HONG KONG 2004 - Recreation, Sport and the Arts

Chung Ying Theatre Company was established in 1979 to nurture artistic excellence through the development of new plays, theatre-in-education projects and training of theatre practitioners. In 2004, its creative team members devised and staged four original plays, including one commissioned by the International Arts Carnival. Besides, the company toured to Japan with its award-winning production as well as brought a Japanese company to Hong Kong under the 'Bilateral Cultural Exchange Project'. Apart from standard drama/theatre-in-education projects, the company also received subsidies from Quality Education Fund to hold Ethics Theatre Forum 4R Series in primary and secondary schools.

The City Contemporary Dance Company, established in 1979, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2004. It is a professional modern dance company that endeavours to rally the best Chinese talents in creating dance in the contemporary context of China. The company has performed in Houston, Los Angeles and Guangzhou for cultural exchange. The company's Education and Outreach Department (reformed as the company's Dance Centre since 1 January 2004) offered year-round comprehensive dance courses for both adults and children, and presented outdoor performances as part of its activities to reach out to the community.

Hong Kong Ballet is one of the foremost professional classical ballet companies in Asia. It has also built an international reputation with successful tours to the Mainland, North America, Europe and other parts of Asia. The company presents a broad-based repertoire which includes classical ballets as well as original Chinese-themed productions.

In 2004, the company produced two new ballets. One of them was the first full-length ballet accompanied by the Chinese Orchestra. Other productions during the year include Turandot which was given the 2004 Hong Kong Dance Award, a trilogy of three one-act ballets and two everlasting classical ballets.

The company successfully completed tours as a Cultural Ambassador of Hong Kong and performed at Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts in Singapore., undertook a 22-day North American tour under the Government's Relaunch Hong Kong campaign, and participated in the Hong Kong Culture Week in Shanghai.

Educational programmes also form an integral part of the company's activities. The company's Education and Outreach Department promoted dance to people of all ages and background through 11 projects including a Multi-media Dance Education Project, Hong Kong Community Dance Festival and School Cultural Day during the year.

The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, incorporated as a non-profit-making company in 2001, is a professional Chinese music orchestra that has gained international recognition. Under the leadership of its artistic director, it has made notable achievements in promoting the development of Chinese orchestral music.

During the year, it gave 100 regular, outreach and special concerts. As the Cultural Ambassador of Hong Kong, the orchestra was invited to participate in major cultural events around the world including the Ode to Peace Concert of the World Historical and Cultural Cities Expo in Nanjing, Saint-Denis Arts Festival for Les Annees Chine-France in France, Hong Kong Cultural Week in Shanghai jointly presented by the Shanghai Opera House and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, and HKCO Plays Memorable Tunes in Nanjing.

The Hong Kong Dance Company was also incorporated as a non-profit-making organisation in 2001. The company is committed to promoting the art of Chinese dance and dance drama with a unique Hong Kong style. For years, the company has staged more than 100 productions by Mainland, overseas and local choreographers. The company has also performed in the Mainland and overseas to foster cultural exchange. In September and November, it had touring performances in Hangzhou, Shanghai and Macao respectively, receiving rave reviews to its performances.

The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, with 89 members, is the city's oldest and largest orchestra and presents more than 100 performances a year. The orchestra renews its commitment to artistic excellence, while extending its education and outreach programmes to embrace the entire community. The orchestra's education programme also offered free classical music programmes to over 64 000 students in the community.

Hong Kong Repertory Theatre is the first professional drama theatre in Hong Kong. Its extensive repertoire is performed mostly in Cantonese, with Putonghua used for selected productions. Other than original works, the company also performs adaptations of foreign plays and modern theatre classics. During the year, the company staged nine productions of different genres in 153 performances, including 13 student performances. Apart from its major productions, the company toured 127 schools, organised three summer drama camps and presented 24 sessions of theatre workshops for youths and the community. The company is committed to further exploring cross-border cultural exchange and sourcing more performance opportunities in the Mainland as well as other territories. In September, the company staged two performances in Hangzhou and two charity performances in Shanghai, receiving overwhelming responses and positive remarks.

Established by a group of local musicians, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta continued to bring music to a wide range of audience. The orchestra prides itself on the predominantly local makeup of its musicians, and through its performances, cultivates a stronger interest in the arts within the community. The orchestra continued to bring quality music to local and international audience through numerous performances. Notably, the orchestra was invited to take part in two music festivals in France in the context of Year of China in France. And, locally it collaborated with internationally-renowned artists for well-attended performances. The orchestra also brought several series of interactive educational concerts to audience of all ages.

Theatre Ensemble has endeavoured to create high-quality theatre works that are physical, creative and humorous. In 2004, the company staged three new productions, restaged a children's show and organised an outreach production. Besides, the group extended its Asian Tour 2004 to Japan and Taiwan with its award-winning production. A long-term joint project entitled Pleasure In Play (PIP), signifying a reforming operational and development of professional theatre groups, was formally launched by the Hong Kong Arts Centre and Theatre Ensemble. The PIP School, established in 2003, started a series of courses on professional acting and art of living.

Zuni Icosahedron is a multimedia experimental theatre group and has played an important role in developing new frontiers for Hong Kong's cultural scene. It has been active in theatre productions as well as in the areas of arts education, arts criticism and arts policy research. In 2004, Zuni created four experimental performances. Popularising experimental arts and culture has always been the group's main focus. In 2004, it continued to organise a series of multimedia theatre workshops and joint-school performances for students; and the publication of arts and cultural magazine, E+E, has expanded its distribution network for a wider coverage. Zuni was also invited to take part in international cultural exchange activities held in Taiwan and Norway.