XN000022-1981-10-31 — Page 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1981

SECOND NORTH DISTRICT FESTIVAL OPENED

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THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, OPENING THE SECOND NORTH DISTRICT FESTIVAL AT FANLING TODAY (SATURDAY), SAID INCREASED ACTIVITIES CALLED FOR A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN FACILITIES.

TO THIS END, HE SAID, NORTH DISTRICT TOWN HALL AND COMMUNITY CENTRE WOULD BE COMPLETED NEAR THE END OF THIS YEAR, ADDING TO EXISTING VENUES FOR INDOOR PERFORMANCES IN TSUEN WAN AND YUEN LONG.

ALSO, CONSTRUCTION WORK HAD STARTED FOR PHASE OF SAI KUNG TOWN HALL AND CULTURAL COMPLEXES WOULD BE PROVIDED FOR SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN BY 1985.

+IN THE MEANTIME, THROUGH THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE KIND COOPERATION OF SCHOOLS, MANY SCHOOL HALLS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE BEING USED AS VENUES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO TRAIN AND PERFORM IN DANCE, SINGING AND MUSIC, MR AKERS-JONES SAID.

MANY SCHOOLS HAD FORMED CHOIRS, BANDS, DANCE GROUPS AND ORCHESTRAS AND SOME DISTRICTS ALSO HAD CHILDREN'S CHOIRS, THE STANDARD OF WHICH WAS, IN MR AKERS-JONES'S VIEW, EQUAL TO THE BEST IN THIS TERRITORY.

SO GREAT WAS THE INTEREST OF NEW TERRITORIES RESIDENTS IN CULTURE AND MUSIC THAT THE HONG KONG SCHOOLS SPEECH AND MUSIC ASSOCIATION HAD SET UP A SPECIAL COMMITTEE FOR ORGANISING ITS ANNUAL SPEECH AND MUSIC FESTIVALS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, HE SAID.

IT WAS ENCOURAGING THAT THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS FROM NEW TERRITORIES SCHOOLS HAD RAPIDLY INCREASED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.

MR AKERS-JONES SAID HE WAS GRATEFUL TO THE DISTRICT ARTS ASSOCIATIONS, THE MUSIC OFFICE, RECREATION AND SPORT SERVICE OF THE RECREATION AND CULTURE DEPARTMENT AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN JOINTLY ORGANISING AND RUNNING TRAINING PROGRAMMES AND PERFORMANCES.

+THERE ARE, IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, ENERGY, POTENTIAL AND INTEREST IN PROMOTING CULTURE AND MUSIC IN THIS TERRITORY AND, THROUGH THE JOINT EFFORTS OF THE COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT, I AM CONFIDENT THEY WILL BE CHANNELLED TOWARDS A BRIGHT FUTURE, HE SAID.

WITH THE SUPPORT OF DISTRICT BOARDS, FESTIVALS HAD NOW BECOME A POPULAR YEARLY FEATURE THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES. THEY INVOLVED THE JOINT EFFORT OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, ARTISTES, SPORTSMEN, SCHOOL CHILDREN AND ENTERTAINERS IN PRODUCING IDEAS AND EXECUTING THEM. FURTHERMORE, THEY HELPED TO FOSTER A SENSE OF DISTRICT IDENTITY.

THE FESTIVAL INCLUDES A SERIES OF RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL EVENTS OVER A NINE-DAY PERIOD.

/IMMEDIATELY AFTER