XN000022-1988-10-22 — Page 5

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1988

PROMOTION OF ARTS NOW BEARING FRUIT

*

BY ACTIVELY SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING THE ARTS IN THE

HAS MANAGED TO TURN HONG KONG THE GOVERNMENT DECADES, "CULTURAL DESERT" INTO AN OASIS WHICH IS NOW BEARING FRUIT.

PAST TWO FROM A

DAVID

SAID FORD,

THIS THE DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR, SIR

WHEN OF THE 1988 WORLD MUSIC DAYS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING RECEPTION FESTIVAL AT THE ACADEMY FOR PERFORMING ARTS THIS (SATURDAY) EVENING.

DANCE COMPANIES

OF HUNDREDS

THE YEAR,

PUBLIC FUNDS SUPPORTED TWO ORCHESTRAS, THREE

AND LITERALLY ARTS FESTIVALS TWO THEATRE COMPANIES, PERFORMANCES BY BOTH LOCAL AND VISITING ARTISTS THROUGHOUT SIR DAVID SAID.

"THE INCREASING NUMBER OF PERFORMING ARTS VENUES ALSO HELPS ENCOURAGE CULTURAL LIFE IN HONG KONG," HE ADDED.

TO

A TOTAL OF OVER 3,000 "IN 1987, THREE NEW VENUES PROVIDING

CENTRES, INCLUDING THE HONG KONG SEATS WERE OPENED AND TWO OTHER

WILL BRING CULTURAL CENTRE, WHICH ARE DUE TO OPEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE THE TOTAL TO 23,000 SEATS," HE SAID.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE ACADEMY FOR PERFORMING ARTS WAS HONG KONG'S FUTURE PERFORMING ARTISTS.

"WE ARE PROUD OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS BUT ARE INTEND TO DO MORE," SIR DAVID REMARKED.

TRAINING

NOT COMPLACENT AND

DAVID SAID THAT MUSIC AND ITS COUNTRIES

SIR FESTIVAL, OF THE 1988 WORLD MUSIC DAYS

INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE OF WHILE IT FOCUSSED ON THE FUTURE, IT WAS A TRULY INTERNATIONAL EVENT IN WHICH SOME 40 PARTICIPATED.

AS AN INTERNATIONAL CITY SHOULD BE THE HOST FOR THIS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FOR THIS MUSICAL

"IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT HONG KONG, WHERE EAST AND WEST BLEND IN HARMONY, FIRST OCCASION WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR AND THE ASIAN COMPOSERS LEAGUE ARE COMING TOGETHER EAST-MEETS-WEST," HE SAID.

IT

WAS

AN

OCCASION

WHICH

THE

HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT

WAS

DELIGHTED TO SUPPORT, SIR DAVID ADDED.

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