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organizations as well as various joint presentations with local arts associations and district boards. As a result of these initiatives, the utilization rate of the theatre is now about 50% (or a significantly higher rate if the hot summer and cold winter months are excluded) notwithstanding the fact that some of Council's own activities (e.g. film show) have been re-scheduled to the more conventional but smaller civic centres at Ngau Chi Wan and Sheung Wan. If we exclude this factor, then the utilization rate should be higher.
Another review was undertaken recently, and in order to further strengthen the marketing edge, an evening booking session has been introduced to provide an additional convenience to hirers who wish to utilize the Ko Shan Theatre for a short period in the evening at a very reasonable rental of $1,000. It is hoped that this recent initiative will further enhance usage of the theatre.
(Messrs. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN and CHAN Kwok-ming arrived at 2.35 p.m. and 2.37 p.m. respectively.)
MR. DAVID FONG PUI-SHEUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, could the Council consider air-conditioning the covered part of the Theatre or improving its ventilation, so that major events such as Cantonese Opera and other variety shows organised by local organizations can be held there?
MR. LO KING-MAN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, in the 1986 review, we did consider that feasibility. However, as we know, once there is air-conditioning, we need to enclose certain areas completely otherwise it will be affected by outside temperature and will be very costly. Besides, we have also considered improving the ventilation system. However, there is a very major problem, i.e. the creation of noise nuisance would affect performances. That is the reason why when I answered the question, I've talked about that the theatre is operated within given constraints. When our predecessors designed the theatre, they used a concept that was very popular elsewhere to build an open air theatre in Hong Kong. That particular type of venue has inherited weaknesses. I do agree with Mr. FONG that there are basic shortcomings in the theatre.
(Mr. Marvin K. T. CHEUNG arrived at 2.42 p.m.)
MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK (in English): Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a supplementary question. I think the Council would like to know whether or not the 1986 review was done by an independent professional consultant with a report backed up by technical know-how. If that was not done by a professional consultant, then what prevents the Council from carrying out such a comprehensive exercise once-and-for-all to resolve the problem forever?
MR. LO KING-MAN (in English): Mr. Chairman, as far as my recollection goes, the review was not done by an independent organization. It is whether a sufficient series of consultation had taken place in the presentation of a paper to the then Culture Select Committee, I cannot at present off-hand recall. But I suspect that the review must have taken into consideration professional advice that was deemed to be appropriate at the time. Probably the original designers and the original builders were consulted. The fact is I believe that a further review would probably generate the same result, that is, unless you totally demolish the building, and if it still is deemed to be an appropriate location to build a theatre, then you build from afresh. But I would not preclude the possibility of a suggestion of going back to the Culture Select Committee again to re-examine the question. I think these things probably had been honestly looked at by that Committee.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lo said that we made certain mistakes, therefore we now have to operate within given constraints. My question may be similar to Mr. YUEN'S. Could we now conduct a comprehensive review urgently? Do we really have to live with such mistakes which were made by our predecessors? My second question is: during hot summer months, when we stage performances there, do we have any measures to help to lower the temperature? In the last two months, it was extremely hot and a number of Cantonese Opera performances were held there. A lot of people who attended those performances complained to me that they could not tolerate the hot temperature. After they had seen those sessions, they would immediately leave the theatre. At the same time, they also took with them fans operated by batteries. Under such circumstances, could the Urban Council in the summer months give paper fans or fans operated by batteries free of charge to those who attend performances at the theatre?
MR. LO KING-MAN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, as I have told you that there were certain mistakes made. Let me put it very clearly that this is my personal view and I have not been able to convince the Culture Select Committee that the whole Committee was wrong. We do have such venues all over the world and such venues in fact are unique. When we considered building such venue, we did not take the special Hong Kong climatic conditions into consideration. As to whether the Council should provide paper fans free of charge, that is something we can consider. But that probably is not a very practical thing which is similar to a suggestion that to demolish the whole theatre. In other words, do we really want to spend so much money in order to support certain activities. Our present stand is that perhaps we should not use the venue for too many performances during the extremely hot months or the extremely cold months. At the same time, a low rental is offered to attract people to use the venue in the evening when the temperature is not that high.
MR. JOHN K. P. FAN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lo mentioned about the cost effectiveness and I have three follow-up questions. Of course, I don't expect Mr. Lo to be able to answer all of them now. My first question is: last year, our attendance was about 60,000 people, how much is the recurrent expenditure for the theatre? In other words, how much money have we subsidised each person to attend the performances? Second: how many of the 84 performances are charged admissions? Thirdly: what was the attendance for the charged performances? All these three questions in fact point to one thing. If we have physical constraints,
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118
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organizations as well as various joint presentations with local arts associations and district boards. As a result of these initiatives, the utilization rate of the theatre is now about 50% (or a significantly higher rate if the hot summer and cold winter months are excluded) notwithstanding the fact that some of Council's own activities (e.g. film show) have been re-scheduled to the more
conventional but smaller civic centres at Ngau Chi Wan and Sheung Wan. If we exclude this factor, then the utilization rate should be higher.
