ENG-1992 — Page 384

RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

children's drama workshops by the Chung Ying Theatre Company. In total, the festival featured three fun days, six drama workshops and 48 stage performances, drawing an attendance of 27 216.

Dance in Residence Project

To stimulate and develop interests in modern dance among residents in the council area, the Regional Council introduced a one-year pilot animateur scheme with the City Contemporary Dance Company. A dance animateur is tasked to provide outreach classes, develop performance groups and encourage amateur choreographic ventures.

A total of 14 schools and voluntary organisations joined the scheme with a total of 300 participants.

Visual Arts

The Regional Council's Best of Visual Arts scheme provides additional opportunities for local visual artists to exhibit their works in major civic centres. Under this scheme, local artists and art organisations are presented in one-person or joint exhibitions of works of painting, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics and printmaking.

In 1992, a total of 14 exhibitions were held attracting 9 957 people.

Entertainment Programmes

The Regional Council regularly presents free cultural and entertainment programmes in community halls, playgrounds and open spaces to provide community leisure activities for residents in the vicinity. In 1992, 340 programmes were organised, attracting 191 911 people.

These free programmes, including Chinese music, western music, Chinese folk dance, modern dance, Cantonese opera, puppet shows, pop shows and variety shows, brought professional performances to the general public and provided opportunities for budding artists to improve their performing skills. The performances also help preserve Chinese cultural heritage such as puppetry and acrobatic art.

Venues

Most performance venues in Hong Kong are built and operated by the Urban and Regional Councils, ranging from major facilities such as the Hong Kong Cultural Centre to smaller multi-purpose centres used for district-based cultural activities.

Urban Council Venues

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Hong Kong Cultural Centre continues to play its role as a thriving venue of the performing arts in Hong Kong.

Its 2 085-seat Concert Hall, designed with excellent acoustics, is the resident hall of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Apart from local artists and groups, overseas artists performing in the centre during the year included Mstislav Rostropovich, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Vadim Repin, Jane Watts, Pepe Romero, Renata Scotto, the Chung Trio, the Don Burrows Quartet, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Boys' Choir.

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