HKADC Supports Developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange and the setting up of a Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau

The Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) welcomes and supports the Chief Executive’s initiatives in her latest Policy Address, in regard to developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as stated in the 14th Five-Year Plan of the Central Government, and the setting up of a Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau.

Dr Wong Ying-wai, Wilfred, Chairman of HKADC, said “As an international metropolis with its unique East-meets-West culture and characteristic of multi-cultural inclusion, Hong Kong has the geographical advantage of connecting with China, high accessibility to major cities in the Mainland, Asia and the world with excellent transportation facilities and infrastructure. Hong Kong also has arts and cultural talents, organisational skills as well as the existing and upcoming arts and cultural facilities which equip it with the capabilities and conditions in developing into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. In addition, I very much support the setting up of a Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to consolidate the current portfolio of culture, creative industries and tourism so as to facilitate the development of Hong Kong as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.”

HKADC has been actively supporting Hong Kong in developing into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. In recent years, HKADC has been committed to leading local artists and arts groups to participate in large-scale arts festivals, arts expos and visual arts exhibitions in the Mainland and around the world to showcase excellent Hong Kong arts and to establish networks with its counterparts. Since 2015, HKADC has led more than 10 arts groups, 700 artists, arts directors, curators and arts administrators across the Mainland, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, Canada, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, to establish networks and platforms for Hong Kong artists to showcase their outstanding works in the international arts arena, putting Hong Kong on the world map.

HKADC also launched the "Performance in Mainland Scheme" in 2018, collaborating with theatres, arts festivals and museums in Beijing, Shanghai, the Yangtze River Delta and the Greater Bay Area to expand the network of local arts groups and artists as well as enhance the exchange and development of arts between the two places. In 2019, HKADC was invited by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to cooperate and organise the "Festival Hong Kong". By 2020, a total of 18 Hong Kong arts performances and exhibitions, over 270 artists and production elites were supported to perform in Beijing, Shanghai, the Greater Bay Area, Eastern and Western China, as well as to present the outstanding Hong Kong artworks online from April to May this year.

In addition to promoting exchange with the Mainland and overseas countries, nurturing arts practitioners, arts administrative talents, event production and technical professionals are equally important. Through providing diversified grants and commissioned productions, scholarships, local and overseas internship opportunities and various training programmes, HKADC hopes to nurture arts talents and arts groups to enhance their professional standard in order to meet the needs of developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

With Hong Kong’s unique background of multi-culture, its ability to organise large-scale arts and cultural events, and its connections with overseas arts and cultural institutions, HKADC is confident to contribute to further develop Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. Dr Wilfred Wong said: “I have proposed to the government to host a performing arts expo in Hong Kong. Led by the relevant bureau and in collaboration with major local arts and cultural institutions including HKADC, Hong Kong Arts Festival, the nine major art groups directly funded by the government, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Art Basel, Entertainment Expo, etc, the arts expo would be one of the important events to develop Hong Kong into the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. This will further help promote Hong Kong to be the hub of the arts and culture in Asia-Pacific region and connect with the international arts arena, showcasing local and mainland outstanding arts talents and their works to promote cultural exchanges and communications.”

To implement and develop Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, HKADC will fully uphold with the government's strategy of arts and cultural development, continue its works to nurture local arts practitioners and arts groups, and promote arts exchanges to allow Hong Kong arts to gain a foothold in the international arts arena.