ENG-2015 — Page 380

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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

1st National Youth Games

The 1st National Youth Games was held in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, from 18 to 27 October. A total of 214 Hong Kong athletes took part in the final rounds in 20 sports and won four medals, comprising one gold, one silver and two bronze.

Culture and Arts Funding

Government Funding Support for Culture and the Arts

Chart 1

Provision for Arts and Culture 2014-15

Arts and Sports Development Fund

1.40% ($50.6 million)

Arts Development Fund

0.07% ($2.5 million)

Others

4.24% ($153.8 million)

Cantonese Opera Development Fund 0.27% ($9.9 million)

Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts 8.37% ($303.5 million)

Hong Kong Arts Development Council 3.49% ($126.4 million)

Public Libraries & Activities

27.65% ($1,002.3 million)

Public Heritage,

Museums & Exhibitions

18.08% ($655.3 million)

Nine Major Performing Arts Groups 9.23% ($334.6 million)

Public Performing Arts

Venues & Programmes 27.19% ($985.7 million)

Total government expenditure on arts and culture in 2014-15 was $3.6 billion

Capital Funding The government granted an upfront endowment of $21.6 billion to the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority in 2008 to develop the West Kowloon Cultural District so as to meet the long- term infrastructural and developmental needs of Hong Kong's arts and culture. It will also build an East Kowloon Cultural Centre in Ngau Tau Kok to help alleviate the current acute shortage of professional performing arts facilities. The cultural centre, scheduled for completion in late 2020, includes a 1,200-seat auditorium and a 550-seat theatre and will become a major cultural venue in East Kowloon.

Recurrent Funding

In 2014-15, the government earmarked about $3.6 billion, excluding capital works expenditure, to support arts groups, arts education and promotion, and administrative costs.

Major Performing Arts Groups

In 2014-15, the Home Affairs Bureau provided about $334 million to support nine major performing arts groups: the Chung Ying Theatre Company, the City Contemporary Dance Company, the Hong Kong Ballet, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Dance Company, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Zuni Icosahedron.

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