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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
groups being invited are mostly first-class international groups and therefore their hiring charge is higher. Furthermore, traveling expenses and hotel accommodation constitute a major expenditure item.
The third part of the question concerns the three performing companies managed by the Council and the one performing group directly funded by the Council.
At present, the three performing companies directly managed by the Council are the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, and the Hong Kong Dance Company. The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra is fully funded by the Council but administratively independent. The Council directly manages or gives full financial support to these four companies because they are the most representative professional groups in Hong Kong in their respective fields. Therefore, we have the responsibility to help them develop artistically to reach international standards. The total amount of expenditure on these four companies for 1995/96 is over $149m, of which 70% is spent on contract staff costs.
As for the other local performing arts groups, the Council mainly supports their performances through presentation, programme sponsorship, rental subsidy, and District Subsidy. Apart from this, we would also commission local performing arts groups to create new works, and through the four Community Arts Centres, we would also promote the Artist-in-Residence scheme. Many of these local groups also receive support from other sources, such as the Hong Kong Regional Council and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. This is considered a healthy arrangement for the sharing of resources.
Regarding the grooming of young artists, many young artists/groups with potential have received Council support through presentation, programme sponsorship, and rental subsidy.
Of course, we can further our studies in these areas and see what areas we can improve, particularly. With the establishment of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, perhaps we should reconsider how the performing groups supported by the Council should co-operate and further co-ordinate with each other. I believe there is definitely much room for consideration. These issues can be carefully studied by the Council's Culture Select Committee and its Working Group on Drafting the Five-Year Plan, and when the proposal for the Five-Year Plan is put forward in the future, comprehensive consultation could be carried out, and more views from the public will be heard.
MR. CHAN Kwok-leung (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, according to the reply of the Chairman of the Culture Select Committee, does it mean there is no policy to accord priority to local or non-governmental performing artists? As regards resources allocation, we notice that overseas performing groups receive more resources than local ones, and at the same time, funding of local performing
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