Hong Kong outdoes Jakarta with its art facilities<\/p>\n
By Helly Minarti<\/p>\n
HONG KONG (JP): Two of Asia's bustling capitalist hubs, Hong
\nKong and Jakarta much something in common. Driving from Kai Tak
\nor Soekarno-Hatta airports to the city's downtown areas, one sees
\nsimilar signs of regional metropolitan life; from towering
\nskyscrapers, long toll roads, and glittering malls to bleak slums
\nand densely populated residential areas.<\/p>\n
But the similarities end when it comes to another facet of big
\ncity life -- the arts scene. Hong Kong has put much more effort
\ninto building up its cultural infrastructure, even though it did
\nnot start working on it until 25 years ago. Impressive arts
\nvenues are found within walking distance of rows of shopping
\nmalls and stores, the most renown are the Hong Kong Cultural
\nCenter in Tsim Sha Shui (established in 1989), the Academy of
\nPerforming Arts (APA) in Wanchai (opened in 1984) and the older
\nCity Hall (opened in 1962).<\/p>\n
And it seems there is never a dearth of arts festivities in
\nthe former British colony. The Hong Kong Arts Festival recently
\nfilled the above venues with first-class groups like the Los
\nAngeles Opera playing Richard Strauss' Salome, the Lincoln Center
\nJazz Orchestra, and Bacchae, a joint production by the China
\nNational Beijing-Opera Theater and the New York Greek Drama
\nCompany.<\/p>\n
Organized by the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society, it saw 34
\nlocal and international groups perform from Feb. 10 through March
\n8.<\/p>\n
\"Two years ago we invited (choreographer) Sardono from
\nIndonesia and maybe we will invite Boy G. Sakti (of Gumarang
\nSakti Dance Company) in the future,\" said Grance Lang, the
\nfestival's program director.<\/p>\n
Ticketing and promotion began a year before the festival.
\nPrices started from HK$50 (US$6) for students to HK$840 for the
\nbest seats in upscale shows.<\/p>\n
Developing a love of art in the younger generation was also on
\nLang's agenda. \"We encouraged students to appreciate the arts by
\ngiving them free tickets,\" said Lang.<\/p>\n
Forty-five percent of the funding came from grants from the
\nHong Kong government through the Hong Kong Arts Development
\nCouncil, the Provisional Urban Council and the Hong Kong Jockey
\nClub, 37 percent from ticket sales and the rest from private
\nsponsors.<\/p>\n
The overall budget for the 1998 festival was around HK$6
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
Since the end of the 1970s through the early 1980s Hong Kong's
\nupstage arts scene was enriched by the founding of performing
\ncompanies such as the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong
\nKong Dance Company, the Hong Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong
\nRepertory Theater.<\/p>\n
The key to ensuring art continues to flourish lies in the
\ncollaboration between the government -- which plays a mainly
\nfacilitating role -- the artistic community and the people.<\/p>\n
The government develops local theater groups by providing
\nvenues -- more than 20 of them. All nonprofit arts organizations
\ncan get 65 percent off their venue's rent.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong also gives room for new talent to blossom. Two
\nindependent arts centers -- the Hong Kong Arts Center and the
\nFringe Club -- are among the most well-known alternative forums
\nfor this purpose.<\/p>\n
The Hong Kong Arts Center, which generates funds by renting
\nits building to cultural organizations like the Goethe Institut,
\nhas a Board of Governors consisting of around 10 government-
\nappointed members from the arts community, business sector, and
\ngovernment departments related to culture. Each serves for
\nbetween two and four years.<\/p>\n
\"Their role is to monitor the overall direction and financial
\nsituation of the center -- not the day-to-day operations and
\nprogram selection. So if they want to control us they have to do
\nit indirectly,\" said Louis Yu, the center's performing arts
\ndirector.<\/p>\n
\"If they want to interfere with our programs, they can. But
\nthus far they never have,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Even though she doubts whether the Chinese government, which
\ntook over Hong Kong last year, will stick to that policy, she is
\ncertain that arts in Hong Kong has a liberal future.<\/p>\n
Compared to Hong Kong, Jakarta's art scene seems gloomy.<\/p>\n
It has no international-standard venue. The two main
\nfacilities, Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center and the historical
\nGedung Kesenian Jakarta, are struggling with eternal financial
\nproblems. Audiences have to wait for months to see a good
\nperformance.<\/p>\n
\"The rents are high and the bureaucracy is complicated,\" said
\nSitok Srengenge -- a curator of Teater Utan Kayu -- an
\nindependent arts center founded last August.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the issue of censorship hovers above everything.
\nEven though artists basically do not need permits to perform, the
\nsecurity forces can ban anything they want.<\/p>\n
Many arts events -- like Composers' Week -- cannot occur
\ncontinuously because of a lack of funds. Organized by the Jakarta
\nArts Council, the annual festival was first held in 1979, but
\nthen halted in 1988, mainly because of financial problems. It was
\nheld again last month after the council received fresh funds from
\nthe National Development Board.<\/p>\n
Council member Otto Sidharta said the city administration
\nprovided small subsidies for its programs. \"I can't disclose the
\nfigure, but it is not enough.\"<\/p>\n
Last year, the National Development Board allocated Rp 1
\nbillion (US$117,000) for the council's activities from April 1997
\nto April 1998.<\/p>\n
\"We didn't receive the funds until last December... so we
\nhad to utilize them in such a short time. We distributed them to
\nevery department -- music, literature, dance, theater and fine
\narts.\"<\/p>\n
\"We hope to get the funds for the next term from the same
\nsource, but we don't know yet.\" he said.<\/p>",
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