Mr Mathias WOO

Hong Kong’s pioneering force in arts tech for theatres, as well as a public and cultural policy expert. Through his inventive integration of technology and new media, he has heralded profound changes in contemporary theatre by innovating aesthetic traditions. His advisory and research expertise spans cultural policy, urban architecture, and talent development. Recognised for his professional achievements and expertise in public affairs, Woo is frequently appointed to public office roles by the Hong Kong SAR Government. In these capacities he continues to drive urban cultural exchange, strategic development, and international cooperation.

He currently serves as a member of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, an adjudicator of the China National Arts Fund, a member of the China Literary and Art Critics Association, and a member of the Hong Kong Development and Strategic Research Centre. His extensive past public service includes roles as a member of the Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee (2010–2015), a board member of the Hong Kong Architecture Centre (2007), a member of the Task Force on Economic Challenges (2008), a member of the Committee on Review of Public Service Broadcasting (2006), a member of the Performing Arts and Tourism Committee under the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the West Kowloon Cultural District (2006), a television programme advisor for Radio Television Hong Kong (1999), a member of the Film and Media Arts Committee of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (1995–1997) and a member of Hong Kong Policy Research Institute.

On the international stage, Woo has served as a juror for a programme hosted by National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) in 2021, a jury member for the Japan Prize International Educational Program Contest organised by NHK, and an international juror for the 8th Taishin Arts Award (Performing Arts) in 2010.

In 1996, Woo founded the Hong Kong Development and Strategic Research Centre, serving as its Chairman. The Centre conducts multidisciplinary applied research, focuses on customising strategic, research-informed, data-driven approaches guiding Hong Kong’s long-term development, and provides actionable policy recommendations to the Hong Kong Government and public institutions. During his tenure, Woo initiated landmark studies on arts and cultural policies, including the 1991 and 1993 editions of In Search of Cultural Policy, In Search of Film Policy 97, and In Search of Information Policy 97. He also spearheaded various cultural policy reports and curated the public forums for the First International Conference on Urban Culture in 1997.

His research expertise is often sought after by civic and academic bodies. From 2021 to 2022, he was commissioned by the Architectural Services Department of the HKSAR Government to conduct the Consultancy Study on Design of Children’s Theatre. From 2017 to 2019, he chaired the Hong Kong Belt-Road City-to-City Cultural Exchange Conference and led comprehensive research studies on urban cultural development. In 2018, at the invitation of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, he delivered the Shanghai Theatre Academy Performance Venue Development Strategy Research Report: Stage Technology and Management.

Woo was previously a director of the Hong Kong Contemporary Culture Centre, the founder and editor-in-chief of the cultural magazine E+E, and a founding board member and vice-supervisor of the HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity. Woo, a prolific commentator since the 1980s, writes regularly on culture, architecture, and urban development. His essays and columns have appeared across major media platforms and publications, including Ta Kung Pao, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Ming Pao, China Daily, Wen Wei Po, Hong Kong Economic Times, and Yazhou Zhoukan, just to name a few.

He is frequently invited to lecture at universities and international conferences, including the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shenzhen University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Graduate School of Architecture at Yokohama National University, and the Shanghai Vancouver Film School. In 2023, he was invited by the Shanghai Municipal Government to serve as an expert instructor for a specialised training programme dedicated to the development of the cultural and performing arts industries.

In broadcasting, Woo collaborated with Asia Television Limited (ATV) between 2011 and 2015 to produce and host over 500 episodes of current affairs and general knowledge programmes, successfully translating socio-political issues into engaging, accessible television. As a screenwriter, he co-wrote the screenplay for Run Papa Run (2008) alongside Sylvia Chang and Chan Suk Yin, which earned a nomination for Best Screenplay at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards. He also collaborated with Sylvia Chang on Happy Birthday (2007), receiving a Best Screenplay nomination at the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards.

Woo’s multidisciplinary works in theatre and design have garnered international recognitions. In 2025, Woo won the Best Adapted Play at the 9th Chinese Theatre Awards for his work Left Unsaid. He has also received numerous accolades, including the Grand Award and Gold Award at the East Creative Award (ECA), the International Design Award (IDA), and the Kyoto Global Design Award. His further honours include the ICVA Merit Award from the International Council of Visual Arts, Second Prize at the 8th Global Competition on Design for Future Education, and the Bronze Award for Integrated Design at the 2024 Kan Tai-keung (KTK) Design Award. Additionally, he has been recognised with the Taiwan Golden Pin Design Award (2023), Germany’s Red Dot Award for Brands & Communication Design (2020), the A’ Design Award (2019), and several international accolades from the DFA Design for Asia Awards, among many other distinctions.