Corporate News

HKJC helps bring the arts to Hong Kong people through 2008 Hong Kong Arts Festival

14 February 2008

 

With funding from The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Asia Pacific's major annual arts event - the 2008 Hong Kong Arts Festival - opened today, 14 February. Over the next four weeks the Festival will present over 100 performances and related events featuring 31 top local and international performing groups. Guest of Honour The Hon Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, joined by Club Chairman Mr John C C Chan and other guests, officiated at today's opening ceremony at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

As a founding funder of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Club provides grants to the Festival each year with the aim of bringing new arts and cultural experiences to local audiences, as well as building a growing international reputation for Hong Kong. From 1972 to 2007, the Club contributed over HK$125 million to support the Festival.

To assist the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society (AFS) in planning ahead and securing the participation of leading world-class artists and ensembles, for whom booking commitments are often required two to three years in advance, the Club has now introduced a new arrangement where by funding for the Festival is approved three years in advance. This provides an average of HK$7 million each year for AFS to bring in three main pillar programmes for each year's Festival. With a roll-over mechanism, AFS can carry forward any unused funds from one year to the next. This will provide AFS with the necessary financial resources and flexibility to secure advance bookings of world-class artists and bring in a wider spectrum of programmes.

The new arrangement also helps promote the performing arts to Hong Kong's younger generation. A further grant is being provided to arrange a complimentary student matinee performance for one of the pillar programmes. For the 2008 Festival, the matinee is presented by the New York Philharmonic on 17 February. As well as appreciating the breathtaking performance of this renowned orchestra, young people attending this special matinee will be able to acquire knowledge and appreciation of music through interactive demonstrations by the musicians.

Over the years, the Club has made numerous major contributions to arts and cultural development in Hong Kong. These include launching the Performing Arts Outreach Project "Behind the Scenes" and the Jockey Club Arts for the Disabled Scheme; funding the establishment of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre; and sponsoring various projects of the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation and the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong. This year the Club and AFS are also co-presenting the renowned French equestrian theatre Zingaro, which is performing in Hong Kong from 9 February to 23 March.


Photo 1:
Photo 1/2 : The Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Hong Kong Arts Festival is performed by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, The Hon Donald Tsang (first row, middle), Club Chairman Mr John C C Chan (first row, 3rd from left); Secretary for Home Affairs Mr Tsang Tak-sing (first row, 2nd from right) and AFS Chairman Mr Charles Lee (first row, 3rd from right), and other guests.



Photo 2



Photo 3:
(From right) Chairman of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited Mr Vincent Cheng, Club Chairman Mr John C C Chan and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, The Hon Donald Tsang and his wife Mrs Selina Tsang at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Hong Kong Arts Festival.


 

 

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