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WHAT IS TICA

TICAFEST is the premier international festival for percussive arts and contemporary music, presented by the acclaimed ensemble Toolbox Percussion.

The 6th edition will be held from October 2024 through February 2025. TICAFEST will feature performances by Toolbox Percussion along with special artistic partners Third Coast Percussion and Les Percussions de Strasbourg.

Under the theme “Music Without Boundaries”, the festival blurs divisions through unique programming exploring connections between percussion, strings, and technology. In addition to headline concerts, the six-month-long program includes a TICAx series—Conservation Talks, Ensemble Exchanges, and Bespoke Educational Residencies, nurturing young creative minds.

After five acclaimed editions, TICAFEST has established itself as a leader in international cultural exchange. By bringing together renowned artists, the festival enhances mutual understanding and fosters new collaborations. TICAFEST is proudly based in Hong Kong, and represents the city as one of the World’s premier hubs for cultural exchange and advancement.

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The presenter​​

TOOLBOX PERCUSSION

Toolbox Percussion has been driving percussive arts programming in Hong Kong since 2012, curating ambitious music projects in innovative ways. Toolbox Percussion, as creative incubator, works to make new music happen by commissioning, collaborating, professional training, performing, recording and touring contemporary performances. ​Believing in the beautiful concerted efforts of every young talent we involve. Toolbox continues to empower audience to discover versatility in daily soundscapes by anchoring our work closely to the here and now of Hong Kong.

Over the past seasons, Toolbox Percussion toured to Asia Culture Center at Gwangju in South Korea and made its US debut at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. Co-hosted with Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, works of Toolbox Percussion are showcased in an exhibition titled “A Double Listen” for the first time in the United States. Title sponsored by HART and H Queen’s, this sound-based exhibition will conduct its scalable rerun at H Queen’s in June 2021. Supported by Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme, the education initiatives Toolbox International Creative Academy (TICA) in joint effort with the University of Oklahoma has successfully launched in January 2019, 2020 and 2021, providing professional apprenticeship opportunities through specifically focused areas of studies and learning occasions with industry professionals.

Toolbox Percussion is currently three-year grantee of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

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TICA's Vision and
Past Editions

Mission: TICAFEST cultivates cultural understanding and arts learning through boundary-pushing percussive performance. By nurturing collaborative exchange between celebrated artists and newcomers alike, the festival strives to build vibrant communities united in their shared passion for musical storytelling.

Vision: At TICAFEST, we believe the power of percussive arts knows no borders. Through innovative programming that merges tradition with technology, our festival serves as a hub where local talent forges connections with visiting masters from around the world. By simultaneously strengthening arts education for students and expanding audiences’ perspectives, TICAFEST aims to support capacity development across the entire sector. Based in the dynamic Greater Bay Area, we seek to act as a springboard for young artists to launch collaborations that resonate globally. Most of all, TICAFEST celebrates how percussive arts foster understanding—not through competition but cooperation, as diverse talents combine to cultivate fresh artistic voices. It is through this collaborative spirit that we work to spread the transformative message that music can indeed overcome boundaries.

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