RECREATION AND THE ARTS
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Culture Division
The Culture Division of the Recreation and Culture Branch is responsible for the formulation and co-ordination of government policies on culture, including the perform- ing and visual arts, monuments and libraries. With the advice of the Council for the Performing Arts, it administers the disbursement of government subsidies to various performing arts organisations and individuals, and generally caters to the aspirations of the arts scene in Hong Kong.
The division also runs the Books Registration Office and the Antiquities and Monu- ments Office, and provides the secretariat of 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 performing arts in Hong Kong. It comprises 14 appointed and two official members. The council has five committees, covering the areas of development and finance, music, dance, drama and arts services. The Arts Services committee was newly formed in the year to cover the full range of arts administration and logistics, as well as technical arts.
On the advice of the council, five performing arts organisations, the Chung Ying Theatre Company, the Hong Kong Ballet, the City Contemporary Dance Company, the Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Hong Kong Festival Fringe, received general support grants totalling almost $23 million in 1989-90. Also, funds amounting to around six million were awarded to other local performing arts groups as grants for individual projects or as Seeding Grants. The council has high hopes for the new seeding grant concept which is designed to assist the development of promising performing groups towards profes- sional status.
Since 1984, the council has been operating a report-writing scheme whereby a pool of specialists in various performing arts forms are appointed to report on public performances in Hong Kong, providing a valuable pool of information to the council on standards attained in this field. The council places considerable importance on the views of these assessors and arranged a seminar in July which gave them a chance to suggest improve- ments to the working of the scheme.
The council is now planning another major seminar, on business sponsorship of the arts. This will enable representatives of the corporate sector and the leading performing companies to hear the views of overseas experts and to explore the considerable mutual benefits to be derived from well-thought-out sponsorship packages.
Chung Ying Theatre Company
Stepping into their 10th year, the Chung Ying Theatre Company started 1989 with a change in leadership. Under the direction of new Artistic Director Chris Johnson, the company further expanded its work in Theatre for Young People. Peacemaker, a play for 4 to 8-year-olds, launched the company's new season in April. The production toured schools and was staged in the Arts Centre as well as Town Halls such as Tsuen Wan, Tai Po and Tuen Mun. In addition, two new productions for young audiences toured schools in the spring and the autumn - Susumu's Story for 9 to 13-year-olds and Windigo for audiences aged 14 and upwards. Susumu's Story was also presented as part of the International Arts Carnival in the summer.