ENG-1993 — Page 409

RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

visual arts. The 1 488-seat Concert Hall and 465-seat Theatre are ideal venues for local music and theatre groups.

Significant events presented in the City Hall during the year included the 1993 Hong Kong Arts Festival, the 17th Hong Kong International Film Festival, concerts by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and recitals by Julian Bream and Kong Xiangdong.

During the year, 193 000 people attended 414 performances in the Concert Hall, Theatre and Recital Hall. In addition, 67 exhibitions were held in the Exhibition Hall and Exhibition Gallery.

Beginning in July, the City Hall underwent a major renovation. All the performing venues and exhibition halls were closed for varying periods. =

Community Arts Centres

The Urban Council operates four community arts centres to promote district-based cultural activities.

Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre has a 443-seat theatre, a 350-square-metre exhibition hall, a 90-seat lecture room, two music practice rooms and a dance practice area. During the year, the theatre was used for 212 events, including drama, Cantonese opera, variety shows and ceremonies for a total audience of 51 868.

Sheung Wan Civic Centre comprises a 511-seat theatre, a 150-seat lecture hall, an exhibition hall, a rehearsal hall, a dance practice room, four music practice rooms and two art studios. The council's performing companies the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre and the Hong Kong Dance Company are housed in the centre. During the year, 74 044 people attended 470 performances in the centre's theatre and lecture hall.

Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre features a 471-seat theatre, a multi-purpose cultural activities hall, three art studios and two music practice rooms. In 1993, 84 971 people attended 298 performances in the theatre. The cultural activities hall was extensively used for a variety of functions, including performances and exhibitions. The centre also ran a ceramics workshop which offered 51 pottery classes for children, young people and adults.

The Ko Shan Theatre is the only semi-open air theatre in Hong Kong. It has 3 000 seats of which 2 000 are in the open. The theatre is suitable for a broad range of cultural and entertainment events. Cantonese operas and other operatic recitals are frequently staged there, with rock concerts the second most popular events. In 1993, 120 000 people attended 190 performances. The theatre will undergo major improvement works in 1994.

Indoor Stadia

The Hong Kong Coliseum and Queen Elizabeth Stadium, which the council manages, are two of Asia's best equipped, multi-purpose, indoor stadia.

The 12 500-seat coliseum is a popular venue not only for pop concerts by local and international performers, but also for world-class entertainment spectaculars. In 1993, performances staged at the coliseum included Sumo wrestling, Elton John's The One tour, Walt Disney's World On Ice, the World Volleyball Grand Prix and 1993 JCI Hong Kong Congress.

The giant video screen which hangs above the centre of the arena is a special feature of the facility.

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