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Recreation and the Arts
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THE year 1977 was one of achievement in the arts for Hong Kong. The $30 million Arts Centre opened its doors, the Hong Kong Chinese Music Orchestra and Hong Kong Repertory Theatre became professional and the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Second Festival of Asian Arts drew record audiences.
The rapid development of Hong Kong's cultural scene in the 1970s has occurred in parallel with the development of recreational facilities and programmes, which are dealt with in detail in Chapter One. Apart from the events mentioned above, 1977 also saw the expansion of music education and cultural activities in schools, visits to Hong Kong by a wide range of overseas artists and a continuing interest in all forms of art by all age groups.
Arts Centre
The official opening of the Hong Kong Arts Centre by the Governor on October 14 marked the fulfilment of many years' planning and fund-raising, and the beginning of a new chapter in Hong Kong's cultural history. The Arts Centre contains three auditoria the Shouson Theatre for drama, lyric theatre, music and films; a recital hall for music and films; and a studio theatre for small-scale drama, experimental drama and workshops. The centre also accommodates the Pao Siu Loong Galleries, where exhibitions are displayed on two inter-connecting floors, one of which is adjoined by an outdoor sculpture terrace.
All of these areas were used extensively during the four weeks of celebrations that followed the official opening. An international exhibition included paintings con- tributed by 12 countries on four continents, with an especially fine contribution of impressionist paintings from France. The exhibition also featured paintings and sculptures by more than 80 leading Hong Kong artists. More than 150 events were held in the three auditoria during the opening celebrations. These included Chinese opera, Western and Asian music, Cantonese and English drama, films and lectures, Indian and contemporary dance, traditional arts and modern musical compositions. The juxtaposition of many cultural traditions - from Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, England, India and many other nations and the presence of amateur performers, along with such world famous names as the Amadeus Quartet, gave an indication of the way in which the Arts Centre would stimulate cultural development in the future. The galleries and auditoria cater for the arts in their finished form, but the Arts Centre also aims to encourage practice, study and teaching. Facilities include an artists' studio, music practice rooms, a record listening library, a crafts workshop and a picture-lending library. The 19-storey building also houses a number of other
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