ENG-2001 — Page 473

RECREATION, SPORT AND THE ARTS

The Three-Year Plan, an outline of the future development of the council, advocates a new era of creative environment and sustainable development through strategic partnerships. Besides providing support for local artists and arts groups, the council initiated 48 projects either in the form of a commission or co-presentation in its first year. These included taking part in the 49th Venice Biennial a joint presentation with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in a renowned arts exhibition under the name of 'Hong Kong China' for the first time; the 2001 Hong Kong Book Fair - a co-presentation with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; and the Arts-in-Education Programme a three-year arts education programme co-organised with the Education Department and the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

During the year, the council revamped its home page to promote the arts by using the latest technology and also to provide an interactive channel of communication for artists and the public. In addition, it produced a new series of Announcements in the Public Interest to promote the arts in a wider context.

Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Established by ordinance in 1984 with an autonomous governing council, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts offers professional education and training up to degree level and research facilities in the performing arts, theatre technical arts, film and television and Chinese traditional theatre. In January, the academy unveiled its Hong Kong Jockey Club Millennium Studios. These facilities will be used primarily for the academy's new Chinese Traditional Theatre Programme.

During the year, the academy's students gave over 300 public performances, screenings and exhibitions as part of their academic curriculum. The production highlights included the opera The Elixir of Love, the dance The Rite of Spring and the drama The Flowers for Algernon.

Lectures and talks by visiting artists are an integral part of the academy's training. In April, the renowned flautist James Galway gave a masterclass to students of the School of Music. A student of the academy's Film and Television section won the International Video Award in the Poitiers International Film Schools Festival in France.

A number of performance tours were made during the year. After its successful visits in 1999 and 2000, the academy's Symphony Orchestra was invited back to Austria's Carinthia Festival in July, this time as the resident orchestra. A Chinese Instrumental Ensemble was also featured in the festival. In September, students of the Cantonese Opera programme and the School of Dance took part in a special China Festival in Berlin. The tour was made possible by assistance from the Home Affairs Bureau in association with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels.

Hong Kong Arts Centre

In its 25th anniversary year, the Hong Kong Arts Centre continued to uphold its mission in nurturing creativity, arts and cultural engagement through its two-pronged approach in promoting contemporary performing arts, visual arts as well as film and video arts and in providing lifelong and life-wide arts education. Programme highlights of the year included digitalnow@2001, 01 HK Sound & Vision Festival, and Girl Play and Display Wanchai.

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