ENG-2000 — Page 456

RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS

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Yau Sing Po Production Company. Other operatic offerings included the Chinese Operatic Songs Series demonstrating a wide variety of Chinese operatic arts such as Nanyin, Cantonese Operatic Songs, Guangxi Caidiao Operatic Songs, Suzhou Lyrics Singing and Kunqu.

The department sponsored or jointly organised with consulates general and cultural institutions such as the British Council, Alliance Francaise de Hong Kong and the Goethe Institut Hong Kong large-scale activities like Le French May and the Festival of Vision: Berlin in Hong Kong to promote cultural exchanges. Full support was also given to the Hong Kong Arts Festival by presenting performances by Les Tambours de Brazza and the Xinjiang Mukamu Art Ensemble, and the revived Cantonese Opera classic, Three Generals Trapped at Mount Xiao.

Entertainment Programmes

During the year, a total of 706 entertainment programmes were organised in parks, playgrounds and community halls as well as at the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's community arts centres. These programmes covered a variety of performing art forms traditional, cultural, modern and popular, and attracted

more than 747 540 people.

Outdoor Hong Kong-wide entertainment extravaganzas organised by the department included the Spring Lantern Festival, the Easter Family Fun Day, the Summer Fun Gala, the Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals, the Christmas Fun Gala and the New Year's Eve Countdown Carnival. The department co-ordinated the annual Lunar New Year and National Day fireworks displays over Victoria Harbour.

The department also staged a lantern exhibition and cultural performance programmes at the Hong Kong International Airport Passenger Terminal Building, from July to September, to promote traditional Chinese culture and customs among tourists and residents.

Audience Building Projects

In 2000, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department launched a series of audience- building projects. Among them was the Cultural Ambassador Scheme aimed at making the arts more accessible to the community. Ten arts groups were invited to serve as Cultural Ambassadors conducting outreach activities in the performing arts. They included the Hong Kong Chamber Chinese Orchestra, Eastern Winds Ensemble, Les Six, Fringe Club, Breakthrough Village Cultural Pavilion, Chung Ying Theatre, Hong Kong Ballet, E-Side Modern Dance, International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) and Film Culture Centre.

Another audience-building project was the Artist-in-Residence Scheme for the department's eight civic centres Ko Shan Theatre, Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre, Sha Tin Town Hall, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Tuen Mun Town Hall and Kwai Tsing Theatre. These residencies aimed to nurture community interest in the performing arts and assist local performing artists in communicating with their audiences. The duration of each residency programme ranged from three to six months.

Audience building efforts continued through the organisation of 'animateur' schemes in schools. Two schemes on modern dance and drama for students were co- presented with the City Contemporary Dance Company and the Prospects Theatre