The promotion of the appreciation of Chinese opera has always been a key objective. Being one of the major advocates of the Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Cooperation Conference, the second Cantonese Opera Day continued to be organised on the last Sunday in November. The event was part of the series named Bravo! A Cantonese Opera Fiesta! for promoting Cantonese Opera in November/December. Throughout the year, the LCSD presented newly commissioned Cantonese opera works and Chinese opera highlights from other regions including the Zhejiang Little Hundred-Flower Yue Opera Troupe, a young cast Kunqu Opera The Peony Pavilion, the China Peking Opera Theatre, and Chinese Operatic Arts Series 2004 featuring five different operatic genres.
The department continues to cooperate with other bodies, and has sponsored or jointly organised cultural activities with consulates general and cultural institutions to promote cultural exchange. Major projects included the Year of France in China programmes, Musicarama co-presented by Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Ltd and Hong Kong Composers' Guild, and the 5th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival jointly organised with the Hong Kong Harmonica Association and King's Harmonica Quintet.
Entertainment Programmes
During the year, 661 carnivals and entertainment programmes were organised by the LCSD in parks, playgrounds, community halls as well as in the department's cultural venues. These covered a variety of performing arts presentations and attracted more than one million people.
Outdoor entertainment extravaganzas included the Spring Lantern Festival, Summer Fun Gala, Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival, Christmas Fun Gala and New Year's Eve Countdown Carnival. To celebrate the Spring Lantern and Mid-Autumn Festivals, spectacular lantern displays promoting traditional Chinese culture were put up at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza and the Kowloon Park respectively and attracted thousands of tourists and local residents. The newly introduced Waving in Music concert series to promote the appreciation of Jazz and popular Western music was staged in Stanley and Sai Kung during the summer. The Asian Ethnic Cultural Programmes drew an enthusiastic response from local people and tourists as well as Asian nationals living in Hong Kong.
Arts Education and Audience-building Projects
The LCSD places emphasis on promoting and increasing public access to the arts through educational and audience-building programmes.
During the year, the department held 853 arts education and audience-building activities. The School Culture Day Scheme mobilised schools to bring their students to the department's performing venues, museums and libraries during school hours. The School Arts Animateur Scheme sought collaboration with local performing arts groups to offer arts training programmes at schools.
Arts education and audience-building activities organised for the community included the Artist-in-residence Scheme which offered workshops and arts training