ENG-1978 — Page 270

RECREATION AND THE ARTS

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were featured as well as a collection of Cantonese films produced in the 1950s. The festival paid special tribute to James Wong Howe, the late Chinese cinematographer in Hollywood, by screening seven of his films and hosting a photographic exhibition to commemorate his works.

Festival of Asian Arts

The Third Festival of Asian Arts was held in Hong Kong for two weeks in October. This major presentation by the Urban Council attracted more than 400 participants from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand as well as 700 performers from Hong Kong. One hundred and twenty events were staged in the City Hall and at various outdoor venues, with up to 17 events being held a day. In addition, there were exhibitions featuring ukiyo-e, calligraphy and ikebana from Japan, ancient Chinese bamboo carvings, snuff bottles, Thai ceramics and Korean musical instruments.

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Hong Kong Arts Festival

The international artistes who took part in the 1978 Hong Kong Arts Festival under- lined the fact that, six years after its beginning, the festival has become a major event in the international cultural calendar.

The blend of Western and Eastern art, together with a policy of further diversifying programme, providing an increased number of lower-priced seats and extending the venues, attracted audiences comprising residents and overseas visitors.

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The diverse programme ranged from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, under conductors Paavo Berglund and Akeo Watanabe, to Cantonese opera, Dionne Warwick, the Charlie Byrd Trio, and Soochow and Southern Lyrics. Appearing with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra were soprano Felicity Palmer, baritone Robert Davis, violinist Ida Haendel, pianist Peter Frankl, horn player Alan Civil, and the Hong Kong Oratorio Society.

Drama was provided by Britain's Festival Theatre Company with productions of Rosmerholm, She Stoops to Conquer and Happy Days, and Hong Kong's Garrison Players.

Among other artistes performing were comedians George Logan and Patrick Fyffe - better known as Hinge and Bracket; the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico; the Lucerne Festival Strings; the Norwegian Soloist Choir; The Compagnie Philippe Genty, and Hong Kong's Chinese and Philharmonic Orchestras.

Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Centre

The Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Centre is an ambitious project of the Urban Council and the government to further improve facilities for the arts in Hong Kong. The space museum, which forms the first stage of the complex, is expected to be completed in mid-1979. Its main features consist of a planetarium with more than 300 seats under a 23-metre dome, one of the largest in the world; two exhibition halls with a total area of about 1,400 square metres; and a lecture hall of 204 seats. People visiting the space museum will learn about the universe and space exploration through sky-shows, exhibitions and lectures.

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