WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1987
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STRONGER EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS
HONG KONG IS NOW TAKING ITS
RIGHTFUL PLACE AS
AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL CENTRE IN THE REGION, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY IN THIS AREA, HE SAID, WAS TO PROMOTE APPRECIATION, AND PARTICIPATION
IN, OF CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES,
OF LOCAL TALENT AND THE PROVISION OF
"THIS POLICY EMPHASISES the develOPMENT LOCAL PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING COMPANIES AS WELL AS SUITABLE FACILITIES IN WHICH THEY CAN PERFORM, HE ADDED.
**
IN
SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION SUCH FACILITIES. WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE CULTURAL CENTRE AT TSIM SHA TSUI IN MID-1989, HONG KONG WOULD HAVE AS MANY AS 21,000 THEATRE AND CONCERT HALL SEATS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY, WITHOUT COUNTING THE HONG KONG COLISEUM AND THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM WHICH WERE SOMETIMES USED FOR SUCH PERFORMANCES.
SIR DAVID SAID HONG KONG MUST CONTINUE TO DEVELOP LOCAL TALENT TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE FACILITIES AND TO ATTRACT WIDER AUDIENCES.
HE SAID THE ACADEMY FOR PERFORMING ARTS WOULD SOON BE PRODUCING MORE PROFESSIONAL PERFORMERS AND TEACHERS TO MAKE THEIR OWN CONTRIBUTION TO THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS.
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"WHILE DEVELOPING OUR OWN TALENT WE MUST NOT FORGET THE NEED TO ATTRACT TO HONG KONG THE HIGHEST QUALITY PERFORMERS FROM OVERSEAS, SIR DAVID SAID.
HR NOTED THAT THIS HAD ALREADY BEEN HAPPENING ON AN INCREASING SCALE IN RECENT YEARS, ADDING THAT THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL HAD BECOME FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN THE INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL CALENDAR.
TURNING TO SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, SIR DAVID SAID
AND THE GOVERNMENT, THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS
VOLUNTARY SPORTS BODIES AND ASSOCIATIONS HAD ALL PLAYED ACTIVE AND IMPORTANT ROLES IN PROMOTING AND DEVELOPING SUCH ACTIVITIES, BOTH FOR MASS PARTICIPATION AND FOR THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE.
HE SAID THE COUNCIL FOR RECREATION AND SPORT AND THE MUNICIPAL
THIS COUNCILS PLANNED TO PROVIDE OVER $37 MILLION
YEAR TO FUND A VARIETY OF SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL EVENTS.
OF
SIR DAVID ALSO SAID HONG KONG NOW HAD A "REMARKABLE" RANGE SPORTS FACILITIES, INCLUDING 19 FULL-SIZE PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL
AN COMPLEXES WITH
ADDITIONAL FOUR UNDER
27 CONSTRUCTION; MULTI-PURPOSE GAMES HALLS WITH AS MANY AS 26 MORE UNDER CONSTRUCTION: AND THE COLISEUM AND THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM FOR LARGE-SCALE INDOOR SPORTING AND RECREATIONAL EVENTS.
HE ADDED THAT THE 21 COUNTRY PARKS IN THE AS MUCH AS 40 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S LAND MASS, MILLION VISITORS IN 1986-87.
TERRITORY, COVERING RECEIVED NEARLY 10
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