Opening Address for the Launching of Three-year Plan of the HK Arts Development Council
Dr. Patrick Ho, Chairman of Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Date: June 12, 2001
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Venue: Government House

The Honourable Chief Executive of the HKSAR Mr Tung Chee-hwa, Chairman of the Culture and Heritage Commission Prof. Chang Hsin-kang, Secretary for Home Affairs, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, friends from the arts field and the press, Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council I thank you all for joining us at this launching of our Three-Year Plan. We are delighted to have Mr CH Tung's presence today as officiating guest; his presence shows the importance which the SAR Government attaches to the arts in Hong Kong. Special thanks have to be extended to Prof. Chang, Mr Lam and Mr Leung.

The title of our Three-Year Plan is "Hong Kong ^ Unlimited". It signifies Hong Kong's unlimited room for creativity and the room of the arts upon Hong Kong's reunion with China. In the age of new technologies, globalisation and knowledge-based economy, human resources and knowledge creation are the locomotives for social progress. The competition in the 21st century is a competition for creative talents and culture of the city. Arts cultural activities provide the breeding ground for creativity. With the freedom of cultural development bestowed upon us by the Basic Law and the Government's efforts on arts and cultural provisions, we are confident that arts and culture can contribute to the economic re-structuring of Hong Kong to achieve an knowledge-based economy.

The Three-Year Plan of the Arts Development Council lays down the core strategy for the development of the arts in Hong Kong. It consolidates the results of our internal research, references to other countries and territories, and wide-ranging consultations in the arts circle. The Hong Kong Arts Development Council was established in 1995 as a statutory body according to the Hong Kong Arts Development Council Ordinance. The Ordinance sets out a full range of statutory functions in arts development and policy consultation. But as the Arts Development Council had to fulfill the funding duty of arts companies inherited from the Council for Performing Arts, its early work focused on arts funding. Since 1997, the Government has initiated the review of arts and cultural infrastructure and the ADC commissioned research projects which cover from the arts infrastructure to corporate study. Then the Arts Development Council launched many self-improvement measures, reformed the funding mechanism, established the examiners' system in order to assure openness and fairplay. Thereafter the ADC started an examination of its funding policies and strategies.

Many overseas arts councils began to realize the structural constraints of arts funding and we felt no less in Hong Kong. The improvement of the funding mechanism draw more and more applicants while more grantees usually meant less money for applicants. As the amount for the arts companies dwindles, the money is largely spent on production. Entrepreneurial skills such as corporate management, marketing and promotion are given low priority. So the arts groups find it difficult to stand on their own feet and have to rely more and more on arts subsidy, which is however on constant decrease. To get away from this impasse the ADC has re-positioned itself in the direction of development. The Three-Year Plan intends to create an environment conducive to the art groups and arts companies on marketing skills, so as to facilitate alternative funding from society. The Arts Development Council has changed from a funding agency to a developmental agency.

The Three-Year Plan emphasizes that the arts and culture are fundamental to the well-being of the people. We try to build a consensus among the artists, the public, the commercial sector, the public bodies and the government departments. Most programmes will be commissioned to our partners. The underpinning thoughts of the Three-Year Plan is to create an environment for the arts to thrive and to seek partnerships. The arts do not only concern artists, they also concern society as a whole. The arts relate to personal cultivation as well as the quality of the community and the standard of civilization.

The arts allow room for controversies to be disputed and thought over. We can reflect on ourselves creatively, appreciate the values of others and confirm the values of our own. Creativity opens new horizons and overcomes prejudices; it enhances social inclusion and solidarity. Individual personality and passions will be backed with reason and the vitality of the city will be enhanced. Social development and community enlivening fall in our tenet of arts development because we all love our community in this City of Life. Thank you.