ENG-2000 — Page 449

CHAPTER 21

Recreation, Sport and the Arts

RECREATION, sport and the arts provide opportunities for the people of Hong Kong to enrich the quality of their lives. The Government aims to nurture an environment in which freedom of creativity, pluralistic development of the arts, sporting excellence and recreation for the community can thrive.

The Government's policies on sport, recreation, culture and heritage matters are co-ordinated by the Home Affairs Bureau. A number of expert bodies contribute to the development of these policies, including the Hong Kong Sports Development Board, the Culture and Heritage Commission, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the Antiquities Advisory Board.

Following the review of district organisations in 1998, the provisional municipal councils were dissolved at the end of 1999. The two municipal services departments were replaced by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) on January 1, 2000 which would be responsible for promoting and delivering leisure and cultural services in the HKSAR.

The continued development of Hong Kong's sporting and artistic culture is in part entrusted to the Hong Kong Sports Development Board and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, both of which are statutory bodies. These two organisations have continued to implement plans for the development of their respective fields. Specific projects have been funded by grants from the $300 million Arts and Sport Development Fund, which was set up in March 1997 to help the board and the council implement the initiatives in their strategic plans.

Hong Kong people enjoy access to a wide range of sports, recreational and cultural facilities. Many of these are built and managed by the LCSD. The main objective of the department is to enrich the community's quality of life through the promotion and provision of cultural and recreational facilities and activities.

The Arts

Culture and Heritage Commission

The Culture and Heritage Commission was established by the Government in April, with Professor Chang Hsin-kang appointed as Chairman. Members include experts from the arts community as well as the chairmen of major arts bodies the Antiquities Advisory Board, the Board of Governors of the Hong Kong Arts Centre, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the Council of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The Secretary for Home Affairs and the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services also sit on the commission as official members. The

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