ENG-2010 — Page 464

390 Recreation, Sport and the Arts

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund was set up in 1980 with a donation of $10 million from the Hong Kong Jockey Club. It is a non-statutory trust fund, administered by a board of trustees. In 1994, the club injected a further $22 million into the fund to meet increasing demand for support.

The fund awards scholarships for young people to pursue an integrated programme of post-diploma and post-graduate studies or professional training in music or dance at leading institutions, or to undertake less formal studies, projects or creative work outside Hong Kong.

In 2010, the fund awarded four scholarships worth about $2.06 million.

Music Office

The Music Office promotes knowledge and appreciation of music, especially among young people, by providing instrumental and ensemble training and organising musical activities. Its aim is to build a new generation of concert-goers. It also organises international exchange programmes to foster sharing of music among local young musicians and their counterparts around the world. In 2010, it provided music training to a total of 8 438 trainees under its training programmes. A total of 169 955 people took part in its music promotional activities.

Cultural Venues

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Since its inauguration in 1989, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre has become Hong Kong's premier performing arts venue, attracting leading artists from around the world. It has three main performance venues: the Concert Hall, which has a seating capacity of 2 019, the Grand Theatre, seats 1 734, and the Studio Theatre, up to 496. In 2010, more than 671 000 people attended 748 performances in these theatres.

Hong Kong City Hall

Hong Kong City Hall, opened in 1962 and inscribed as a Grade I Historic Building in 2009, is a major civic centre comprising a 1 434-seat concert hall, a 463- seat theatre, and an exhibition hall. A total of 612 events were held in the concert hall and the theatre in 2010, attracting over 357 000 people.

Regional and District Civic Centres

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department runs 11 regional and district civic centres: the Sheung Wan and Sai Wan Ho Civic Centres on Hong Kong Island; the Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre and Ko Shan Theatre in Kowloon; and the Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun and North District town halls, the Kwai Tsing Theatre, Yuen Long Theatre, and Tai Po Civic Centre in the New Territories.