ENG-1993 — Page 396

RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

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Development Board and Hong Kong Sports Institute to ensure that local resources in the sports field are deployed in the most cost-effective manner for the further development of sports and the training of Hong Kong athletes for international events.

In March, the Recreation and Culture Branch published a review of the arts policy which evoked a lively response from the community. It was concluded that Hong Kong has now reached a new stage of development in culture and the arts, the needs of which can best be served by a statutory arts council. Such a council would replace the Council for the Performing Arts, not only providing more effective and strategic support to the performing arts but also allowing for the needs of other art fora, such as the visual and literary arts, to be addressed. A working group was appointed by the Governor in October to prepare for the establishment of the Provisional Arts Development Council in early 1994.

The Arts

In world terms, Hong Kong's arts community is still in its youth, with all the characteristics of dynamism, new ideas and rapid growth which that implies. While talent and creativity have always been present, it is only in recent years that, with financial support from both the public and private sectors, the arts community has been able to capitalise on its creativity and increase the number and range of its activities. As a result, there are now two professional orchestras, three full-time dance companies, three professional drama groups and hundreds of amateur groups, including orchestras, bands, choirs, dance groups and drama clubs. The Urban and Regional Councils run arts venues throughout Hong Kong, so that access to cultural presentations is no longer confined to people living in the main urban areas. The two councils have also become patrons of the arts in their own right, either by funding performing groups directly, or assisting them with presentations.

The government's arts policy review consultation document, in March, provided a survey of the state of arts development over the past decade, highlighting achievements and problems and making recommendations on the way forward. Almost 600 responses were received from the arts community during the three-month consultation period (ending on June 30) and these were both substantial and well considered. This consultation exercise proved most useful in providing an open, widespread and healthy debate on the future of the arts. While diverse opinions on many aspects were expressed, there was broad consensus on the key recommendations that the government's responsibilities for arts development should be expanded to include the visual and literary arts and that a statutory arts council should be established.

In response to the feedback collected during the consultation exercise, the government decided to move forward quickly towards the establishment of a new statutory and independent body named the Hong Kong Arts Development Council for the further development of the arts in general, and to provide a capital grant of $100 million, in addition to the existing resources spent on the arts, to the council. To this end, a working group was appointed by the Governor in October. Its target is to enable the new council to commence functioning as a non-statutory advisory body on April 1, 1994, with a view to its future transformation into a statutory body with executive powers with effect from April 1, 1995.

Council for the Performing Arts

The government's support for the performing arts is co-ordinated by the Secretary for Recreation and Culture, on the advice of the Council for the Performing Arts. The council,