RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS
Hong Kong Arts Centre
The mission of the Hong Kong Arts Centre is to nurture creativity, arts and cultural engagement through its two-pronged approach in promoting contemporary performing arts and visual arts as well as film and video arts and providing lifelong and life-wide arts education.
Home to artists' bold and creative explorations, the Arts Centre in 2002 featured numerous presentations in various art forms, including film and video arts programmes In Praise of Godard and The 7th Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards 2001; visual arts programmes Toys Paradise and Young Artists' Exhibitions; and performing arts programmes WAVE 2002 and Little Asia Theatre Exchange Network.
Established in 2000, the Art School, which is the Art Centre's education arm, offers integrated programmes ranging from short courses to certificate, diploma, higher diploma, associate degree, first degree and higher degree courses. These courses cover the Humanities and five academic areas: Fine Arts, Applied Arts, Media Arts, Arts Education and Arts Management. More than 7 000 students were enrolled in 2002. Activities included research and development projects Developing Drama-in-Education and Pilot Project on Life-wide Learning in the Arts; academic conference Theatre in School Conference; and artist-in-residence schemes Residency Project for Renowned International Visual Artists and Professional Diploma in Media Arts (Master Class). In addition, there were training courses such as refresher training courses for primary and secondary school teachers on the use of information technology in education.
Performing Arts Groups
Chung Ying Theatre
In 2002, the Chung Ying Theatre Company focused on development of its Playwrights' Theatre. Through its creative team, the company continued to participate in theatre-in-education, and promoted original plays including The Passage, Alive in the Mortuary, Cross-mopolitan and Men and Dog. In addition, a newly commissioned classic play, Hobson's Choice, was presented. A musical play, Eleven Cats, was the final performance of the season. A school tour entitled Lady, Son, the Hong Kong People was arranged in secondary schools.
City Contemporary Dance Company
The City Contemporary Dance Company is a modern dance company that endeavours to rally the best Chinese talents in creating dance in the contemporary context of China. In 2002, the company launched a Dance Season and presented five full-evening programmes including 365 Ways of Doing and Undoing Orientalism by its Artistic Director, Willy Tsao; Nine Songs by Helen Lai, Tan Dun and Tim Yip; The Tragedy of Mr O by Helen Lai; and two mixed bills by various choreographers. The company's Education and Outreach Department offers year-round comprehensive dance courses for both adults and children, and presents outdoor performances as part of its activities to reach out to the community.
The Fringe Club
The Fringe Club is located in a historic building in Central. It has two theatres, two art galleries, a Fotogalerie, a rehearsal studio, a pottery studio and showroom, a
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