FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1989
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MR CHUI POINTED OUT THAT RECURRENT PUBLIC SPENDING IN HONG KONG ON THE PERFORMING ARTS LAST YEAR WAS US$23 MILLION. HE SAID THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NOW A TOTAL OF 35,000 SEATS FOR AUDIENCES IN
OF KONG MEANS THAT, EVEN IN AREAS WHERE THE LEVEL
CULTURAL WAS LOW AT PRESENT, ITS DEVELOPMENT WOULD NOT BE STUNTED BY OF PROPERLY EQUIPPED VENUES FOR HOLDING CULTURAL EVENTS.
HONG ACTIVITY ANY LACK
ARE BY
"ON THE ORGANISATIONAL SIDE OUR TWO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS SUPPORTING A WIDE RANGE OF ARTS, CULTURAL AND SPORTING ACTIVITIES SPONSORSHIP, BY DIRECTLY STAGING EVENTS AND BY PROVIDING LONG-TERM FUNDING TO PERFORMING GROUPS," MR CHUI EXPLAINED.
HE SAID THESE INCLUDED THE HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, CHINESE ORCHESTRA, A DANCE COMPANY AND A REPERTORY THEATRE AS WELL FUNDING FOR THE HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL AND THE FESTIVAL FRINGE.
A
AS
POINTING OUT THAT AN IMPORTANT PART IN CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
MR WAS PLAYED BY THE HONG KONG COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS,
CHUI EXPLAINED: "ESTABLISHED IN 1982, THIS BODY HAS KEPT UNDER REVIEW HONG
ARTS KONG'S POLICY FOR DEVELOPING PERFORMING
AND OF ENSURING THAT FUNDING IS AVAILABLE FOR PROMISING PERFORMING GROUPS, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF AN EXPERIMENTAL NATURE OR AT AN EARLY STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT.
H
AT PRESENT THE COUNCIL WAS SUBSIDISING THE HONG KONG BALLET, THE CITY CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY AND THE CHUNG YING THEATRE AND OTHER PERFORMING GROUPS AT A COST OF ABOUT US$3.7 MILLION PER YEAR, MR CHUI SAID.
KONG, MR TO
TURNING TO THE FUTURE OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN HONG CHUI ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WERE NUMBER OF AREAS HONG KONG WISHED DEVELOP INCLUDING CO-ORDINATION IN MATCHING DEMANDS FOR SPONSORSHIP
CORPORATIONS то OF THE ARTS TO THE WILLINGNESS OF
PROVIDE IT. "WE LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING A LOT FROM YOU ON THE WEST COAST IN THIS RESPECT, MR CHUI SAID.
HE NOTED THE UNITED STATES WAS A MAJOR PARTNER IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE CABLE TELEVISION COMPANY.
"WE ARE ALREADY ENJOYING THE BENEFITS OF U.S. EXPERTISE ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE; ON THE PROGRAMMING AND ARTISTIC SIDE, HOWEVER, WE STILL NEED TO DRAW UPON YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE."
WHILE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, MR CHUI IS ALSO ATTENDING THE ANNUAL WESTERN CABLE SHOW IN ANAHEIM, VISITING MUSIC CENTRES AND CULTURAL CENTRES, AND ATTENDING DISCUSSIONS WITH FILM COMPANY EXECUTIVES AND EXECUTIVES OF U.S. WEST INTERNATIONAL.
FOR
HE IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR STEPHEN SELBY, THE COMMISSIONER TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING, MS LILY YAM.
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