SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 1985
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ARTS SUPPORT COULD BENEFIT BUSINESS SIR PHILIP
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SUPPORT OF THE ARTS THROUGH SPONSORSHIP CAN BE AS BENEFICIAL TO THE BUSINESS CORPORATIONS CONCERNED AS IT IS TO THE COMMUNITY THE DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE SAID THIS (SUNDAY) EVENING.
+ IT IS IMAGE BUILDING IN THAT IT ASSOCIATES THE CORPORATION WITH THE CULTURAL LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY AND YET, AT THE SAME TIME, IT HELPS THE LESS WELL-OFF TO ENJOY WHAT OTHERWISE MIGHT BE RESTRICTED TO THE MORE AFFLUENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, HE SAID.
SPEAKING AT THE GALA OPENING OF THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL 1985, SIR PHILIP POINTED OUT THAT IN MANY COUNTRIES PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANISATIONS PLAYED A VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SUPPORT OF THE
ARTS.
+THIS IS A TREND, I AM HAPPY TO SAY, THAT IS NOW GATHERING MOMENTUM HERE, ALONGSIDE THE MORE TRADITIONAL SUPPORT FORTHCOMING FROM INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPISTS AND SUCH INSTITUTIONS AS THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB, HE NOTED.
SIR PHILIP DESCRIBED AS +MOST ENCOURAGING THAT CORPORATIONS WERE COMING TO RECOGNISE THE BENEFITS OF SUCH SPONSORSHIP.
+CREDIT MUST BE GIVEN TO THE ARTS FESTIVAL SOCIETY FOR TAKING A LEADING ROLE IN GENERATING THIS FORM OF SUPPORT AND I KNOW THAT MANY EVENTS THIS YEAR ARE BEING WELL SPONSORED BY BUSINESS CORPORATIONS - MORE SO THAN LAST YEAR.
+CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP WILL BE OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO RELY ON THE PUBLIC PURSE TO FINANCE THE SORT OF EXPANSION OF THE ARTS WE HAVE WITNESSED IN RECENT YEARS, HE SAID.
HE PAID TRIBUTE TO THE URBAN COUNCIL FOR BEING THE PRIME MOVER IN BRINGING THE ARTS TO THE PEOPLE BY EXPANDING THE FACILITIES AVAILABLE*.
HE SAID THE PUBLIC AUDITORIA IN HONG KONG HAD ONLY SOME 4 000 SEATS IN 1979, AND WERE EXPANDED TO ALMOST 27 000 SEATS. BY 1990 THERE WOULD LIKELY BE MORE THAN 40 000.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS BY THE JOCKEY CLUB AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD PRODUCE HOME GROWN TALENT TO MEET OUR CULTURAL NEEDS, SIR PHILIP ADDED.
HE ALSO DWELT ON THE THRIVING LOCAL ARTS SCENE WITH THE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, CANTONESE OPERA AND MANY OTHER LOCAL GROUPS, THAT BROUGHT +ENJOYMENT AND PROFESSIONALISM TO THE ARTS+.
+THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL SOCIETY HAS DONE A GREAT DEAL TO INSPIRE THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS IN HONG KONG, AND WE ALL OWE A CONSIDERABLE DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO SIR RUN RUN SHAW AND HIS COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR DEVOTION TO THIS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AND INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS,+ HE SAID.