XN000022-1993-10-08 — Page 14

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1993

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WORKING GROUP ON NEW ARTS BODY SET UP

BE

A PROVISIONAL HONG KONG ARTS DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (HKADC) ESTABLISHED WITH EFFECT FROM NEXT APRIL.

WILL

THE PROVISIONAL BODY IS TO PLAN AND PROMOTE THE BROAD DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, PLACING PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE PERFORMING, VISUAL AND LITERARY ARTS,

AS PART OF THIS WORK IT WILL ALSO TAKE OVER THE EXISTING FUNCTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (CFPA) WHICH WILL BE WOUND DOWN.

FROM APRIL 1995, A STATUTORY HKADC WILL BE ESTABLISHED TO TAKE OVER ALL OF THE POWERS, FUNCTIONS, STAFF, FUNDS AND OTHER RESOURCES OF THE PROVISIONAL BODY. THE STATUTORY BODY WILL OPERATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORDINANCE UNDER WHICH IT IS ESTABLISHED.

GIVING DETAILS OF THE PLAN AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (FRIDAY) THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR JAMES SO, SAID WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT, A WORKING GROUP CHARGED WITH PREPARING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HKADC HAS BEEN SET UP.

SIR JOSEPH HOTUNG AND MS CHRISTINE LOH WHO HAVE BEEN APPOINTED CHAIRMAN AND VICE-CHAIRMAN RESPECTIVELY OF THE WORKING GROUP, AND ITS MEMBERS WERE INTRODUCED TO THE MEDIA AT THE CONFERENCE.

MR SO SAID FOLLOWING THE CONSULTATION AFTER THE RELEASE OF AN ARTS POLICY REVIEW REPORT IN MARCH THIS YEAR, A CONSENSUS HAD EMERGED IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE A NEW STATUTORY BODY RESPONSIBLE FOR ARTS DEVELOPMENT.

THE GOVERNOR, IN HIS POLICY SPEECH ON WEDNESDAY, HAD ANNOUNCED THE DECISION TO MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW STATUTORY BODY AND, SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TO PROVIDE A GRANT OF $100 MILLION IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR TO GIVE THE COUNCIL A GENEROUS FINANCIAL START.

THIS WILL BE IN ADDITION TO EXISTING RECURRENT FUNDING WHICH IS BEING SPENT ON THE ARTS.

THE MISSION OF HKADC IS TO:

* PLAN AND PROMOTE THE BROAD DEVELOPMENT AND APPRECIATION OF AND PARTICIPATION IN THE ARTS WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, PLACING PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE PERFORMING, VISUAL AND LITERARY ARTS;

LIAISE AND WORK CLOSELY WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND EXISTING ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS, THE HONG KONG ACADEMY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, THE HONG KONG ARTS CENTRE AND OTHER INDEPENDENT BODIES INVOLVED IN THE PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARTS IN HONG KONG WHILE RESPECTING THEIR AUTONOMOUS POSITIONS;

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