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RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
The territory's residents now have access to a wide range of leisure activities. Many of these are provided by the two municipal councils (the Urban and Regional Councils), which are autonomous bodies empowered to formulate policies for the provision and management of cultural and recreational facilities in their respective areas. They build and operate games halls and pitches, swimming pools and parks, museums, libraries and other recreational facilities, as well as organising and supporting a host of cultural, sporting and recreational activities.
The government's policies on recreation, sport, culture and heritage matters are co- ordinated by the Recreation and Culture Branch, headed by the Secretary for Recreation and Culture. He is assisted by several expert bodies, including the Hong Kong Arts Develop- ment Council, Antiquities Advisory Board, Hong Kong Sports Development Board and Hong Kong Sports Institute. Many other individuals and associations play an essential role in creating and improving opportunities for leisure activities in Hong Kong.
The Arts
The bustling lifestyle in Hong Kong and its cosmopolitan outlook, blending the best of East and West, provide local artists with an abundance of raw material from which to draw inspiration for their work. The role of the government is to create a social environment in which the arts can flourish. In the past two decades, a partnership has been built up between the government, the municipal councils, the community at large and the various arts groups and individual artists. Hong Kong now has a rich cultural calendar throughout the year.
There are eight professional performing companies, in addition to hundreds of amateur groups, and 17 major cultural venues situated at accessible locations throughout the territory. The opportunities for community participation in arts activities, for the widening of the artistic horizon of its people and for Hong Kong to make an impact on the world stage have been substantially increased.
The rapid development of the arts has brought about a stronger demand from the arts community for greater participation in the decision-making process affecting the arts. In response to the feedback collected during an arts policy review consultation exercise conducted in 1993, the government appointed a working group to draw up detailed recommendations for the setting up of a new arts council to replace the Council for the Performing Arts. Based on proposals made by the working group, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council was established on April 15, 1994.
Hong Kong Arts Development Council
The council commenced functioning as a non-statutory advisory body, with a view to being transformed into a statutory body with executive powers in 1995. Its prime mission is to plan, promote and support the broad development and appreciation of, and participation in, the arts, placing particular emphasis on the literary, performing and visual arts. In addition to the annual block grant of $40 million previously given to the Council for the Performing Arts and the $30 million Arts Development Fund under the Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation, a capital grant of $100 million has been provided as seed money in support of arts activities and development, to be allocated on advice given by the council.
The council comprises 16 non-official and four ex-officio members. It has six committees to handle specific subjects and to help formulate long-term strategic plans.