Tally & Friends

About the project

The Tally & Friends project marks the first-ever collaboration between the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and the School of Design of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU Design). Initiated as a project under the “Co-operative Workshop” of the school, the assignment was meant to engage students in a multi-media campaign for an NGO client driving a social cause. The EOC is very pleased to be able to work together with PolyU Design, a leading design school in both Hong Kong and around the globe, and leverage the creativity of young local design talents to promote messages of equality and diversity to children in Hong Kong. The project demonstrates our commitment to creating a discrimination-free society in which everyone enjoys equal opportunities to participate fully and feels included.

Message

The core of human civilisation is, of course, people. To understand human civilisation, therefore, we need to begin by trying to understand people. And to shape it, we need to start by shaping the minds of people.

For this reason, the EOC has created the Tally & Friends storybook series in partnership with PolyU Design. Throughout history, we have seen too many brutes trying to shape the minds of others to satiate their personal hunger for power. They turn people against one another and divide the world with differences — black versus white, Muslims versus Christians, women versus men — leading to never-ending conflicts on the soil of Earth.

With Tally & Friends, we want to help stop history from repeating itself by making children, our society's future, see and understand how differences can do our world good. This illustrated children book series revolves around Tally, a tall boy who has lived on Planet Diversity and hung out with tall children like himself all his life until he meets characters a lot shorter than him on Earth and learns to see beyond “us versus them”. We hope Tally's story will inspire children as they explore their own identities and the world around them, so that when they grow up to lead our society they will do so with a broad mind and awareness of the true value of diversity, equality, kindness and respect for others.

I would like to thank dearly all the designers and members of staff from PolyU Design involved in this project, for Tally & Friends would not have come into being at all without them. As a character from Tally & Friends said, “love and care should come before everything else”. I enlist the help of parents, educators and in fact all adults to help shape the minds of our future generation in a positive way. Let love lead their way, and ours.

Prof. Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming, SBS, JP
Chairperson
Equal Opportunities Commission

Meet Tally & his friends

Tally

Tally is a basketball fan from Planet Diversity. He is a kind-hearted boy, though he used to have some biases about those who are not like him. But a trip to Earth opened his eyes to the strengths and needs of others. His passion for basketball is what brings him, Jerry, Bolli and Curly together.

Jerry

Jerry was active and happy when he was little. Then he had an accident which made him doubt his abilities and give up his childhood passion. Luckily, Tally is there to encourage him to find his passion again. Jerry is smart and helps the team solve problems time and again.

Curly

Her classmates think of Curly as an outsider because she is not originally from Planet Diversity, but it does not bother Curly. She focuses on things she likes, such as food, and is eager to share with others. Her friends from Planet Diversity and Earth love the desserts she makes.

Bolli

Bolli is often made fun of because she has a big, round body. What Bolli also has is a big, kind heart. She is sensitive to others' feelings. She carries her little brother around in her jumpsuit pocket when their parents are not home.