Page 46 of 206
72
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, that is just the point that I was wanting to clarify.
MR. HU:- Mr. Chairman, do you agree with me that the last mock meeting was on 7th October 1966?
CHAIRMAN: I was not here in 1966.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I assure you that it was a memorable occasion when some of our Elected Members spoke Cantonese and the interpreters did not understand them. (Laughter).
MR. HU:--I can assure Mr. SALES that my Cantonese will be much improved. (Laughter).
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, Mr. SALES stole my question, will the new interpreter know when Mr. Hu is coming in?
CHAIRMAN:- I am sure he will get in touch with all of us and find out what the score is.
MISS YEUNG:- Mr. Chairman, I would like to see part (b) now. It is in the White Paper. I mentioned this in committee.
CHAIRMAN: -I do not remember off hand, but I know that the Government is working to the Chinese Language Committee's recommendation, and that is as far as we can go at the moment. Miss YEUNG.
(19) MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG asked the following question:
Could the Chairman confirm that it is the present policy of this Council to exclude hirings in the City Hall to the public for almost two months during the 10 years Anniversary this summer and, if so, could further considerations be given to this matter as I have had many complaints that members of the public are not permitted to hire the concert hall and/or the theatre during this time?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
Miss Cecilia YEUNG asks if it is the present policy of this Council to exclude hirings particularly for Concert Hall and Theatre in the City Hall to the public for almost two months during the Tenth Anniversary this summer. The short answer to this is "No, it is not the Council's policy"; nor have the public been so deprived by this of the opportunity to hire City Hall facilities for such an extended period.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
73
As early as September 1970, the Cultural Affairs Select Committee approved the holding of a Festival of Arts in 1972 to celebrate the City Hall's ten years of existence along the lines of the City Hall Fifth Anniversary Festival. Summer was chosen in order to encourage the widest possible participation by young people most of whom are students. The public programme will have a clear run of 18 days from 13th to 31st July at both the Concert Hall and Theatre and will include vocal and instrumental concerts by local artists, performances by the local orchestra and choral groups, Chinese orchestral music, Cantonese operas, modern dances, western as well as Chinese (Cantonese) dramas. All students tickets will be at $1.
Simultaneously, the City Museum and Art Gallery will present a number of public exhibitions lasting about a month and in addition a special showing of Lord Clark's world-famous series of 13 colour films "Civilization" at the Theatre in the first half of August.
In view of the extensive preparatory work involved in this Festival of Arts, prior booking of the Concert Hall and the Theatre was considered necessary. But the dates were carefully chosen bearing in mind the experience of usage in previous years.
Preparation for this Festival has progressed so far that I think it would be impracticable now to reduce its scope and duration, as Miss Cecilia YEUNG appears to request in the second part of her question, even if it were now considered desirable to do so. I personally do not consider that it would be desirable and I am confident that my views in this matter are shared by most Members of the Council, the more particularly as what is planned to take place during this celebration to mark the 10th Anniversary of an outstandingly successful institution in Hong Kong is likely to be of value and interest to many thousands of our young people who will then be on summer vacation. However, it is open to Miss YEUNG to raise this matter again for examination in greater depth at the next meeting of the Cultural Affairs Select Committee which is concerned with the detailed planning of this Festival and of which she is a member.
Page 46 of 206
Page 46 of 206
72
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, that is just the point that I was wanting to clarify.
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, do you agree with me that the last mock meeting was on 7th October 1966?
CHAIRMAN: I was not here in 1966.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I assure you that it was a memorable occasion when some of our Elected Members spoke Cantonese and the interpreters did not understand them. (Laughter).
MR. HU:--I can assure Mr. SALES that my Cantonese will be much improved. (Laughter).
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, Mr. SALES stole my question, will the new interpreter know when Mr. Hu is coming in?
CHAIRMAN:-I am sure he will get in touch with all of us and find out what the score is.
MISS YEUNG:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to see part (b) now. It is in the White Paper. I mentioned this in committee.
CHAIRMAN: -I do not remember off hand, but I know that the Government is working to the Chinese Language Committee's recom- memdation, and that is as far as we can go at the moment. Miss YEUNG.
(19) MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG asked the following question:
Could the Chairman confirm that it is the present policy of this Council to exclude hirings in the City Hall to the public for almost two months during the 10 years Anniversary this summer and, if so, could further con- siderations be given to this matter as I have had many complaints that members of the public are not permitted to hire the concert hall and/or the theatre during this time?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
Miss Cecilia YEUNG asks if it is the present policy of this Council to exclude hirings particularly for Concert Hall and Theatre in the City Hall to the public for almost two months during the Tenth Anniversary this summer. The short answer to this is "No, it is not the Council's
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
73
policy"; nor have the public been so deprived by this of the opportunity to hire City Hall facilities for such an extended period.
As early as September 1970, the Cultural Affairs Select Com- mittee approved the holding of a Festival of Arts in 1972 to celebrate the City Hall's ten years of existence along the lines of the City Hall Fifth Anniversary Fes- tival. Summer was chosen in order to encourage the widest possible participation by young people most of whom are students. The public programme will have a clear run of 18 days from 13th to 31st July at both the Concert Hall and Theatre and will include vocal and instrumental concerts by local artists, performances by the local orchestra and choral groups, Chinese or- chestral music, Cantonese operas, modern dances, western as well as Chinese (Cantonese) dramas. All students tickets will be at $1.
Simultaneously, the City Museum and Art Gallery will pre- sent a number of public exhibitions lasting about a month and in addition a special showing of Lord Clark's world-famous series of 13 colour films "Civilization" at the Theatre in the first half of August.
In view of the extensive preparatory work involved in this Festival of Arts, prior booking of the Concert Hall and the Theatre was considered necessary. But the dates were carefully chosen bearing in mind the experience of usage in previous years.
Preparation for this Festival has progressed so far that I think it would be impracticable now to reduce its scope and duration, as Miss Cecilia YEUNG appears to request in the second part of her question, even if it were now considered desirable to do so. I personally do not consider that it would be desirable and I am confident that my views in this matter are shared by most Members of the Council, the more particularly as what is planned to take place during this celebration to mark the 10th Anniversary of an outstandingly successful institution in Hong Kong is likely to be of value and interest to many thousands of our young people who will then be on summer vacation. However, it is open to Miss YEUNG to raise this matter again for examination in greater depth at the next meeting of the Cultural Affairs Select Com- mittee which is concerned with the detailed planning of this Festival and of which she is a member.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.