XN000022-1986-07-20 — Page 5

SUNDAY, JULY 20, 1986

NEW CULTURAL CENTRE TO SERVE YAU MA TEI

****

A NEW ACTIVITY CENTRE DE VOTED TO THE PROMOTION OF ARTS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES HAS BEEN SET UP IN YAU MA TEI DISTRICT.

RUN BY THE YAU MA TEI AND TSIM SHA TSUI CULTURE AND ARTS ASSOCIATION, IT IS LOCATED IN A FORMER FIRE STATION AT 33 SALISBURY ROAD.

YAU MA TEI DISTRICT OFF ICER, MR AUGUSTINE CHENG, SAID THE OPENING OF THE CENTRE BROUGHT TO FRUITION THE JOINT EFFORTS OF THE ASSOCIATION, THE DISTRICT BOARD AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED.

THE SITE WAS LEASED, HE ADDED, TO THE ASSOCIATION BY GOVERNMENT AT A NOMINAL RENT AND THE EXPENSES FOR DECORATION AND FURNISHING WERE PARTLY MET BY AN ALLOCATION OF $117 400 FROM THE DISTRICT BOARD, $40 000 FROM THE CHINESE CHARITIES FUND AND THE REST BY THE

ASSOCIATION.

THE CENTRE STARTED OPERATION THIS MONTH AND HAS BEEN OFFERING DIFFERENT INTEREST GROUPS AND TRAINING COURSES INCLUDING PUTONGHUA, CHINESE PAINTING, CALLIGRAPHY, CHILDREN HANDICRAFT AND DANCING.

MR CHENG SAID THE YAU MA TEI AND TSIM SHA TSUI CULTURE AND ARTS ASSOCIATION WAS A NON-PROFIT MAKING ORGANISATION ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PROMOTION OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN THE DISTRICT.

+FEES FOR THE COURSES ARE NOMINAL, PROVIDING ECONOMIC AND MUCH-NEEDED LEISURE ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE LIVING OR WORKING IN THE DISTRICT, MR CHENG SAID.

BESIDES ORGANISING COURSES, THE CENTRE ALSO OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS MURAL PAINTING, LUNCH-TIME CONCERTS AND EXHIBITIONS.

+IN FACT, $55 000 FROM DISTRICT BOARD FUNDS HAS BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE ASSOCIATION TO PROMOTE CULTURAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, HE ADDED.

PROGRAMMES PLANNED INCLUDE DRAMA PERFORMANCES, A CARNIVAL, CANTONESE OPERA, CHINESE MUSIC CONCERT AND A GATHERING FOR LOCAL CHINESE PAINTERS AND CALLIGRAPHISTS.

+ THE ASSOCIATION ALSO PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING YOUNG TALENTS TO DEVELOP THE IR POTENTIAL IN DANCING, DRAMA AND SINGING, MR CHENG SAID.

/A DANCE