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FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1981
HONG KONG GAINING REPUTATION AS ARTS CENTRE
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HONG KONG IS AT THE BEGINNING OF AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS A GROWING ARTISTIC CENTRE, THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE SAID THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING.
NONE OF US COULD HAVE FORESEEN THIS TEN YEARS AGO, HE SAID.
SIR MURRAY WAS SPEAKING AT THE ARTS FESTIVAL AND ARTS CENTRE GALA AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, WHEN OFFERING A VOTE OF THANKS FOR THE $1 000 000 DONATION MADE BY MR ROBERT KUOK, SIR MURRAY SAID THAT LIKE OTHER HUMAN ENDEAVOURS ARTISTIC ENTERPRISES ARE LIABLE TO THE IR 'FINANCIAL HICCUPS, AND THE ARTS FESTIVAL IS NO EXCEPTION.' IT WOULD BE A TRAGEDY IF AT THIS STAGE FINANCIAL STRINGENCY REDUCED ITS QUALITY, +SO I AM ENORMOUSLY GRATEFUL TO MR KUOK FOR HIS MUNIFICENT DONATION AND ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY I THANK HIM,+ SIR MURRAY SAID.
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH1
+THE GROWTH OF THE PERFORMING ARTS HAS IMMENSELY BRIGHTENED OUR LIVES OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. THE TRANSFORMATION HAS BEEN DELIBERATELY FOSTERED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE URBAN COUNCIL, BUT IT HAS BEEN ENORMOUSLY ASSISTED BY THE GENEROSITY OF SOME LEADING CITIZENS, THE ENTHUSIASTIC INVOLVEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS, AND ABOVE ALL THE EXTRAORDINARY SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC AND PARTICULARLY OF YOUNG PEOPLE.
+IN THIS TRANSFORMATION I THINK IT IS AGREED THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL WAS THE CATALYST. IT FOCUSSED ATTENTION ON THE ARTS AT EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME, WHEN HONG KONG'S MATERIAL PROGRESS WAS BEGINNING TO PERMIT TIME AND MONEY FOR SOMETHING MORE THAN MATERIAL THINGS. THE CULTURAL EXPLOSION THAT FOLLOWED PROVED HOW GREAT WAS THE LATENT TALENT AND INTEREST IN HONG KONG.
+NEXT YEAR WILL SEE THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARTS CENTRE WHOSE REALISATION WAS ITSELF A VALUABLE AND POPULAR PRODUCT OF THIS NEW INTEREST IN THE ARTS. THE CENTRE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY VERY GENEROUS PRIVATE DONATIONS, GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, AND THE ENTHUSIASM AND TALENT OF ITS MEMBERS.
+TEN YEARS AGO NONE OF US COULD HAVE FORESEEN THAT HONG KONG WOULD SOON HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS A GROWING ARTISTIC CENTRE, AND IT IS CLEAR THAT WE ARE JUST AT THE BEGINNING. SO THOSE WHO SUPPORT THE ARTS IN HONG KONG SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WELL.
+LIKE OTHER HUMAN ENDEAVOURS ARTISTIC ENTERPRISES ARE LIABLE TO THEIR FINANCIAL HICCUPS, AND THE ARTS FESTIVAL IS NO EXCEPTION. IT WOULD BE A TRAGEDY IF AT THIS STAGE FINANCIAL STRINGENCY REDUCED ITS QUALITY. SO I AM ENORMOUSLY GRATEFUL TO MR KUOK FOR HIS MUN IF ICENT DONATION AND ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY | THANK HIM.+
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