ENG-2017 — Page 386

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Recreation, Sport, Culture and the Arts

The council co-presents with RTHK Artspiration, a television series on arts, artists and cultural events, and with Cable TV ArTour, a segment in the programme Close to Culture, promoting local young artists.

Large-scale promotional events under the council include the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards and Arts Ambassadors-in-School Scheme. A new arts festival, Jockey Club New Arts. Power, was rolled out during the year. In July, the council organised the Hong Kong Music Series, the first large-scale Hong Kong music event in London, and led Hong Kong delegations comprising local arts groups and artists to take part in the Performing Arts Market in Seoul and OzAsia Festival in Australia again. It also organised the third edition of the International Arts Leadership Roundtable and participated in Guangzhou's China International Performing Arts. Fair for the first time.

The council worked with M+ to present 'Samson Young: Songs for Disaster Relief' at the 57th Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition and put up the Response Exhibition of the 56th Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition in Hong Kong with the Hong Kong Institute of Architects Biennale Foundation and Oi!.

Arts research and policy advocacy are part of the council's main tasks. Through an Annual Arts Survey, it collects data on visual arts exhibitions, arts performances and film screenings. The council also collects and provides Hong Kong's cultural data for the annual World Cities Culture Report and publishes a series of yearbooks on the arts in collaboration with professional and academic groups.

The council implements the HKADC Matching Fund Scheme to help small and medium-sized arts organisations take part in the Art Development Matching Grants Pilot Scheme.

Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts offers professional education, training and research facilities in the performing arts: Chinese opera, dance, drama, film and TV, music, and theatre and entertainment arts.

In 2017, 832 students enrolled in undergraduate and post-secondary programmes in the six performing arts disciplines. Another 156 students were pursuing master's degree programmes in dance, drama, film and TV, music, and theatre and entertainment arts. The academy also admitted more than 650 students to its junior programmes and over 3,000 students to its Extension and Continuing Education for Life programme.

Hong Kong Arts Centre

The self-financing Hong Kong Arts Centre in Wan Chai promotes contemporary arts and culture. It conducts programmes featuring works of local and overseas artists, and provides facilities for performances, films and exhibitions. The centre's Hong Kong Art School runs diploma and degree courses in arts studies.

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