In November 2017, I visited a pop-up book shop at Form Society and came across the international journal A City Made By People on urban culture in 20+ cities.

Motivated to put Hong Kong on the map, I reached out to the founder Robin Cox in Amsterdam. A call later, I was invited to start a Hong Kong chapter.

So I did, assembling community organiser Hermion Au, landscape designer Carmen Kwok, politics graduate Vienna Lee, photojournalist Bertha Wang and designer Vicki Wong as the core team.

We built a network of local correspondents and international partners, published stories online and organised community events.

Came COVID. We leant into our international network to overcome isolation and shared caring, creative endeavours in the My City in Lockdown series, such as trainee doctor Cheuk Wong and frontline healthcare workers volunteering in quarantine wards, Cybil Shum and her team making by hand and donating 300+ fabric masks, an online arts festival by Tai Po Arts Centre, and an online play by Reframe Theatre. I also talked about what we do on the You and Me and Everyone We Know podcast by Brent Love.

In 2021, I was invited by the Hong Kong Arts Centre to write for a community zine as part of the Via North Point project. With the wet street market as an important part of local economy and public life in North Point, I discussed Farmed Today in Amsterdam as a case study of building an independent supply chain of local farm produce, and how co-founders of Miss Ale Central Culture community space in Bucharest adapted in lockdown.

In May 2024, Form Society graduated after 7 years of nurturing a creative community in the neighbourhood. It was where A City Made By People began in Hong Kong, from a chance encounter to the launch party and becoming our first stockist. We are proud to have been part of their history.

Event images: Bertha Wang