RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
The three auditoria in the Hong Kong Arts Centre: Shouson Theatre (439 seats), Lim Por Yen Film Theatre (193 seats) and McAulay Studio (80 seats) offer excellent venues for performance presentation. Other venues and facilities include the Pao Galleries, Atrium Gallery, Zeman Media Centre, Watari Computer Centre (PC & Mac Lab), Helen Chung Seminar Room, rehearsal rooms, art and craft studios, music practice rooms and classrooms. Outside organisations are encouraged to make full use of its facilities as a community resource.
Highlights of the programmes this year included: the 100 per cent local arts festival Festival NOW '98; the exhibitions Focus on the Frontline '97, HK Reincarnated: New Archaeological Discoveries; the film programmes The Raging Sixties, HK Queer Film & Video Festival 1998; the performing arts programmes DemiSoda OnStage, All Independent Dance Series, Little Asia '98; and special projects Story-telling competition, Beijing Teens Art Camp, Art in Hospital Project, and European Museum Tour.
Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund was set up in 1980 with a donation of $10 million from the Hong Kong Jockey Club for the promotion and development of music and dance. It is a non-statutory trust fund, administered by a board of trustees. In 1994, the Jockey Club provided a further capital injection of $22 million to meet the increase in demand for
support.
During 1998, the fund awarded eight scholarships and 175 grants totalling $4.47 million. The scholarships enabled young people to pursue an integrated programme of post-diploma studies, post-graduate studies or professional training in music or dance studies outside Hong Kong at world-renowned institutions. The grants helped local schools and organisations to acquire or repair musical instruments and dance equipment, and to set up orchestras or dance groups.
Music Office
The Music Office, jointly managed by the provisional municipal councils, promotes general music education among the public, especially among young people, through the provision of music training and music promotion activities.
The Music Office hosted 936 trainees and 726 students in a total of 732 instrumental music training classes and 90 outreach interest classes, respectively, in 1998. Besides major annual events such as the summer music camp, music interflows and overseas concert tour, 291 outreach educational programmes were organised for 131 311 participants during the year.
Cultural Events
Hong Kong Arts Festival
Since 1973, the annual Hong Kong Arts Festival has been regarded as a major international arts festival. The 1998 festival presented 33 programmes including eight commissions featuring local talent. It was well received with 88 316 tickets sold, averaging 89 per cent attendance. Highlights included the opera Salome with Maria Ewing; the rock musical The Black Rider, directed by Robert Wilson; the National Dance Company from Spain; the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra and festival
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