HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
261
I earnestly hope that every Member present will give thought to this issue. The Democratic Party maintains that freedoms of artistic creation and performance be upheld in the community, so that eventually it will be able to sparkle in the fields of thought and creation. In order that this piece of land is nourished, the determination to maintain freedoms of art and expression should be established through the Council's policies as well as its funding policy and system.
We recognize that Hong Kong's art groups environment today is often criticized as one in which the poor become poorer while the rich become richer. The 'rich' refers to the performing companies under the Council's auspices, which are bodies fully subsidized by us. Within the limited resources, there is no carefully devised means for further development to allow other performance groups space for existence. As for those performing groups under the Council, neither have we proposed an effective direction towards gradual reduction in our provision to them, so that the resources thus saved can be allocated to the others. We have not been able to propose a policy direction so that these civilian performing groups may have a chance to be sowed and grow.
The Democratic Party would like to take this opportunity to propose that the Council should consider a way forward for its long-term funding policy. In other words, the civilian performing groups should be allowed to present a long-term plan in place of the existing piece-meal arrangement whereby their individual proposal is submitted to the Department for approval, because under such an arrangement, it is very difficult for them to draw up any long-term programme to secure space for survival.
Lastly, I wish to point out that in Chinese history, the Spring and Autumn Period and the Era of Warring States witnessed the greatest freedom of thought, in which different schools of thoughts flourished. Then, in a wink, there was the extreme situation with Emperor Qin burning books and burying scholars, thereby smothering the development of culture. In no time, the era of Emperor Hanwu was ushered in. The different schools were banned and only Confucianism dominated. However, this was hardly a good direction for development.
In the cultural and historical development of the Western world, we witness open societies in which the ability to create is constantly nourished so that it radiates as it should. I earnestly hope that the community of the Chinese race, which has been in existence for some two thousand years, will make use of the rare chance in Hong Kong by upholding the tradition of open-mindedness. It is also hoped that the chance will be made use of to enable China to evolve gradually into a more open society, so that our ability to think and create will further be enhanced. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
Page 262 of 654
Page 262 of 654
Page 262 of 654