2022 Nomination of Representatives of Arts Interests

The current term of office of members of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) will expire on 31 December 2022. HKADC was appointed by the Home Affairs Bureau to be solely responsible for coordinating the 2022 Nomination of Representatives of Arts Interests (the Nomination Exercise).

Under Section 3 of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council Ordinance (Chapter 472), HKADC shall consist of 27 members including a Chairman, a Vice-chairman and not more than 22 other members, each of whom shall be appointed by the Chief Executive. The 22 other members may include up to 10 persons nominated in the 10 specified arts interests (Arts Administration, Arts Criticism, Arts Education, Chinese Opera (Xiqu), Dance, Drama, Film Arts, Literary Arts, Music and Visual Arts). Representatives of the specified arts interests receive support from their sectors through nomination and votes in the Nomination Exercise. If there is competing nomination, the candidate with the highest number of votes will be returned in the contested arts interests. The list of the 10 nominated representatives will be submitted to the Chief Executive for consideration of appointment as HKADC members.

The 2019 Nomination Exercise has a record high of 6,846 registered voters. Upon completion, a thorough review on the Nomination Exercise was conducted by a working group led by the Chairman of HKADC and the Nomination Agent. Incorporating the opinions from the arts sector, recommendation on adopting e-services in future Nomination Exercises to facilitate voter registration and participation was made to the Home Affairs Bureau. Amidst the pandemic in the past two years, e-services will definitely help ensure a smooth running of the Nomination Exercise.

The 2022 Nomination Exercise will fully adopt an e-approach. Arts workers will be able to make registration and update their personal particulars through the online platform. There will be no registration by arts organisations in the current Nomination Exercise. Registrations will be based on individual arts workers. Eligible voters already registered in the previous Nomination Exercise will automatically become voters for their respective arts interests in the 2022 Nomination Exercise. There is no need to re-submit applications. The Nomination Agent appointed by HKADC will notify voters to update their personal particulars or may choose to cancel their voter status through the online platform at Phase I of the Nomination Exercise.

To facilitate voter registration for arts workers who either did not register before or entered the sector within the past two or three years, the eligibility for individual arts workers in the current Nomination Exercise is expanded to 12 criteria (please refer to Appendix 1). Arts workers qualified under any one of the criteria can register as voters. Publicity of the Nomination Exercise will be launched on 24 June and voter registration will start on 27 June and run till 31 July.

Tri-Leaves Promotion Limited has been appointed by the HKADC as the Nomination Agent to be responsible for coordinating the entire exercise. The Nomination Agent will hold two briefing sessions in early July to introduce the various arrangements of the Nomination Exercise. To ensure a smooth operation of the Nomination Exercise, the HKADC will establish a working group led by the Chairman to oversee the entire process of the Nomination Exercise.