FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1977
GOVERNOR OPENS ARTS CENTRE
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE SAID, IN OPENING THE ARTS CENTRE THIS EVENING, THAT HONG KONG LOOKED TO THIS CENTRE TO ENSURE THAT THE STANDARD OF THE ARTS HERE WAS STEADILY RAISED AND THE IR SCOPE WIDENED.
HONG KONG WILL ALWAYS BENEFIT FROM THE ART AND ARTISTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, SIR MURRAY ADDED, BUT WE DO LOOK TO THIS CENTRE TO ENSURE THAT THE PRACTICE OF THE ARTS IN HONG KONG AS A GROWING AND VIGOROUS LOCAL PASE WITH LOCAL TALENT RECOGNISED, AND LOCAL ASPIRATIONS DEVELOPED AND FULFILLED. +
+THIS IS AN EXCITING ASSIGNMENT FOR WHICH THE CENTRE HAS NOW BEEN GIVEN THE TOOLS. I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE THAT IN THIS ASSIGNMENT THE CENTRE WILL SUCCEED TO THE GREAT BENEFIT OF THIS CITY, HE SAID,
THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF SIR MURRAY'S SPEECH.
+MUCH TIME HAS ELAPSED SINCE A COMBINATION OF ARTISTIC GROUPS CONCEIVED THE IDEA OF AN ARTS CENTRE. A PROLONGED PERIOD OF GESTATION ENSUED.
+THERE THEN INTERVENED ONE OF THOSE SURGING DEVELOPMENTS WHICH MAKE HONG KONG SUCH AN EXCITING PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE AND WORK.
+THE CATALYST WAS THE BRAVE VENTURE OF AN ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS. THIS FESTIVAL AND WHAT DEVELOPED FROM IT, PROVED THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT POPULAR INTEREST TO ALLOW THE ARTS TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT PART IN THE LEISURE LIFE OF HONG KONG IF THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY WERE OFFERED.
+SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PRESENTATION AND POPULARITY OF THE ARTS, AND IN THIS THE URBAN COUNCIL HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE.
+DEMAND HAS OUTSTRIPPED EXISTING CAPACITY, SO WITHIN FIVE YEARS THERE WILL BE THREE NEW CITY HALLS AND IN ADDITION THE LARGE CULTURAL COMPLEX IN KOWLOON.
+BUT FOR THE ARTS TO FLOURISH WITHIN THESE NEW BUILDINGS, AND FOR THE IR PRESENTATION TO BE BASED ON LOCAL TALENT, THERE MUST BE A CENTRE FOR THEIR PRACTICE AND ENJOYMENT.
+ IT WAS IN THIS SITUATION, TOTALLY UNLOOKED FOR TEN YEARS AGO, THAT THREE EXCEPTIONALLY GENEROUS PEOPLE - SIR RUN RUN SHAW MR. Y.K. PAO AND MADAM CHOW KWAN SUK-YEE, WIDOW OF SIR SHOUSON CHOW - CAME FORWARD WITH LARGE DONATIONS THAT ALLOWED CONSTRUCTION OF THIS CENTRE TO START.
+THESE WERE SUPPLEMENTED BY GENEROUS LOANS BY SOME OF THE BANKS AND THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUE, AND THESE WERE GUARANTEED BY THE GOVERNMENT WHICH ALSO DONATED THE LAND.
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