ENG-1999 — Page 434

RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS

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with the Hong Kong Ballet, the Zuni Icosahedron and the International Association of Theatre Critics. A total of 71 schools and 3 805 students joined these schemes.

The Friends of Regional Council Town Halls Scheme continued to build up core supporters for the three major civic centres, promoting their interest in the performing arts and enriching their quality of life through greater participation in town hall activities. It attracted a total of 2 320 members during the year.

Children's Arts Carnival

The council continued to organise a children's arts festival for the young and family audiences in summer. In 1999, the Provisional Regional Council and the Provisional Urban Council joined hands in organising the Children's Arts Carnival. In the seven-week carnival, visiting groups and artists included the Black Light Theatre of Prague from the Czech Republic, Pep Bou and Yllana from Spain, Tomas Kubinek from Canada, magicians from the United States, Germany, Japan and Switzerland, the Guangdong Puppet Theatre, and children's choirs from Russia and from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in the Mainland.

Programmes by local artists included the newly commissioned full-length ballet Beauty and the Beast by the Hong Kong Ballet, performances by the Hong Kong Children's Choir, Hong Kong Dance Company, Ming Ri Theatre Company and Arts of Guzheng Academy. Participatory workshops were held on dance, magic, story-telling and story-building, Chinese handicrafts, Cantonese opera, percussion, tea-drinking and floral arrangement, etc. Also featured were reading programmes, library activities, exhibitions, fun days and films shows. The carnival attracted 155 320 participants.

Kwai Tsing Theatre Opening Arts Festival

The Kwai Tsing Theatre was opened in late 1999. The Opening Festival Theatre and Literature featured international performing companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company from the United Kingdom, the Shanghai Kunju Opera and the Fuhshing Chinese Opera Troupe from Taiwan. Local artists participating in the festival including leading Cantonese opera artists in an Opening Gala Performance, the Theatre Fanatico, Chung Ying Theatre Company, Zuni Icosahedron, Theatre Ensemble and a newly commissioned double bill opera produced and directed by Lo King-man. The festival also included an open day, lectures, demonstrations and story-telling on literary themes, and attracted a total of 27 074 people.

Happy Birthday 2000 --- Mural Painting Competition for Primary and Secondary Schools

Happy Birthday 2000 was an art competition for primary and secondary schools organised by the Provisional Regional Council from August to December. Students were encouraged to exercise their imagination and create artistic gifts in celebration of the year 2000. Ten selected works were produced as mural paintings and displayed on the external wall of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.

Public Art Scheme

The Public Art Scheme was launched by the Provisional Regional Council in February. The purpose of the scheme is to embellish and enrich public places with works of art specially conceived for the environment they are placed in. The display