For information
on 27 June 1996
LegCo Panel on Recreation and Culture
Government Policy on Financial Support
for Hong Kong Artists to Participate in International Cultural Exchanges
The purpose of this Paper is to inform Members of the Government policy in regard to financial support for Hong Kong artists to participate in international cultural exchanges.
2. Government supports the promotion and development of the arts in Hong Kong. To this end, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) was set up in June 1995 as an independent statutory body to promote and develop the arts in Hong Kong.
3. Following the establishment of the HKADC, Government no longer provides direct funding support to individual arts organizations or artists. Instead, a seeding grant and an annual subvention have been provided to the HKADC, which will then decide on whether and how the funds should be allocated and disbursed among various artforms and individual arts organizations/artists.
4. In the first Five-Year Strategic Plan of the HKADC, the Council has proposed to allocated some $3.5 million in 1996/97 and some $9.6 million in 1997/98 to promote international cultural exchanges. A significant part of this would be used directly to help Hong Kong artists to take part in international cultural exchanges so as to enhance the artistic standards of Hong Kong artists and to promote the appreciation of Hong Kong arts in the international community.
5. A detailed paper prepared by the HKADC setting out its policy and practice on the matter is enclosed at Annex for Members' reference.
6. In addition to the HKADC, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (the Academy), which is a fully subvented body, also participates actively in international cultural exchanges.
7. In recent years, at the invitation of the Government, the Academy has organized performance tours for its students to participate in overseas cultural programmes. Recent examples are that in September 1995, a group of the Academy's students were sponsored by the Hong Kong Government to stage performances in Tokyo and Fukuoda for promoting Hong Kong-Japan Partnership' and in October this year, students of the Academy will be sponsored by the Hong Kong Government Office in London to stage performances in Edinburgh to help promote Hong Kong in the United Kingdom.
8. Apart from the above, the two Municipal Councils also provide some form of financial support to arts organizations for cultural exchanges. For example, if an arts organization plans to carry out an overseas tour as a cultural exchange project, both Councils may consider providing the organization an opportunity to stage pre-tour or post-tour performances at their venue and may offer the organization a performance fee as a gesture of support to help offset part of its production expenses. In addition, after taking over the services of the Music Office jointly since August 1995, the two Municipal Councils have sent and funded one of the Office's youth orchestras comprising local young musicians on an overseas tour every year for exchange of experience with their overseas counterparts. Moreover, the Urban Council also provides financial support to its own performing companies, i.e. the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Dance Company, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, to enable them to participate in overseas arts festivals and tours.
Broadcasting, Culture and Sport Branch
21 June 1996
Last Updated on 12 Aug, 1998
