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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
1994/95, the Culture Select Committee spent $73.9 million on the three performing companies (representing 19% of the total expenditure), but the money spent on subsidising other art groups only amounted to $13 million. Since our performing groups are in such an advantageous position, have they made any breakthrough and explored new artistic areas? The reason for setting up the performing companies was to promote the development of local art groups. Is there a change of this aim? Is there a direction now? Is the management hierarchy the most appropriate? For our own performing companies, I have to mention the HK Chinese Orchestra. Its repertoire is akin to symphonic music. It is a kind of Chinese symphony orchestra. The traditional ensemble performance has been neglected though not totally abandoned. Is the experiment to apply western symphonic style of performance to a Chinese orchestra feasible or appropriate? Of course, we are most concerned with the recruitment of the Music Director, which has created a crisis. I don't want to discuss here, but in fact, we can see the existence of many problems in the Orchestra.
The third problem
Every year, the Council organises many cultural activities and programmes and provides a variety of performing art activities. But such activities are piecemeal and passive and are programme-based, for instance, the Film Festival, the International Art Carnival, the Festival of Asian Arts. After many years of operations, they have become a matter of routine. We should now review whether they can be organised in other forms or be replaced by other programmes? Recently, the conflict between an avant-grade theatre group and our PIU has enabled us to see the surfacing of some long-standing problems. What is the implication behind a so-called 'UC Presentation' programme? In fact, the Council is using venues and publicity resources to support the performance of an art group. We believe that the Council does not want to really 'present' a programme. The meaning of presenting the programme is to decide their creative content, sets, and actors, etc. Based on these, is it necessary for the Council to decide on their house programmes, leaflets, and posters?
The fourth problem
Visual Art/Literary Art
The Statement of Aims concerning visual art and literary art makes ambiguous remarks. We aim to manage the Museum of History, and holding exhibitions and organising educational activities are only part of management. As far as literary art is concerned, it is only stated in this year's Statement of Aims for the Libraries Select Committee that promotion of literature is one of the library services. There is a historical element because the Art Policy Review Report by RCB in 1993 also admitted that the Government's policy was only to encourage the development of performing art. The Government has now recognised that there is a change of demand in the society and has set up the Arts Development
Page 150 of 485
Page 150
Page 151
Page 150 of 485
Page 150 of 485
Page 150 of 485
126
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
1994/95, the Culture Select Committee spent $73.9 million on the threc performing companies (representing 19% of the total expenditure), but the money spent on subsidising other art groups only amounted to $13 million. Since our performing groups are in such an advantageous position. have they made any breakthrough and explored new artistic areas? The reason for setting up the performing companies was to promote the development of local art groups. Is there a change of this aim? Is there a direction now? Is the management hierarchy the most appropriate? For our own performing companies, I have to mention the HK Chinese Orchestra. Its repertoire is akin to symphonic music. It is a kind of Chinese symphony orchestra. The traditional ensemble performance has been neglected though not totally abandoned. Is the experiment to apply western symphonic style of performance to a Chinese orchestra feasible or appropriate? Of course, we are most concerned with the recruitment of the Music Director, which has created a crisis. I don't want to discuss here, but in fact we can see the existence of many problems in the Orchestra.
The third problem
Every year, the Council organises many cultural activities and programmes and provides variety of performing art activities. But such activities are piecemeal and passive and are programme based, for instance, the Film Festival, the International Art Carnival, the Festival of Asian Arts. After many years of operations, they have become a matter of routine. We should now review whether they can be organised in other forms or be replaced by other programmes? Recently, the conflict between and avant -grade theatre group and our PIU has enabled us to see the surfacing of some long standing problems. What is the implication behind a so-called 'UC Presentation' programme? In fact, the Council is using venues and publicity resources to support the performance of an art group. We believe that the Council does not want to really 'present' a programme. The meaning of presenting the programme is to decide their creative content, sets and actors, etc. Based on these, is it necessary for the Council to decide on their house programmes, leaflets and posters?
The fourth problem
Visual Art/Literary Art
The Statement of Aims concerning visual art and literary art makes ambiguous remarks. We aim to manage the Museum of History and holding exhibitions and organising educational activities are only part of management. As far as literary art is concerned, it is only stated in this year's Statement of Aims for the Libraries Select Committee that promotion of literature is one of the library services. There is a historical element because the Art Policy Review Report by RCB in 1993 also admitted that the Government's policy was only to encourage the development of performing art. The Government has now recognized that there is a change of demand in the society and has set up the Arts Development
Page 150 of 485
Page 150Page 151
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