Open Stage
A volunteer-led youth performance and cultural platform combining live-event production, venue and performer coordination, community building, and digital platform development.
What is Open Stage?
Open Stage is a platform that aims to bridge youth in the performing arts with opportunities, broadening their developmental pathways. Cumulatively receiving HK$30,000 in seed funding, it is currently a part of the InnoTeen Power program, under the 21C@JC project sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The team consists of 4 youth members and 2 social welfare professionals working in Hong Kong's Integrated Children and Youth Service Centers (ICYSCs).
Open Stage identifies three problems faced by youth performers:
- Few opportunties to perform in public
- Much reliance on connections
- Unstable income
We empower our youth by providing them with opportunities, guidance, companionship, and information alike.
Our team, and the broader InnoTeen Power project, embrace youth-adult partnership (YAP) in our endeavors.
Me and Open Stage
While Open Stage was established on October 2025, I joined on March 2026. Ever since, I have been actively involved in website development with the aid of AI tools such as Claude Code and GitHub Copilot, as well as event operations and strategic communication.
I often steer the team into metacommunication, reflecting on everything from management styles to activity decisions, ensuring the smoothest experience for us and our performers.
Results
The project has seen subtantial results, particularly during the months of June and July 2026, when we organized our restaurant tour:
- Attracted 20 total signups to become performers, indicating the appeal of the initiative
- Collaborated with 3 restaurants to administer 4 shows
- Partnered with 5 performer units, a total of 13 performers to deliver shows
- Launched the bilingual project website to consolidate event and performer information
The Online Platform
As the technical lead, I led developing the online platform, leveraging software engineering practices to implement my team's product ideas.
With the help of Claude Code, I mainly utilize HeroUI to make the website clean, consistent, and responsive while still managing to deliver features in a flash! The website boasts smooth animations too thanks to Motion (previously Framer Motion).
The online platform incorporates the following features:
- Performer and event discovery
- Integration with the TO_MO API, allowing for a seamless event-seeking experience
- AI assistant feature, providing tailored TO_MO event recommendations along with general enquiry functions
(TO_MO is an all-in-one online platform developed for 21C@JC.)
Playing the important role of supplying information to our youth, I frequently maintain the website to make sure all information is accurate.
I envision developing the online platform further, as well as extensions to potentially produce Android and iOS apps. I also hope to recruit like-minded developers to make the platform a reality. This will put my project management ability to the test.
Establishing Rapport With Our Performers
Open Stage goes beyond a typical event organizer. We care about our performers' career success and wellbeing. We had provided our performers:
- Networking opportunities with peers in form of the Community Day
- Networking opportunities with restaurant personnel, broadening performers' reach
- Custom-made souvenirs to enhance performer groups' brand image
The Stigma of ICYSCs
As practically an outsider, I am not attached to "youth centers", giving me an advantage I bring to my team.
Some say youth centers are a place only "psychopaths" go to—I don't agree. But I do not think they are a place of miracles either. I ground my team to set realistic expectations and keep what makes us unique, instead of being another "youth center thing".
ICYSCs give access to InnoTeen Power projects unique resources, such as venue, user base, and personnel. We hope to continue work closely with our ICYSC partners to amplify our impact of youth service.
Through Open Stage, we hope to raise awareness among local youth on the support ICYSCs may give them, fueling our performers to go beyond.
Future Development
As the project grows, Open Stage may experiment with more performing arts and venues, aligning with our mission to support all our youth in the performing arts.
Potential partners are being sought.
See Open Stage For Yourself
Explore who we are, upcoming shows, performer profiles, and how the platform works in practice.
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