Arts Support

With the aim of promoting arts development and creating an environment conducive to the diversity of the arts, the ADC has established a number of grant schemes to support the activities of local arts practitioners and arts groups. With the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District, the ADC has also actively sought to support, in various forms, the nurturing of talent and the development of different arts and cultural software.

Grant Schemes

•	One-Year/Two-Year Grant Subsidising administrative costs and other expenses, the grant offers strategic support contributing to the professional development of local small-to-medium-sized arts groups.
•	Multi-Project Grant To support small-to-medium sized local arts groups with proven level of artistry to carry out projects with artistic values that can contribute to arts development in Hong Kong.
•	Devolved Grant By inviting established arts groups to act as intermediaries, the scheme supports different activities organised by emerging artists and arts groups, such as art festivals, competitions and gala performances.
•	Project Grant To support various projects undertaken by arts practitioners and arts groups that covered performances, exhibitions, publications, education, artistic creation, arts criticism and archiving. Two special funding programmes have been set up separately under Project Grant: (1) “Grant for Emerging Artists” which supports young artists; (2) “Grant for Cultural Exchange between Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Macao”, which encourages active participation in cultural exchanges between the local arts industry and its counterparts in China, Taiwan and Macao.

Nurturing Talent

To foster the nurturing of local arts talent, the ADC offers a multitude of programmes for providing opportunities for trainings, competitions, observations, internships and overseas exchanges. They include:

•	Grant for Emerging Artists Strictly for first-time applicants, the grant is designed especially for young emerging artists. It opens up opportunities for them to launch performances and works, and encourages them to gain practical experiences by actively involving in artistic creations.
•	Internship Schemes The ADC launched the Internship Schemes in 2009 in the disciplines of drama, xiqu and music, to support the professional development of talented emerging artists through internships in established arts groups. Industry response to the Schemes has been favourable.
•	Xiqu Playwright Mentoring and New Play Performance Project The project is designed to identify and develop young playwrights with potentials. The selected playwrights will have the chance to learn under the guidance of veteran xiqu playwrights/ performers. In addition, the project provides funding support for local professional theatre groups to perform new plays written by budding playwrights.
•	Fresh Wave The Fresh Wave Short Film Competition, launched in 2005, aims to identify and nurture talented young filmmakers by offering them a platform to make and screen films and interact with their counterparts. The Competition is divided into Student and Open Divisions. Each of the participating team has to submit a short film of less than 30 minutes, to compete for the awards of Best Film, Best Creativity, Best Script, Best Cinematography and the Fresh Wave Award. To better promote short films and encourage international exchanges, Fresh Wave launched the International Short Film Festival in 2010, in which entries from the Local Competition Section, selected works from overseas students and different film festivals will be screened. At the same time, international directors will be invited to come to Hong Kong, to meet and share with local participants and audiences.
•	Hong Kong Scholarship on the Clore Leadership Programme Launched in 2009, the Hong Kong Scholarship on the UK Clore Leadership Programme is co-organised by the ADC and the UK Clore Leadership Programme, with funding support from the Home Affairs Bureau. The Scholarship supports candidates with leadership potential to undertake a series of tailor-made and flexible leadership training programmes in the United Kingdom to broaden their international exposure. Successful candidates will be able to take part in a programme of intensive leadership training and secondment in the UK for a period of six months on a full-time basis. The programme encompasses two residential courses, a variety of individually selected professional training courses and workshops, together with professional development through mentoring and coaching, as well as internships in cultural institutions in the UK.
•	Cultural Internship in UK – Whitechapel Gallery Internship With the funding support from the HAB, the ADC launched the “Cultural Internship in UK – Whitechapel Gallery Internship” in partnership with the British Council and the Whitechapel Gallery in East London. The scheme aims to provide internship opportunities for local curators/arts managers to develop their professional skills and strengthen their connections with overseas arts organisations. Successful candidates will be supported to undertake a 12-week internship within the Exhibition Department of the Gallery.