Sofar Sounds: A Creative Refuge and Revelry

Here, on the 14th floor of Cheung’s Building, I’ve watched Lifelong Labs burgeon from an idea sketched on paper into an intergenerational classroom, a makerspace, a theatre—a community. One night I attended a movie screening of Okja; another night I found myself telling a story to strangers at a Story Slam. Scrolling through Lifelong Labs’ website reveals how multifaceted the place truly is. From intergenerational photography to mindful creative outdoor education, this space comes to life for all types of creatives of all different ages. 

If you’re walking along the madness of Queen’s Road, a peel-off onto Wing Lok Street brings you to a nook, one I often go to for both refuge and revelry. 

Mitchel Resnick, an MIT professor and board member of Lifelong Labs, wrote in his book, “You can’t teach creativity with a set of rules, but you can nurture creativity.” When I meet Mo for breakfast or dinner to catch up, she is always filled to the brim with new ideas for how Lifelong Labs can nurture intergenerational and lifelong learning in Hong Kong. An entrepreneur and an artist, she works tirelessly to imbricate creative instruments and interactive events to offer more meaningful opportunities for learners of all ages.

Resnick goes on to write, “You can teach creativity if you think of teaching as an organic, interactive process.” Lifelong Labs aims to do just that. At the most recent event—hosting Sofar Sounds Hong Kong—the space transformed for a day as new community members entered, interacted, and enjoyed new music. As you sit next to a stranger and sway to the same song, you don’t even realize that organic and interactive process unfold. It’s a moment that feels quite rare in this overworked city and quite far from what we consider learning. Yet as you walk away you can feel a bit of creative inspiration, and you realize that, even if it’s small, you’ve absorbed something new.