RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
and hundreds of amateur groups, including orchestras, bands, choirs, dance groups and drama clubs. The Urban and Regional Councils run arts venues throughout Hong Kong, so that access to culture is no longer confined to people living in the main urban areas. The two councils have also become patrons of the arts in their own right, either by funding performing groups directly, or assisting them with presentations.
Council for the Performing Arts
The government's support to the performing arts is co-ordinated by the Secretary for Recreation and Culture, who works closely with the Council for the Performing Arts. The council, which comprises 15 appointed and two official members, is responsible for advising the government on the development of the performing arts and the disbursement of funds on performing arts activities. It has expert committees on specific aspects of the arts, including music, drama, dance, arts services and Chinese opera, and also advises on general issues such as business sponsorship.
The council continued its efforts to promote business sponsorship through the match- ing grant scheme under which arts groups receive a dollar for each dollar of business sponsorship they secure, up to a maximum of $100,000 for each project, and a reception was held in April to present commemorative certificates to sponsors. With the objective to promote original scriptwriting, the council presented its awards for outstanding original scripts for the second year consecutively. To mark its 10th anniversary, the council published a report covering developments in the performing arts in Hong Kong during the period 1982 to 1992.
On the advice of the Council for the Performing Arts, four performing arts organi- sations, the Chung Ying Theatre Company, the Hong Kong Ballet, the City Contem- porary Dance Company and the Hong Kong Arts Festival, received general support grants totalling about $27.6 million in 1992-3. In addition, $3 million was awarded to the Exploration Theatre, $1 million to the Hong Kong Sinfonietta as seeding grants and about $3.6 million to other local performing arts groups as grants for individual projects. Among these were a music project to promote the understanding and appreciation of contemporary music and music creativity among school pupils and a project to provide training and performance opportunities for emerging Cantonese opera performers.
The survey commissioned by the council to assess the population's attitude to the arts was completed. The results of the survey provide empirical data for planning and resource allocation for performing arts development and will also be useful for audience building and other purposes.
Performing Groups
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra entered its 17th professional season under its Music Director David Atherton, Principal Guest Conductor Kenneth Jean and Resident Conductor Yip Wing-sie. The 92-strong orchestra is funded by the Urban Council, but it also receives contributions from the business community and individuals.
During 1992, the orchestra gave 121 performances in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the City Hall and other places throughout the territory. Thirty per cent of these per- formances was for students.
URBAN COUNCIL PUBLIC LIBRARIES
REFERENCE LIBRARY
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