Another review was undertaken recently, and in order to further strengthen the marketing edge, an evening booking session has been introduced to provide an additional convenience to hirers who wish to utilize the Ko Shan Theatre for a short period in the evening at a very reasonable rental of $1,000. It is hoped
that this recent initiative will further enhance usage of the theatre.
(Messrs. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN and CHAN Kwok-ming arrived at 2.35 p.m. and 2.37 p.m. respectively.j MR. DAVID FONG PUI-SHEUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, could the Council consider air-conditioning the covered part of the Theatre or improving its ventilation, so that major events such as Cantonese Opera and other variety shows organised by local organizations can be held there?
MR. LO KING-MAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in the 1986 review, we did consider that feasibility. However, as we know, once there is air-conditioning, we need to enclose certain areas completely otherwise it will be affected by outside temperature and will be very costly. Besides, we have also considered improving the ventilation system. However, there is a very major problem, i.e. the creation of noise nuisance would affect performances. That is the reason why when I answered the question, I've talked about that the theatre is operated within given constraints. When our predecessors designed the theatre, they used a concept that was very popular elsewhere to build an open air theatre in Hong Kong. That particular type of venue has inherited weaknesses. I do agree with Mr. FONG that there are basic shortcomings in the theatre.
(Mr. Marvin K. T. CHEUNG arrived at 2.42 p.m.)
MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a supplementary question. I think the Council would like to know whether or not the 1986 review was done by an independent professional consultant with a report backed up by technical knowhow. If that was not done by a professional consultant, then what prevents the Council from carrying out such a comprehensive exercise once-and-for-all to resolve the problem forever?
MR. LO KING-MAN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, as far as my recollection goes, the review was not done by an independent organization. It is whether a sufficient series of consultation had taken place in the presentation of a paper to the then Culture Select Committee, I cannot at present off hand recall. But I suspect that the review must have taken into consideration professional advice that was deemed to be appropriate at the time. Probably the original designers
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and the original builders were consulted. The fact is I believe that a further review would probably generate the same result, that is, unless you totally demolish the building, and if it still is deemed to be a appropriate location to build a theatre, then you build from afresh. But I would not preclude the possibility of a suggestion of going back to the Culture Select Committee again
to re-examine the question. I think these things probably had been honestly looked at by that Committee.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lo said that we made certain mistakes, therefore we now have to operate within given comprehensive review urgently? Do we really have to live with such mistakes which constraints. My question may be similar to Mr. YUEN'S. Could we now conduct a
were made by our predecessors? My second question is: during hot summer months, when we stage performances there, do we have any measures to help to lower the temperature? In the last two months, it was extremely hot and a number of Cantonese Opera performances were held there. A lot of people who attended those performances complained to me that they could not tolerate the hot temperature. After they had seen those sessions, they would immediately leave the theatre. At the same time, they also took with them fans operated by batteries. Under such circumstances, could the Urban Council in the summer months give paper fans or fans operated by batteries free of charge to those who attend performances at the theatre?
MR. LO KING-MAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, as I have told you that there were certain mistakes made. Let me put it very clearly that this is my personal view and I have not been able to convince the Culture Select Committee that the whole Committee was wrong. We do have such venues all over the world and such venues in fact are unique. When we considered building such venue, we did not take the special Hong Kong climatic conditions into consideration. As to whether the Council should provide paper fans free of charge, that is something we can consider. But that probably is not a very practical thing which is similar to a suggestion that to demolish the whole theatre. In other words, do we really want to spend so much money in order to support certain activities. Our present stand is that perhaps we should not use the venue for too many performances during the extremely hot months or the extremely cold months. At the same time, a low rental is offered to attract people to use the venue in the evening when the temperature is not that high.
MR. JOHN K. P. FAN (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lo mentioned about the cost effectiveness and I have three follow up questions. Of course I don't expect Mr. Lo to be able to answer all of them now. My first question is: last year, our attendance was about 60 000 people, how much is the recurrent expenditure for the theatre? In other words, how much money have we subsidised each person to attend the performances? Second: how many of the 84 performances are charged admissions? Thirdly: what was the attendance for the charged performances? All these three questions in fact point to one thing. If we have physical constraints,
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