Key facts
- Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra executive director Celina Chin Man-wah said the group may scale back community work to fund income-generating activities.
- Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said the baseline share of funding falls from 77 percent to 50 percent.
- Law said the performance-based half is set by non-government revenue and key performance indicators including box office revenue and attendance.
- The Hong Kong Arts Development Council said the reform will encourage higher performance standards, with vice-chairman Chris Ip citing a promotion ladder for smaller groups.
- RTHK reported annual funding to the nine groups rose more than 104 percent to about HK$450 million over two decades while attendance fell.
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, one of the city's nine Major Performing Arts Groups, urged the government to give greater weight to qualitative measures when setting funding criteria, executive director Celina Chin Man-wah said on Thursday. Chin said changing social trends had contributed to falling attendance and warned the group might have to scale back community work to devote more resources to income-generating or sponsored activities.
Her comments followed a written reply to a lawmaker's question on Wednesday by Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui. Law said annual funding under the new mechanism would comprise a Baseline Subvention and a Performance-based Subvention, with the baseline portion gradually reduced from the current 77 percent of total funding to 50 percent. The remaining half would be allocated on each group's non-government revenue and its performance against key performance indicators, which Law said would include box office revenue and audience attendance as well as qualitative assessments of artistic excellence and local artistic talent development.
Law said a five-year transitional period would begin in the 2027-28 financial year, with full implementation expected from the 2032-33 financial year. The nine groups are Chung Ying Theatre Company, City Contemporary Dance Company, Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Dance Company, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Zuni Icosahedron.