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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1993
MORE FUNDS FOR NEW PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS WELCOMED
CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (CFPA) + PROFESSOR WANG GUNGWU, WAS PLEASED WITH THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT $30 MILLION WOULD BE INJECTED INTO THE SIR DAVID TRENCH FUND FOR RECREATION FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF HELPING THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS.
HE SAID THE INCOME GENERATED FROM THIS CAPITAL INJECTION WOULD BE A MOST WELCOME ADDITION TO THE EXISTING FUNDS ALLOCATED TO THE CFPA TO HELP NEW ARTS GROUPS DEVELOP.
ALTHOUGH THE CAPITAL INJECTION WILL NOT FORM PART OF ITS ANNUAL PROVISION FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THE CFPA WILL NEVERTHELESS BE ASKED ΤΟ ADVISE THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE ON THE PROPER DISBURSEMENT OF THIS ADDITIONAL FUND.
GOVERNMENT'S ANNUAL PROVISION TO THE CFPA BLOCK VOTE IN THE NEW FINANCIAL YEAR OF 1993/94 WILL BE $36.68 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 4 PER CENT FROM THE CURRENT YEAR'S PROVISION OF $35.14 MILLION.
OUT OF THIS, HOWEVER, A SUM OF $31 MILLION HAS BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE PROFESSIONAL AND SEMI-PROFESSIONAL GROUPS SUCH AS HONG KONG BALLET, CITY CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY, CHUNG YING THEATRE COMPANY, HONG KONG ARTS FESTIVAL SOCIETY AND EXPLORATION THEATRE.
THE REMAINING $5.6 MILLION WILL BE LEFT FOR ALLOCATION TO OTHER AND AMATEUR PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR ACTIVITIES.
NEW
'EXPERIENCE
HAS SHOWN THAT THIS IS NOT ADEQUATE, PROFESSOR
זז
WANG SAID.
THIS HAS LED TO GRIEVANCES AMONG THE PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS AND CRITICISM FROM THE ARTS COMMUNITY THAT INADEQUATE FUNDING MAY STIFLE THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS, IN FAVOUR OF THE ESTABLISHED PROFESSIONAL GROUPS.
H
WITH THE INJECTION OF THE ONE-OFF GRANT OF $30 MILLION TOWARDS THE SIR DAVID TRENCH FUND FOR RECREATION, THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS ASSISTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW PERFORMING ARTS GROUPS IN FUTURE," HE SAID.
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