ENG-2008 — Page 446

370 | Recreation, Sport and the Arts

Performing Arts to advise the bureau on funding for these companies. On the recommendation of the committee, the LCSD also soft-launched a venue partnership scheme for the department's venues.

The Committee on Museums and the Committee on Libraries also submitted their recommendation reports in May 2007 and the Government accepted their recommendations in principle. As recommended by the Committee on Libraries, a Public Libraries Advisory Committee was set up in May 2008 to advise the Government on the overall development strategy for libraries.

The Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee (COAC) advises the Secretary for Home Affairs on the promotion, preservation, study and development of Cantonese opera. To tie in with the work of the COAC, the Cantonese Opera Development Fund was established in 2005. Up to the end of 2008, the fund has supported some 210 Cantonese opera projects with a funding of $17 million.

Hong Kong Arts Development Council

The Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) was established in 1995 to plan, promote and support the broad development of the arts, including the performing, literary, visual, film and media arts, arts education, arts criticism and arts administration.

Arts funding is one of the HKADC's main tasks. Apart from proactive projects to meet the diversified needs of the arts community, different types of grant schemes including one-year, multi-project, devolved and project grants are available to support the broad development of local artists and arts organisations, especially emerging artists and small-to-medium sized arts groups. A grant for cultural exchange between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta was introduced in June 2008.

The Hong Kong Arts Development Awards presentation ceremony 2007 was held in February 2008, marking the vital contributions made by local artists to the advancement of the arts and aimed at encouraging community support, sponsorship and participation in arts activities.

To make the arts more accessible to all, the HKADC organised and conducted a range of arts promotion events and activities. It collaborated with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for the eighth consecutive year to organise the Hong Kong Book Fair's Critics Recommendations and Literary Seminar. The HKADC again joined the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in mounting the Hong Kong Literary Festival.

Other events, including an 'A-Glow-Glow' Macro Interactive Media Arts Exhibition and a 'Mobile Art Gallery', were designed to bring the fun of the arts to the public. To prepare for a diversity of arts activities in schools and the community, Arts Ambassadors-in-school Scheme and a Community Arts Activities Enhancement Scheme were launched. These opened for applications in the second half of the year.