XN000022-1990-09-19 — Page 9

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19,1990

"BUT IF THE LEVEL OF BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP IS TO INCREASE STILL FURTHER, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY MUST BE CONVINCED THAT SPONSORSHIP IS NOT JUST AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF DEMONSTRATING ITS INVOLVEMENT IN OUR SOCIETY, BUT ALSO A SOUND INVESTMENT IN MARKETING," HE SAID.

"OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE, ARTS ADMINISTRATORS MUST BE PREPARED ΤΟ ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WHEN SEEKING ARTS SPONSORSHIP," HE ADDED.

FROM

WHILE NOTING THAT THE ONUS FOR INCREASING INCOME SPONSORSHIP RESTS WITH THE ARTS GROUPS, DR WANG SAID MANY ORGANISATIONS STOOD READY TO HELP.

"TODAY'S CONFERENCE, JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE REGIONAL COUNCIL, IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE HONG KONG ARTS ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION (HKAAA), IS ONE EXAMPLE.

"THE MATCHING GRANT SCHEME, LAUNCHED IN APRIL BY THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS WITH GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, IS ANOTHER.

"THE NEW ARTS RESOURCE AND INFORMATION CENTRE, INITIATED BY THE HKAAA THIS MONTH, WILL ALSO HELP POOL INFORMATION ON TECHNIQUES IN SEEKING BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP,

HI

HE SAID HE WAS PLEASED THAT WE SHOULD SOON BE ABLE TO COUNT ON THE SUPPORT OF THE NEWLY-ESTABLISHED FOUNDATION OF BUSINESSES IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS.

ALTHOUGH HONG KONG'S ART SCENE WAS STILL YOUNG IN COMPARISON WITH ITS COUNTERPARTS ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD, DR WANG NOTED THAT IT HAD GROWN TREMENDOUSLY IN THE LAST DECADE AND COULD NOW BOAST SOMB FINE PERFORMING GROUPS.

"THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IS GLAD TO PLAY A PART IN THIS PROCESS, AND REMAINS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING ARTS DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE.

"BUT IF EMERGING GROUPS ARE TO BE NURTURED, IT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR BETTER-ESTABLISHED GROUPS TO REDUCE THEIR DEPENDENCE

ON PUBLIC SUBSIDIES, AND INCREASE THEIR INCOME FROM BOX-OFFICE SALES AND BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP.

DR

"THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS BELIEVES THAT BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP HAS A SIGNIFICANT PART TO PLAY IN ARTS DEVELOPMENT," WANG SAID.

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