TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1985
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POLICY ON CULTURAL PRESENTATIONS EXPLAINED
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THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURE SELECT COMMITTEE, MR FREDERICK FUNG, SAID THE URBAN COUNCIL IN DRAWING UP THE ANNUAL CULTURAL PROGRAMMES HAS PLACED EMPHASIS ON DIFFERENT PERFORMING ARTS AS WELL AS A BALANCE BETWEEN OVERSEAS AND LOCAL PRESENTATIONS.
THIS IS AIMED AT INCREASING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF A
VARIETY OF PROGRAMMES TO THE PUBLIC, HE ADDED.
REPLYING TO QUESTIONS BY MR STEPHEN LAU, MR FUNG SAID THAT IN 1983/84, 283 OR 71.3 PER CENT OF THE REGULAR CULTURAL PRESENTATIONS WERE BY LOCAL PERFORMERS WHILE 114 OR 28.7 PER CENT WERE BY OVERSEAS ARTISTS.
AS FOR 1984/85, 357 EVENTS OR 80.4 PER CENT ARE LOCAL PROGRAMMES AND 87 OR 19.6 PER CENT ARE OVERSEAS ONES.
HE EXPLAINED THAT IN SELECTING OVERSEAS PERFORMING GROUPS AND ARTISTS, SEVERAL FACTORS HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED. THESE INCLUDE THE IR ARTISTIC MERITS, THE LIKELY AUDIENCE APPEAL OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAMMES, THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY OF BRINGING THEM TO HONG KONG AND THE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE VENUES DURING THE PROPOSED PERIOD.
+IT HAS BEEN THE NORMAL PRACTICE TO CONSIDER ONLY THOSE OVERSEAS GROUPS AND ARTISTS ON ASIAN TOUR AS THE SHARING OF EXPENSES ON AIR PASSAGE AND FREIGHT AMONG PRESENTERS IN THE ASIAN REGION WOULD REDUCE COSTS TO THE COUNCIL, + MR FUNG SAID.
+BUT HIGH ARTISTIC STANDARD AND A WELL-BALANCED OVERALL PROGRAMME REMAIN THE DOMINANT FACTORS IN DETERMINING THE ENGAGEMENT OF PERFORMING GROUPS AND ARTISTS.
+EFFORTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE SUBSIDY LEVEL OF THE OVERALL CULTURAL PRESENTATIONS PROGRAMME WILL NOT EXCEED 30 PER CENT.+
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