ENG-2015 — Page 385

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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

As an arts village, the centre rents studio facilities to more than 100 artists and art groups working in visual arts, performing arts and other art forms. As an arts centre, it hires out its venue facilities, including the Central Courtyard, galleries and the Jockey Club Black Box Theatre, for arts and cultural activities.

In 2015, the centre hosted almost 300,000 visitors. Its large-scale public programmes included. the annual JCCAC Festival in December, the quarterly Handicraft Fair, and regular free programmes such as open-air film screenings, exhibitions, performances and public guided

tours.

Major Performing Arts Groups

Chung Ying Theatre Company

The Chung Ying Theatre Company dedicates itself to producing quality stage productions with an aim to promote theatrical arts, facilitate cultural exchanges and enrich the city's cultural life. It also provides support to new theatre groups and organises theatre courses, Theatre-in- Education programmes and performances in schools and communities. In 2015, Chung Ying presented several classic translated plays and local original comedies, and was invited to perform in Canada, Taiwan and Guangzhou. It also collaborated with a British playwright to present an English play, Jekyll and Hyde.

City Contemporary Dance Company

The City Contemporary Dance Company is a professional modern dance company that nurtures creative dance talent in the context of contemporary China. In 2015, it presented four original productions and hosted the Jumping Frames International Dance Video Showcase. It also performed in Japan, Taiwan and the Mainland. The company's Dance Centre organised various activities to promote modern dance in Hong Kong and on the Mainland, and led local young choreographers and dancers to the Mainland for performances and exchanges. It also introduced dance workshops for young children.

Hong Kong Ballet

Hong Kong Ballet, one of Asia's premier classical ballet companies, gave 44 performances locally in 2015 featuring a mix of classical and contemporary works such as Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Turandot, the world premiere of Isberg's Pinocchio, Liang's Letting Go, and Egami and Hu's Bolero. More than 20,000 young people enjoyed its extensive educational and outreach programmes.

Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra

The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra presented more than 140 concerts and arts education activities in 2015. As a cultural ambassador of Hong Kong, the orchestra was invited by the Helsinki Festival and Year of Chinese Music in Estonia to perform and organise educational concerts. It was also invited to take part in charity music exchange activities in Chongqing.

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