Cover Joanna Hotung is a leader in children’s education (Photo: Affa Chan/Tatler Hong Kong)
Joanna Hotung is a leader in children’s education (Photo: Affa Chan/Tatler Hong Kong)
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Joanna Hotung has dedicated her life to education and the arts. Here, she speaks to Tatler about emphasising the best of both western and Asian learning cultures, and how she hopes to mentor the next generation of students
Joanna Hotung is the founder of KG Group Education and the director of the Hotung Mills Education Foundation, which partners with key advocates, including the University of Warwick, University of West London (UWL) and the Art Academy London, to provide opportunities for children to shine outside school. Since 2017, she has worked with the London College of Music (LCM), part of the UWL, to create the annual LCM Speech Festival for children to develop communications skills and self-confidence. This year’s edition will involve 1,600 children, and it will soon be offering new projects and events in Hong Kong and mainland China. Here, she speaks to Tatler about the importance of early career mentoring and how she finds inspiration in the next generation.
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Above Hotung with her
parents, Lawrence
and Amy, in 1966 (Photo: Courtesy of Joanna Hotung)
Hotung with her parents, Lawrence and Amy, in 1966 (Photo: Courtesy of Joanna Hotung)
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As a child, I spent hours with my sister making board games, writing family newsletters and setting up hobby clubs. My English grandma sent us how-to books, which taught arts and crafts, sewing and knitting. When I was nine, I set up an after-school club where my friends and I would try and make cuddly toys and paper dolls out of scraps of material and cardboard.
I attended an ESF primary school, and then spent a year at an international school in Geneva when my father was posted there. I went to boarding school in the UK at age ten and university in London, which included a year abroad in Beijing. I went on to do an MBA at the University of Warwick.
I founded Kids’ Gallery [a children’s international arts organisation] in 1996 at a time when afterschool activities were rare in Hong Kong and teaching was very prescriptive. I knew I wanted my own children to have a much more all-round education, and when my [eldest] daughter Natasha was told in kindergarten that she couldn’t paint an elephant orange because “elephants can only be grey”, I realised that there was an opportunity to add value to our education system. I was fortunate to be at the beginning of a movement towards enrichment in learning.
My parents always told me that it didn’t matter if I came first or last, so long as I tried my best—and that mindset has always stood me in good stead. I have said the same to my own children, and they’ve been able to explore different personal journeys, opportunities and challenges. Natasha went from studying English and drama to now working in psychology research and patient care at King’s College London. [My youngest daughter] Sophia has moved from technology consulting at a global firm to being a writer and digital artist. I’m proud that they’re able to navigate life with flexibility and resilience.
Above Hotung in 1986 (Photo: Courtesy of Joanna Hotung)
Hotung in 1986 (Photo: Courtesy of Joanna Hotung)
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The pandemic has been a gamechanger for education and young people. Covid-19 meant we had to completely rethink our approach to external threats to learning, communicating and basic human skills. Experiential learning is difficult online, and this was particularly hard for children of all ages. I believe the developmental ramifications will continue for some time. We did our best to teach online classes and supplemented them with deliveries of materials. Saving time on daily travel and meetings created more opportunities for reading and reflection.
With the impossibility for educators and parents to know what our children will face in the future, it has become increasingly important for young people to apply rather than memorise knowledge. Huge amounts of data are at our fingertips, and tools for carrying out routine tasks are becoming mainstream. How we use them will be what counts. Children who ask questions now will be adults who can figure out answers later.
Being Eurasian [in Hong Kong] has a complicated history. Originally looked down upon as being neither pure Chinese nor pure British, I believe many people now see it as an advantage. I’ve always embraced and felt lucky to have the best of both worlds and being able to choose between them. In education, it’s been an advantage understanding different perspectives and offering cross-cultural learning.
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Above Hotung with her sister, Nicola, in 1974 (Photo: Courtesy of Joanna Hotung)
Hotung with her sister, Nicola, in 1974 (Photo: Courtesy of Joanna Hotung)
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I’m most impressed by [the next generation’s] courage. They’re far more willing to speak up against injustices and think with a societal and community focus. I’m particularly keen to bridge the gap between the passion and advocacy of young people, and the deep knowledge and expertise of older generations. How can we get older people to listen to innovative and diverse new concepts, and how can younger people articulate themselves in ways that will resonate with people in power? This is the area I’m most focused on at the moment: working in early careers mentoring and incubating start-ups.
My career has largely been about people. In more than 26 years of running learning organisations and with 80,000 young people having passed through our doors, we’ve had our fair share of triumphs and tragedies shared with our staff and client families. However, we created a very special ecosystem of creativity and learning where lawyers, doctors, teachers and a whole range of others now regularly come up to me and thank me for the arts classes they took when they were young.
I would love to be remembered as someone who made the most of the opportunities given to me, was brave enough to take risks and try new adventures, and made a positive impact on others.
Credits
Photography: Affa Chan/Tatler Hong Kong
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As Content Director at Tatler Hong Kong, Tara shapes the brand's editorial vision across social, digital and print. She also drives the planning and execution of Tatler's flagship IPs. In her dual role as Head of VIP, she reports on Asia's most influential figures — from CEOs and leaders across business, style and the arts — curates star-studded events, and builds the relationships and communities that define the brand. Born and raised in the Middle East, she honed her craft in Dubai, crafting communication strategies for luxury brands across the Gulf. Follow her on Instagram @tarasobti.
