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TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1984
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DISTRICT BOARDS' ROLE IN ARTS MOVEMENT EXPLAINED
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DISTRICT BOARDS ARE PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROMOTING AND COORDINATING DISTRICT ARTS, THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
HE SAID THAT THE BOARDS WERE ALSO CONSOLIDATING, AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, THE GROUNDS IN WHICH ARTS WOULD TAKE ROOT AND GROW INTO MATURITY,
MR WIGGHAM WAS SPEAKING ON DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE PROMOTION OF THE ARTS+ AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE START OF DISTRICT BOARDS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 1980'S COINCIDED WITH A TIME WHEN ARTS IN HONG KONG BEGAN TO GAIN MORE SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION IN THE COMMUNITY,
AS EXAMPLES, HE CITED THE ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWING POPULARITY OF THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL AND THE FESTIVAL OF ASIAN ARTS, THE SUCCESS OF THE HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC, THE HONG KONG BALLET, THE HONG KONG REPERTORY AND VARIOUS DANCE COMPANIES.
LAST YEAR, HE SAID, A TOTAL OF $5.18 MILLION WAS SPENT BY THE 18 DISTRICT BOARDS ON ARTS AND CULTURE AND MORE WOULD BE SPENT ON DANCE, DRAMA, CHOIRS, ORCHESTRA AS WELL AS SEMINARS, TALKS AND EXHIBITIONS THIS YEAR.
MR WIGGHAM SAID THE INVOLVEMENT OF DISTRICT BOARDS IN THE ARTS TOOK VARIOUS FORMS.
WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF DISTRICT OFFICES, DISTRICT BOARDS WERE OFTEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE ORGANISATION OF DISTRICT ARTS ACTIVITIES, RANGING FROM MIME SHOWS AND CANTONESE OPERA TO PAINTING AND CALLIGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS, DANCE OR ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCES AND VARIETY SHOWS.
+WHEN DISTRICT BOARDS ARE NOT DIRECTLY ORGANISING SUCH ACTIVITIES, THEY MAINTAIN CLOSE RELATIONS WITH THEIR DISTRICT ARTS ASSOCIATIONS, HE SAID.
THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THESE ASSOCIATIONS WORKED HAND IN HAND TOWARD THE COMMON OBJECTIVE OF PROMOTING INTEREST IN THE ARTS AND RAISING THEIR STANDARD, HE SAID.
MR WIGGHAM ADDED THAT DURING THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS, MANY DISTRICT ARTS ASSOCIATIONS LOOKED TO THE DISTRICT BOARDS FOR FINANCIAL AND ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT IN ORDER NOT TO LOSE THEIR MOMENTUM, AND A CONSIDERABLE PORTION OF THE $5 MILLION DB FUNDS WAS SPENT ON ACTIVITIES JOINTLY ORGANISED WITH THEM.
/HE SALD