ENG-2015 — Page 382

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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

Yau Ma Tei Theatre

Yau Ma Tei Theatre, the only surviving pre-war cinema building in the urban area, was revitalised and opened in July 2012 as a dedicated venue to nurture young talent for Cantonese opera. In 2015, more than 68,300 people attended 319 performances.

Regional and District Civic Centres and Theatres

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

Indoor Stadia

The 12,500-seat Hong Kong Coliseum and the 3,500-seat Queen Elizabeth Stadium are the territory's premier multi-purpose indoor stadia. With flexible stage and seating configurations, the two stadia have hosted a wide array of activities, including mega sports events, pop concerts, spectacular entertainment programmes and major celebrations. In 2015, 39 and 129 events were staged in the coliseum and the stadium, attracting more than 1,192,000 and 374,000 spectators respectively.

Venue Partnership Scheme

This scheme fosters partnerships between the department's performance venues and selected performing arts groups. Its main aim is to build the image and character of individual venues and their partners, expand the audience base, optimise usage of venue facilities, develop marketing strategies, facilitate arts sponsorship drives, and encourage community involvement in the arts. Some 737,400 people attended or took part in 823 stage performances and 868 educational, promotional and audience-building activities organised by the venue partners in 2015.

West Kowloon Cultural District

The West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), a 40-hectare prime waterfront site, is being developed as an integrated arts and cultural district with world-class facilities. Its aim is to promote the development of arts and culture, meet the growing cultural needs of the public and strengthen Hong Kong's position as an international arts and cultural metropolis.

The facilities that constitute the WKCD steadily took shape in 2015: the main superstructure works of M+, a new museum of visual culture, started in October; the M+ Pavilion, formerly known as the Arts Pavilion, was officially topped out in November; and the main superstructure works for the Xiqu Centre are moving full steam ahead. The Lyric Theatre Complex and the Park, including the Black Box and Outdoor Stage, have also entered the detailed design stage. The Nursery Park was opened in July for public enjoyment while work on the rest of the Park continued.

To nurture new audiences and raise public awareness of the project, the WKCD Authority initiated and co-presented a wide variety of events, including a Rising Stars of Cantonese Opera performance from February to March; M+'s first moving image project, 'Mobile M+: Moving

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