Underground live music house Hidden Agenda, faced with closure in October, is seeking to raise HK$500,000 within ten days to fund a move to a new venue.
Based in a Kwun Tong industrial building, Hidden Agenda announced Monday evening that it will also seek a food factory licence from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to operate in the future. It will have to settle payments by September 15.
In a Facebook broadcast, producer Hui Chung-wo said that he has already found a new location for the live music venue. He declined to reveal the new address, but claimed that it will still be based inside an industrial building. It will hold an audience of around 500 people.
A breeding ground for Hong Kong’s independent music scene, Hidden Agenda has been targeted repeatedly with police raids and inspections from the Lands Department since its establishment in 2009. It has relocated twice over the course of its history so far.
It received its third warning from the department in May this year, because the industrial building in which it is based could not be used for anything other than industrial, storage and select offensive trades purposes.
The production team agreed to return the current property to its landlord in August. A farewell band show will be held on October 10.
Hui said that, by obtaining a food factory licence, he hopes Hidden Agenda will be able to operate legally in the future. It will officially run as a takeaway food stall, but will also feature live music.
The team has paid the first installation of the deposit fees to the new venue, but needs to urgently raise funds from the public to apply for a licence and conduct renovation works.
Hidden Agenda accepts donations by bank transfer.
