XN000022-1982-11-02 — Page 2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1982

HK TO BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN PERFORMING ARTS

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ONE OF THE AIMS OF THE HONG KONG ACADEMY FOR PERFORMING ARTS (APA) IS TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR ITS STUDENTS AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL, ON A PAR WITH PRESTIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD.

THIS WAS STATED TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR THE APA, MR ROBERT FOOTMAN, AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG.

APART FROM MEETING HONG KONG NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS, HE CONTINUED, THE ACADEMY WOULD BE FIRMLY ROOTED IN EXISTING ORGANISATIONS.

*WE FORESEE A TERRIFIC POTENTIAL FOR COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITIES, THE POLYTECHNIC, AND THE BAPTIST COLLEGE ON THE EDUCATIONAL FRONT WITH THE COLLEGES OF FURTHER EDUCATION ON THE TEACHER TRAINING FRONT: WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF EXISTING AND PLANNED PERFORMING VENUES FOR TECHNICAL ARTS: WITH EXISTING TRAINING SCHOOLS AND WITH SCHOOLS.

+ IN SHORT - ACROSS THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG. THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE ENORMOUS, AS IS TALENT AND ENTHUSIASM,+ HE SAID,

NEXT TO THE ARTS PILING WORK ON THE APA SITE IN WAN CHA I CENTRE, BEGAN LAST MONTH AND THE COMPLEX IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY MID-1985. THIS WILL ENABLE FULL-TIME COURSES TO BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT YEAR. PART-TIME EVENING COURSES MAY ALSO BE AVAILABLE.

OF THE $370 MILLION ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROJECT, $300 MILLION WILL BE MET BY THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB AND THE REST BY THE GOVERNMENT.

THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE APA IS NOW MANAGED BY A PROVISIONAL COUNCIL CHAIRED BY A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR ALEX WU.

MR FOOTMAN SAID THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACADEMY AND OTHER VENUES INDICATED A LEVEL OF FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL FACILITIES AND OF THE PERFORMING ARTS AS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF HONG KONG SOCIETY UNRIVALLED IN THE WORLD AT THIS TIME.

HE EMPHASISED THAT HONG KONG'S DENSE POPULATION AND THE NECESSITY FOR YOUNG ARTISTIC TALENTS TO GO OVERSEAS FOR FURTHER TRAINING POINTED TOWARDS A NEED FOR A FOCUS WHICH COULD PROVIDE AN OUTLET AND TRAINING FOR EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED YOUNGSTERS, AND WHICH COULD FOSTER EXCELLENCE AND GENERAL COMMUNITY INTEREST IN THE PERFORMING ARTS.

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE PREDICTED THAT HONG KONG WOULD NOT ONLY TAKE ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN INTERNATIONAL TERMS, BUT WOULD ALSO BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER.

/HE SAID