HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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relevant art medium. To use the facilities, applicants are only required to submit a completed application form together with copies of supporting documents. Applications can be submitted in person or by mail. All applications are vetted by the department with the assistance of an independent panel of two Honourary Advisers of the Museum of Art, to ensure that only bookings from applicants who know how to use the equipment properly and safely are accepted.
Currently, ordinary bookings for the studios are accepted 3 months in advance while late bookings are accepted 6 weeks in advance. Bookings are for sessions of 3 hours each, but artists may book any number of consecutive sessions for creative work if required which should be more than adequate and to the artists' own satisfaction. Competitive bookings are considered by the vetting panel based on need. To-date, no complete application has been rejected and there has been no accidents in the studios either. The current lead time of 6 weeks is being monitored, to see if the procedures can be meaningfully further streamlined for convenience.
THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the Visual Arts Centre in Hong Kong Park have been criticized by artists and members of the public as not catering to the needs particularly with regard to usage. In the past 13 months, for the sculpture and print-making studios, the usage rate was only 17% and 10%. They are on the low side. I would like to know whether the Museums Select Committee can consider reviewing the usage rates and cooperating with some artist associations e.g. Association of Sculptures or Print-makers to organize more activities or to strengthen contacts so as to boost better the usage rate and to maximise the resources. Can that be done?
MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the suggestion is worthy of consideration. I believe that the Museums Select Committee will carefully consider that. But we have to bear in mind that in my previous reply I stated that with regard to sculpture which nature differs from the other art forms, as it demands higher expertise, it might have therefore become relatively less popular. During the design phase of the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, we have already taken into account the relationship between supply and demand of the facilities for the artists and the public. But the need or otherwise should reflect the state of affairs of the current negligence on these 2 art forms within the overall visual arts policy.
THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese): I would like to ask a follow-up question. As no studio for oil painters has been provided in the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, the artists and the public regard the naming of Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre not appropriate. Can we consider making more publicity or correcting the name of the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre?
MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK (in Cantonese): The question is not difficult to answer. The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre is designed to provide well
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