XN000022-1993-04-08 — Page 15

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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1993

PORT, WHILE AT NUISANCES WHICH GO WITH

HE SAID THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR EXPANSION OF THE THE SAME TIME REDUCING SOME OPERATIONS.

THE OF

PUBLIC

PORT

CARGO WORKING PORT IS AN INTEGRAL AND INDUSTRY, IT

"I WOULD HOWEVER CAUTION THAT NOT EVERY AREA CAN BECOME A PLEASANT PROMENADE. THE ESSENTIAL PART OF HONG KONG'S ECONOMY AND, UNLIKE CANNOT SIMPLY BE MOVED AWAY," HE ADDED.

MUCH

-

CFPA TO RESPOND TO ARTS REVIEW REPORT

*

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (CFPÅ), PROFESSOR WANG GUNGWU, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT CFPA HAD

THAT CFPA HAD CONSIDERED THAT IT SHOULD TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN RESPONDING TO THE CONSULTATION DOCUMENT ON ARTS POLICY REVIEW ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

PROF WANG SAID MEMBERS, AT A CFPA MEETING YESTERDAY, CONSIDERED THAT THE ARTS POLICY REVIEW REPORT WAS AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT AND THE CFPA, BEING THE PRINCIPAL ADVISOR TO THE GOVERNMENT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERFORMING ARTS, SHOULD BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED.

PROF WANG SAID: "HOWEVER, THE COUNCIL CONSIDERED THAT ANY CONSULTATION EXERCISE SHOULD BEST BE UNDERTAKEN BY INVOLVING THE

ARTS COMMUNITY THROUGH THE HONG KONG ARTS RESOURCE AND INFORMATION CENTRE (ARIC) WHICH IS A RESOURCE CENTRE (AND NOT AN ARTS GROUP SERVING SPECIFIC INTEREST), EQUIPPED WITH EXPERTISE IN GATHERING VIEWS OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY, AND WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF OPERATION IN THE PAST TWO YEARS WITH SUBVENTIONS BY THE CFPA.'

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ON

THE CFPA HAD ALSO DECIDED THAT ITS THREE SUBJECT COMMITTEES DANCE, MUSIC AND DRAMA SHOULD ALSO WORK OUT THE CONSULTATION ARRANGEMENTS TOGETHER WITH ARIC TO FOCUS ON THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF ARTS DEVELOPMENT OF INTEREST TO THE ARTS COMMUNITY.

THE CFPA HAD THEREFORE AGREED TO ALLOCATE $150,000 TO ARIC UNDERTAKE THIS EXERCISE.

ΤΟ

IT WOULD BE UP TO ARIC TO INVOLVE OTHER GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS, AS IT SEES FIT, WHEN CONDUCTING THE EXERCISE.

THE CFPA HAD ALSO ADVISED THE GOVERNMENT TO AWARD GENERAL SUPPORT GRANTS OF $31.078 MILLION TO FIVE LOCAL FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING ARTS ORGANISATIONS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1993/94:

$11.03 MILLION TO HONG KONG BALLET LTD;

* $5.348 MILLION TO CITY CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY LTD;

* $5.4 MILLION TO CHUNG YING THEATRE COMPANY;