SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1990
TWENTY YEARS AGO, IT (HONG KONG) WAS CALLED A CULTURAL DESERT, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR APPRECIATING THE ARTS USUALLY TOOK THE FORM OF IMPORTING OVERSEAS ARTS GROUPS ON RARE OCCASIONS FOR THE ENJOYMENT THE MINORITY
EXPATRIATE HIGH
GROUP INCOME
-
A LARGELY COMMUNITY," MRS LAU SAID.
OF
IN
THE
LAU
SAID
SURFACE" AND A
LOT
HAD
COMMENTING ON BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP FOR THE ARTS, MRS
JUST "SCRATCHED
ONLY
THE
HONG KONG HAD DEPENDED ON AD HOCKERY AND PHILANTHROPY.
"WE INTEND TO CHANGE THAT," MRS LAU SAID.
"DESPITE THE FACT THAT HONG KONG IS NOT AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY, WITH LITTLE POLITICAL CLOUT TO SPEAK OF IN ATTRACTING MAJOR BUSINESS SPONSORS OF THE ARTS, THE POTENTIAL IS VERY MUCH THERE," SHE SAID.
KONG IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, MRS LAU SAID, HONG ENCOURAGED THE GROWTH OF LOCAL HONG KONG BALLET, THE CHUNG CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY,
ARTISTIC YING
HAD VIGOROUSLY FOR TALENTS,
THEATRE
COMPANY
AND
THE EXAMPLE,
THE CITY
TO
ΤΟ TURN RESPONDING MERELY TO THE
"THE QUESTION IS HOW TO ATTRACT BUSINESS SPONSORS SUPPORTING THESE LOCAL TALENTS INSTEAD OF BIG NAMES FROM OVERSEAS," SHE ADDED.
MRS LAU SAID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FELT THAT MORE BUSINES9
HELP SPONSORSHIP SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO
FUND THE BURGEONING ARTS
GROUPS.
"THROUGH THE COUNCIL FOR PERFORMING ARTS, THE GOVERNMENT FEELS FORMS AND то IT SHOULD RETAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEVELOPING NEW ART ENCOURAGE EXPERIMENTAL ARTS GROUP THROUGH
GRANTS, MRS LAU
SAID.
SEEDING
tr
TO
SHE POINTED OUT THAT THE COUNCIL HAD RECENTLY INTRODUCED
BUSINESS PLEDGED MATCHING GRANTS WHEREBY FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT A SPONSOR A PERFORMING ARTS GROUP, IT PROVIDED ANOTHER DOLLAR.
"THIS MATCHING GRANT SCHEME HAS KICKED OFF WITH HK$1 MILLION
IS INTENDED TO DRAWN FROM THE COUNCIL'S ANNUAL VOTE, AND
ENCOURAGE BOTH BUSINESS AND PERFORMING GROUPS TO EXPERIENCE THE MUTUAL BENEFITS OF ASSISTING BUSINESS WITH THE ARTS, SHE SAID.
11
A
NUMBER OF AND HAD
MRS LAU SAID THIS TWO-MONTH-OLD SCHEME HAD DRAWN ENQUIRIES FROM BOTH THE BUSINESS SECTOR AND THE ARTS GROUPS, SUCCESSFULLY MATCHED TWO PROJECTS.
CO-OPERATION
FOUND
IN
BETWEEN THE THE RECENT
SHE ADDED THAT AN EXAMPLE OF CLOSE
SECTOR COULD BE GOVERNMENT AND THE BUSINESS FORMATION OF A FOUNDATION OF BUSINESS IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS (FBSA).
"THROUGH THE INITIATIVE OF THE MANAGING DIRECTOR THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDING SUPPORT WHERE NECESSARY, THIS NOW IN ITS FORMATIVE STAGE," SHE SAID.
OF DHL WITH FOUNDATION IS
/"ITS OBJECTIVE