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RECREATION AND THE ARTS
responsibilities of the Central Committee on Youth, formed in May, is to advise the government on territory-wide youth activities including the Summer Youth Programme and their funding.
The Summer Youth Programme Committee undertakes co-ordination work and appro- priates funds among the District Co-ordinating Committees which organise district activities, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and relevant government departments which run different cultural and recreational programmes as well as social service projects.
Youth Hostels
The Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association is a charitable organisation providing outdoor leisure opportunities for young people. The number of annual members was around 30 000, being mainly in the 18-to-26 age group.
The association runs a number of hostels. The redeveloped Pak Sha O Hostel, situated in one of the more attractive areas of the Sai Kung Country Park, continued to be one of the most popular hostels. The Governor visited the Pak Sha O Hostel in April, in- specting the new buildings and talking to some of the people staying there. Plans to develop a third hostel, at Sai Wan Tsui, progressed during the year, with agreement in principle being given by the government on a site. Plans for the building were being drawn up by the architects.
Running costs are covered by membership fees and overnight charges for use of hostels. Capital expenditure is met by the association's own fund-raising activities and by grants from charitable institutions. Hostel sites are provided by the government.
Culture Division
The Culture Division of the Municipal Services Branch is responsible for the formulation and coordination of government's policies on culture. With the advice of the Council for the Performing Arts, it administers the disbursement of government subsidies to various performing arts bodies.
The division also supervises the work of the Books Registration Office and the Antiquities and Monuments Office, and provides secretariat service to the Council for the Performing Arts as well as the Antiquities Advisory Board.
Council for the Performing Arts
The Council for the Performing Arts was established in 1982 to advise the government on the development and needs of the performing arts in Hong Kong. It currently has 15 unofficial and three official members.
Government funds for the promotion of performing arts in Hong Kong are disbursed on the advice of the council. To encourage and foster artistic excellence in the performing arts, the council devised a Grant Award Scheme. It also operates an Assessor Scheme to provide additional audience response to local groups.
In 1986, the council awarded General Support Grants to the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society, the Hong Kong Conservatory of Music, the Hong Kong Academy of Ballet, the Chung Ying Theatre Company, the City Contempor- ary Dance Company, and the Seals Players Foundation.
More than 20 Project Grants were also awarded to artists and organisations in various disciplines of the performing arts. This represented a significant increase in numbers, as well as an extension in the scope of government support to the performing arts.