ENG-2017 — Page 384

20

Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

Art Development Matching Grants Pilot Scheme

The Home Affairs Bureau's $300 million Art Development Matching Grants Pilot Scheme seeks to widen the sources of funding for arts groups and to encourage community support for arts and cultural development.

Culture and Arts Venues

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department manages 16 performance venues.

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

The Hong Kong Cultural Centre is the territory's premier performing arts facility, attracting leading artists from around the world. It has three main performance venues: the Concert Hall, seating 2,019 patrons; the Grand Theatre, 1,734; and the Studio Theatre, 496. In 2017, the cultural centre staged Ninagawa Macbeth, a classic of the late Japanese theatre director Yukio Ninagawa, and concerts by the Berliner Philharmoniker under the baton of its artistic director and chief conductor, Sir Simon Rattle.

Hong Kong City Hall

Hong Kong City Hall opened in 1962 as the territory's first purpose-built major civic centre. Its main facilities include a 1,434-seat concert hall, a 463-seat theatre and an exhibition hall. In 2017, major programmes included a violin recital by Kyung Wha Chung from South Korea and a choral performance by the United Kingdom-based choir The Sixteen.

Yau Ma Tei Theatre

Yau Ma Tei Theatre, the only surviving pre-war cinema building in the urban area, is dedicated to nurturing young talent for Cantonese opera. To mark the 100th birth anniversary of master playwright Tong Tik-sang, the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong presented a series of Tong's timeless masterpieces, including Princess Changping and The Peony Pavilion, under the Cantonese Opera Young Talent Showcase in 2017.

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 host mega sports events, pop concerts, major celebrations and other activities. In 2017, 39 and 123 events were held at the coliseum and the stadium respectively.

Venue Partnership Scheme

This scheme fosters partnerships between the department's performance venues and performing arts groups. It aims to enhance the image and character of individual venues and

308