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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
performing companies reveals we have topped over the balance by perhaps 1 to 10, but the effectiveness of resources put in the community is very widespread.
So, I hope my colleagues will bear in mind these 2 principles when you consider our children's art and culture policies. Mr. Chairman, I support today's motion under the above 2 principles. Thank you.
MR. DANIEL TO BOON-MAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I congratulate the mover on the spirit of the original motion. We can see that many outstanding artists were nurtured and cultivated from a very tender age. As such, we realize that the earlier the cultivation starts, the better for the development of children's art and culture.
I have listened to very valuable opinions from my colleagues on this subject, I would like to point out some practical circumstances so that you will not consider the matter from the angle of hardware. Without the participation of parents, the effectiveness of children's art activities will not be high. If activities are not held as comprehensive ones with families as units, there will only be one-sided cultivation. Art, culture and living cannot be separated from real life. Full cultivation by 1 or 2 hours of activities per week is no more than wishful thinking.
I hope you will study first of all the importance of arousing public concern and then secondly how to encourage the public to participate in activities. Viewed from this angle, anyone with good plans for the development of children's potentials and providing art and cultural activities for them should be listened to, be they artists, professional educators or professional art companies. The Council should encourage the design of plans to do so. I hope my opinions as given above will be taken up. Only in this way can we set our feet firmly for the task before us. Mr. Chairman, I have spoken in support of the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):--Does Ms. Au wish to exercise her right of reply? No need. Does Mr. Joseph CHAN Yuek-sut want to speak?
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I support the motion. In fact, the Council has worked towards the promotion of children's art and cultural activities, but we have not done enough. I hope we can devise a plan for the future. First of all, we should support local art and culture groups in the promotion of such activities for children. Secondly, we should strengthen coordination and cooperation among existing children's art and culture groups. Thirdly, we should step up cooperation with the Education Department in providing more art and cultural activities for children. Fourthly, although the Council's resources are limited, we should allocate some of them under sound planning for the provision of territory-wide art and cultural activities for children. Mr. Chairman, I have spoken in support of the motion.
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