Recreation, Sport and the Arts | 377
Regional and District Civic Centres
The LCSD runs 11 regional and district civic centres: the Sheung Wan Civic Centre and Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre on Hong Kong Island; the Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre and Ko Shan Theatre in Kowloon; and the Sha Tin Town Hall, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Tuen Mun Town Hall, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Yuen Long Theatre, North District Town Hall and Tai Po Civic Centre in the New Territories.
In 2007, the Programme Partnership Scheme was continued at Yuen Long Theatre, North District Town Hall, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Sheung Wan Civic Centre and Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre. Under this scheme, facilities and resources were provided to selected arts groups to organise audience-building programmes and create new works.
Indoor Stadia
The Hong Kong Coliseum and the Queen Elizabeth Stadium are two of the largest multi-purpose indoor stadia in Hong Kong. The 12 500-seat coliseum is a leading venue for pop concerts, musicals, entertainment spectaculars, international sporting events, cultural programmes and large-scale celebrations. The 3 600-seat stadium is suitable for holding sports events,
events, cultural and entertainment performances, school ceremonies, conferences and variety shows.
In 2007, 176 performances were staged in the coliseum and 259 in the stadium attracting over 1 765 000 and 418 000 people respectively.
West Kowloon Cultural District
Following the discontinuation of the Invitation for Proposals process in February 2006, the Government established in April 2006 the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the West Kowloon Cultural District and its three advisory groups to re-examine the need for the core arts and cultural facilities to be provided in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) and the financial implications for developing and operating those facilities. After deliberating for 15 months in close and intensive consultation with the local arts community and related parties, the consultative committee recommended developing 15 performing arts venues and at least 3 hectares of piazza areas, as well as a cultural institution with museum functions (temporarily called the M+) focusing on 20th to 21st century visual culture, and an exhibition centre with focus on arts and culture and creative industry. It also recommended to develop the district as a low-density development with ample open space, embracing a vibrant harbourfront for public enjoyment and closely connected with the neighbourhood community. To realise the WKCD's vision, the consultative committee also recommended that the Government adopt timely measures to enhance the development of cultural software and humanware in Hong Kong.
A three-month Public Engagement (PE) Exercise was carried out from mid- September to mid-December in 2007 to explain the consultative committee's recommendations to the public and to gauge public views on the WKCD project. The WKCD project is among 10 major infrastructure projects proposed by the Chief Executive in his 2007 Policy Address. The results of the PE exercise indicated strong