RECREATION AND THE ARTS
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The main feature of the town hall is a 1,400-seat multi-purpose auditorium, similar to that of the City Hall concert hall in design, but with modifications to suit both concert and theatrical performances. Other facilities include an exhibition gallery, a cultural activities hall, a lecture room, a conference room, a music book shop and a coffee lounge.
The Tsuen Wan Town Hall is administered by the Cultural Services Department and managed by a committee comprising representatives from the government, the Tsuen Wan District Advisory Board and local community organisations. Apart from making the facilities available for hire, the management presents various cultural and artistic pro- grammes of its own. During the year, about 533,210 people attended 33 performances and 314 exhibitions in the new centre.
To mark the opening of the new town hall, the Second Tsuen Wan Arts Festival was held there from late February to mid-March, and was very well received. Twenty-seven performances were given at the town hall, in addition to 10 outdoor programmes, four exhibitions and eight lectures. Featured on the programme were the Hong Kong Philhar- monic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Academy Ballet Company, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Kefka Mime Troupe of West Germany. A 93 per cent attendance was recorded for the performances, while 325,000 people visited the exhibitions.
The government plans to build cultural complexes similar to the Tsuen Wan Town Hall in the new towns of Sha Tin and Tuen Mun in the New Territories.
Music and Ballet
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The Hong Kong Academy of Ballet and the Hong Kong Conservatory of Music continued to expand their activities during 1980. For the academic year starting in the autumn, the conservatory enrolled an additional 15 students, making a total of 28 students, while the academy took a further 11 students bringing its total enrolment to 18. During the year, the government agreed to support the Conservatory of Music by granting an annual subvention towards its running costs.
A highlight of the year for the Academy of Ballet - Hong Kong's first professional ballet school - was its official opening in April, some 17 months after it began operating with a small nucleus of dancers.
In addition, the Hong Kong Ballet Group performed regularly to enthusiastic audiences. Among its presentations were Coppelia in January, On Stage 1980 in May; a varied programme for the Festival of Youth and the Arts in July; and Sleeping Beauty in September.
Of particular note during the year was the study of dance activities in Hong Kong conducted by two British experts. Commissioned by the Secretary for Home Affairs, and funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music Fund, the study covered all forms of dance in Hong Kong, and made recommendations for the further development of dance activities. The Programme Plan for Music and the Performing Arts was also completed in 1980. This plan was drawn up by the government, in consultation with interested unofficials and with the UMELCO Cultural Affairs Group, to review provisions for music and the per- forming arts in Hong Kong and to make recommendations on their future development.
Music Office
The Music Office, formerly known as the Music Administrator's Office, was set up in 1977 to promote music training and activities for young people. During 1980, the scope of its activities was further expanded, and 379 classes were conducted each week as part of the