Hong Kong Arts Development Council

The Hong Kong Arts Development Council (ADC) is a statutory body in Hong Kong tasked with broad development of the arts in the territory.

The ADC was created in 1995, under the Hong Kong Arts Development Council Ordinance, Chapter 472, replacing the former Council of Performing Arts. It advises the government on cultural policy for Hong Kong and allocates grants, undertakes advocacy, promotion and development, and plans programmes, in support of the arts.[1]

Governance and administration

The administration of the ADC is overseen by its (up to) 27 members, who are appointed by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. Of these, 10 are elected by various arts organisations (or groups of organisations), each representing an art form or aspect of art. The Council includes six standing committees: the Arts Promotion Committee, Arts Support Committee, Management Committee, Audit Committee, Review Committee and Strategy Committee, as well as a group for each of the 10 'art-forms'.[2][3]

Council members are appointed for three-year terms. Members appointed from 1 January 2011 are:[4]

In late 2012, the Council began a review and consultation of the process for election of its 10 'art-form' members, after criticism that the narrow base, which excluded both individual and commercial arts practitioners, was unrepresentative.[5] As a result the voter base for elections in late 2013 was expanded to 730 arts organisations and 1,492 individual arts workers.[6]

Chairmen

Office holder Term Notes
Dr Patrick Ho Chi-ping, 1999-2001 [7]
Dr Patrick Ho Chi-ping 2002-2005 [2nd term][8][9] ophthamologist and previous member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society committee
unknown 2005-2007 Appointment of chairman was delayed from usual 1 Jan [10]
Ma Fung-kwok 2008-2010 He was later elected to the Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication functional constituency seat in the Legislative Council 2012 election.[11]
Mr Wong Ying-wai, Wilfred 1 Jan 2011–present

Operations

The Council receives annual funding of HK$87 million from the Home Affairs Bureau.

In the year ended 31 March 2012, the ADC provided funding for the arts viz: HK$4.8 million of one-year grants, HK$20.4 million of two-year grants, HK$8.4 million of (two-year) multi-project grants, and HK$14.3 million of (one-year) project grants.[12][13]

The organisation has been criticised for lacking the executive power and resources to implement policies directly, despite its claim to 'coordinate policy and planning'.[1][14]

In 2013, the ADC awarded its first Critic's Prize but was promptly embroiled in controversy when the winner of the HK$50,000 award was found to have connections with at least two of the six judges.[15] The issue led to expanded criticism of the award, such as for its exclusion of English-language entries.[16]

Chief Executive

Day-to-day administration is led by a Chief Executive (formerly 'Secretary General'), appointed by the Council.

Office holder Office Term Notes
Mr Tseng Sun-man Secretary General 1997 to 2001 [17]
Mr Albert Lam Chi-chiu, OBE, JP Chief Executive May 2001 - ?2004 [18][19]
Mr Jonathan Yu Chief Executive April 2005 - 2007 (previously more than two decades with the KCRC)[20]
Mr Louis Yu Chief Executive May 2007 - Oct 2011 [21]
Mr Chow Yung-ping Chief Executive Oct 2010–present [22]

Publication

The ADC produces a regular newsletter of arts news, called ArtNews, every 3–4 months.[23]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 ADC - About Us
  2. Council Structure and Members, HKADC website
  3. Hong Kong Arts Development Council Ordinance, Chapter 472
  4. HKADC Council Members
  5. Arts Development Council election system under review, SCMP, Vivienne Chow, 17 Nov 2012
  6. Second phase of 2013 Hong Kong Arts Development Council Nomination Exercise begins, info.gov press release, 13 June 2013
  7. Launching of Three-year Plan of the HK Arts Development Council, 12 June 2001
  8. New team of Principal Officials appointed, HK Government press release, 24 June 2002
  9. HKADC announces new council members, IFACCA/Artshub, 20 February 2002
  10. Chief Executive's slow reaction & HKADC's vacuum (ref HKEJ, 4 Jan 2005, p32)
  11. Chow, Vivienne (2 October 2012). "Artist Chow Chun-fai says Hong Kong's Arts Development Council has lost credibility". South China Morning Post (Hong Kong). Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  12. HKADC – Grants/Commissioned Projects
  13. HKADC Annual Report 2011-12
  14. Yuen, Terence, "A Decade's Long March: Reform of the Institutional Framework on Culture and the Arts." In A Decade of Arts Development in Hong Kong, 7-25. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Arts Development Council, 2005.
  15. Arts prize winner works with judge, SCMP, Emily Tsang, 28 February 2013
  16. A war of words fuelled by critics, critiques, SCMP, 4 March 2013
  17. Author bio: Tseng Sun-man, in The Long March for an appropriate cultural infrastructure for Hong Kong
  18. HKADC Appoints New Chief Executive, HKADC press release, 28 * Apr 2001
  19. Albert Lam & Son, lookcare.com
  20. Hong Kong Ideas Centre, bio: Mr. Jonathan YU
  21. Asia Cultural Cooperation forum: bio of Mr Louis YU
  22. ADC Appoints New Chief Executive, HKADC press release, 15 Oct 2010
  23. ArtNews, HKADC website

External links