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Held annually in February and March, the Hong Kong Arts Festival is
the most important international festival in the Asia and has become highly
regarded world-wide since it began in 1973. With a fine array of performers
taking part, the 2003 festival sold over 98 000 tickets in 108 performances,
with the average attendance exceeding 90 per cent. The programmes included
the Stuttgart Opera's The Abduction from the Seraglio, Orchestre
National de France with Yundi Li, Laurie Anderson's Happiness, Directions
in Music featuring Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove,
the Hamburg Ballet, the Ballet Flamenco of Antonio Canales, Robert Lepage's
The Far Side of the Moon and the Edward Lam Dance Theatre's production
of The Happy Prince.
To provide children and families of Hong Kong with cultural and entertainment
programmes of a healthy and educational nature, the LCSD presented the
six-week International Arts Carnival in summer. Prior to the carnival,
three drama outreach teams were sent to promote arts activities at various
schools and kindergartens to arouse community interest. In addition to
a rich series of stage performances, new interactive performances and
seminars for parents and adults were included in the carnival for the
first time. Apart from a Graphic Design Competition open to all primary
and secondary school students, the carnival also featured a creative writing
competition for young people which was jointly organised with the Young
Post of the South China Morning Post. In addition, intensive
arts workshops and day camps were held. About 134 000 people took part
in 449 events that featured 22 local groups and three overseas groups.
Following the success of the 'Legends of China' Festival in 2001, the
LCSD presented the same thematic festival again from mid-October to November
with the aim of enhancing public awareness, understanding and appreciation
of the arts and culture of Asia, the Mainland and Hong Kong. The festival
opened with the commissioned opera Legend of Yao Ji which featured
leading artists, and creative and production personnel from the Mainland,
Hong Kong and Taiwan. In order to appeal to younger audiences, the festival
brought in new theatrical and multimedia productions like the Seventh
Drawer and the 18 Springs. Other popular shows included Chanting
from Mountains Afar, Majestic Drums II and Ancient Dance and Music
of Dunhuang. Alongside the stage performances, various extension activities
were organised, and these included a performance tour to secondary schools
and universities, exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations, forums, and free
outdoor performances. A total of 94 cultural events, featuring eight local
groups and 17 overseas groups, were presented for some 77 000
participants. |
