Inter Island Festival 2026
Map of Inter-island Festival 2021
Closing screening of Inter-island Festival 2021
Exhibition ‘Situating Circatidal’ (2023) by Joanne Chan, Fok Chung Wing & Tommy Hui
Tour & workshop ‘Island Bee & Bee: Follow Bee!’ (2023) by Roger Lee & Shanto Studio
Excursion in the Inter-island Sea area under Para Site’s ‘The Alternative School: Grounding in Daily Practices’ (2024) , photo courtesy of Para Site
Exhibition ‘Mui Wo Time Portal’ (2023) by Kanu Fung, Deer Lok, Sonic Lee, Mary Jan
Inter-island Festival (IIF) is a cultural event that borrows the existing inter-island ferry connection between Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Chi Ma Wan and Cheung Chau, to celebrate and build upon the rich and varied cultures of living by the inter-island sea. It has completed two editions in March 2021 and November 2023 with Design Trust . Spanning over four weekends, IIF 2023 presented over 70 creative and cultural activities in the four ports hosted by over 80 collaborators. While the activities comprise exhibitions, performances, tours, screenings and sharing sessions, many of the IIF’s collaborators are island residents, or researchers and creative talents who are concerned about the region. IIF 2023 commissioned 5 research projects to conduct in-depth research on the islands and present the result in the festival. Inter-island Sea — the sea in between these ports and Hong Kong island, coined by the festival — was the theme of IIF 2023 to emphasise the relationship of the sea and island life. IIF has engaged community members in the inter-island region and strengthened their bonding. It has also brought the invaluable island life and culture in Hong Kong to light through creative and cultural lenses. The vision of the festival is a long-term endeavour. To consolidate the impact and keep up the momentum of IIF, the IIF team will conduct Inter-island Festival 2026, the third edition of the festival, scheduled for November 2026. While the overall structure and the theme of the Inter-island Sea remain, IIF 2026 will further enhance its research component with more research-oriented projects and designated research themes related to the sea. IIF also aims to refine the geographical clusters to generate more targeted programmes. IIF 2026 aspires to firmly establish the inter-island region and the inter-island sea as a perceived region in Hong Kong. Further, IIF hopes to promote the understanding of Hong Kong as an archipelago and the city’s indispensable relationship with the sea. IIF believes in the uniqueness of the inter-island region and Hong Kong in the global network of islands and Island Studies.As the third edition of the Inter-island Festival (IIF), IIF 2026 will further enhance its research component with more research-oriented projects and designated research themes related to the sea. IIF also aims to refine the geographical clusters to generate more targeted programmes.
Inter-island Festival (IIF) is a cultural event that borrows the existing inter-island ferry connection between Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Chi Ma Wan and Cheung Chau, to celebrate and build upon the rich and varied cultures of living by the inter-island sea. It has completed two editions in March 2021 and November 2023 with Design Trust . Spanning over four weekends, IIF 2023 presented over 70 creative and cultural activities in the four ports hosted by over 80 collaborators. While the activities comprise exhibitions, performances, tours, screenings and sharing sessions, many of the IIF’s collaborators are island residents, or researchers and creative talents who are concerned about the region. IIF 2023 commissioned 5 research projects to conduct in-depth research on the islands and present the result in the festival. Inter-island Sea — the sea in between these ports and Hong Kong island, coined by the festival — was the theme of IIF 2023 to emphasise the relationship of the sea and island life. IIF has engaged community members in the inter-island region and strengthened their bonding. It has also brought the invaluable island life and culture in Hong Kong to light through creative and cultural lenses. The vision of the festival is a long-term endeavour. To consolidate the impact and keep up the momentum of IIF, the IIF team will conduct Inter-island Festival 2026, the third edition of the festival, scheduled for November 2026. While the overall structure and the theme of the Inter-island Sea remain, IIF 2026 will further enhance its research component with more research-oriented projects and designated research themes related to the sea. IIF also aims to refine the geographical clusters to generate more targeted programmes. IIF 2026 aspires to firmly establish the inter-island region and the inter-island sea as a perceived region in Hong Kong. Further, IIF hopes to promote the understanding of Hong Kong as an archipelago and the city’s indispensable relationship with the sea. IIF believes in the uniqueness of the inter-island region and Hong Kong in the global network of islands and Island Studies.As the third edition of the Inter-island Festival (IIF), IIF 2026 will further enhance its research component with more research-oriented projects and designated research themes related to the sea. IIF also aims to refine the geographical clusters to generate more targeted programmes.
IIF 2026 aspires to establish firmly the inter-island region and the ‘inter-island sea’ as a perceived region in Hong Kong. Further, IIF hopes to promote the understanding of Hong Kong as a cluster of islands and the city’s indispensable relationship with the sea. IIF believes in the uniqueness of the inter-island region and Hong Kong in the global network of islands and Island Studies.
- 2025
- Grantee: Yip Kai Chun and ISLANDERS
YIP Kai Chun is an artist born and based in Hong Kong. His creations often involve immersion into overlooked or peripheral communities and localities, comprising sound, text, and video to create instances of interaction and understanding. He has lived on and nourished by Peng Chau, an outer island in Hong Kong, for 8 years. His fascination with the island's unique environment led to artistic research and intervention on Peng Chau and its surrounding. He co-founded Inter-island Festival (2021 & 2023), a festival celebrating the multifaceted island life of Peng Chau, as well as Cheung Chau and Mui Wo and Chi Ma Wan on Lantau Island.
- Organisation: Inter-island Festival
The Inter-island Festival (IIF) is an art and life event that borrows the existing inter-island ferry connection between Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Chi Ma Wan, and Cheung Chau to celebrate and build upon the rich and varied cultures of living by the inter-island sea. Founded by Yip Kai Chun and the Peng Chau-based initiative ISLANDERS, the festival has successfully completed two editions in March 2021 and November 2023 with the major support of Design Trust, establishing itself as one of the premier public art projects in Hong Kong’s rural areas. Through a down-to-earth, accessible, and playful approach, IIF aims to highlight the distinct environments, communities, histories, and concerns of these coastal places, promoting and protecting their shared cultures and invaluable nature while fostering meaningful connections and exchange between the islands.