kinetic visions of body-space interaction Infinite Extension. Keung Hoi-ling's I Saw a Ping-Pong. I Crushed It. It Was an Egg. redefines the relationship between individuals and their surroundings, traversing between analysis and the stream of consciousness connecting thoughts throughout the body. Paula Wong's Come closer, go deeper! explores the female experience through physical posture, inviting the audience to feel the resulting pain, pleasure, tension and ease as bodily shifts draw public attention. The imaginative realm of Fu Binjing's Neverland questions traditional notions of "beauty," "standardisation" and "meaning" by using artificial materials and waste to connect the body with the external world. Experiential Contemporary Dance Theatre Choreography and Performance: Keung Hoi-ling, Paula Wong, Fu Binjing Date & Time: 11 Apr 2025, 7:30PM – 9PM 12 – 13 Apr 2025, 2:30PM – 4PM Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun Ticket: HK$280 In Cantonese with no surtitles Post-performance Talk Date & Time: 11 Apr 2025, 9PM-9:30PM 12-13 Apr 2025, 4PM –4:30 PM Venue: F Hall Studio, Tai Kwun [History x Environmental Theatre] Fugue of Two Shores | 25.04–17.05.2025 The collaborative arts group Vividly conclude their trilogy of immersive theatrical surveys of Hong Kong, which began with The Inner Études (2021) exploring the rocks near Victoria Prison and continued with The Sublime Progressions (2023) investigating themes of migration and diaspora, focusing their final chapter on the longtime relationship between Hong Kong and Macau. Fugue of Two Shores begins by contrasting their histories and comparing their intertwined destinies from sleepy port cities to vibrant urban centres. Interpreting historical texts through multidimensional realms of lighting, soundscape, projection and live performance, Fugue of Two Shores highlights Macau's influence on Hong Kong and the contrasts in local people carving their own contemporary identity after having been long defined by others. History x Environmental Theatre Curated and Produced by: Vividly Concept, Co-Director and Multimedia Director: Jay Lei Concept, Research, Co-Director and Playwright: Jay Lee Dramaturg: Kok Heng Leun Performers: Chan Wing-shuen, Chan Tze Sum Cecilia, HuiJim, Hanks Li Voice Narrator and Acting Coach: Sam Choy Date & Time: 25–26 & 28 Apr; 1–3, 5, 8–10 & 15–17 May 2025, 8PM–9:30PM 27 Apr; 4 & 11 May 2025, 7PM–8:30PM Venue: F Hall Studio & Prison Yard, Tai Kwun Ticket: HK$280 In Cantonese with no surtitles Artist Talk Date & Time: 1 May 2025, 6PM–7PM Venue: Laundry Steps, Tai Kwun Ticket: Free admission Ticketing Tickets available at now. SPOTLIGHT: A Season of Performing Arts 2025 4 Apr–17 May 2025 Site-wide, Tai Kwun For more programme details: Hashtag: #TaiKwunSPOTLIGHT2025 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Tai Kwun SPOTLIGHT 2025
