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The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, today (October 23) announced the appointment of members to the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) for a period of two years.
"The West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) is a major initiative to promote arts and cultural development to enrich Hong Kong peopleˇ¦s cultural life. I am confident that the board members, with their collective expertise, experience and distinguished record of community service, will bring this vital project to a success," Mr Tsang said.
The Chief Executive has appointed the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, as Chairman of the Board.
"I am also confident that under Mr Tang's leadership, the board will ensure that the planning and development of the Cultural District is in harmony with its environment and can meet usersˇ¦ needs. It will lay a solid foundation for the future WKCD to unleash the creative potentials of local artists and showcase their talents to the world," the Chief Executive said.
The board will hold its first meeting this month to launch the WKCD project.
The WKCDA is responsible for the planning, development, operation and maintenance of the arts and cultural facilities and related facilities in the WKCD. In its initial phase, the authority will ensure that the arts and cultural facilities and the supporting infrastructure facilities in the Cultural District are planned and designed in a co-ordinated manner.
The WKCDA Ordinance (Cap. 601) provides that the board is the governing and executive body of the WKCDA. It consists of a chairman, three public officers and between eight to 15 non-public officers. To avoid potential conflict of interest, all board members will declare their interest for public inspection.
The three public officer members appointed to the board are the Secretary for Home Affairs, Secretary for Development and Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to be appointed by the authority with the Chief Executive's prior approval, is an ex officio member of the board. The authority will recruit a CEO in due course, taking into account the qualifications and attributes that are required for spearheading the development of the WKCD.
The profiles of the 15 non-public officer members are as follows -
1. Ms Yip Wing-sie
Ms Yip is a well-known conductor in our orchestral music scene. She has been the Music Director of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta since 2002. In her early days, she had already won First Prize in the 35th Besan?on International Conducting Competition for Young Conductors in 1985. She is now also a guest conductor in many places in Asia. Ms Yip was a member of the Performing Arts and Tourism Advisory Group of the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the WKCD (April 2006 - June 2007) and a member of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (April 1994 - December 1995). She has also participated in other aspects of public services. She was a member of the Summer Youth Programme Committee (January 1999 - June 2007) and is a current member of the Council of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Ms Yip was bestowed the Knighthood in the Order of Arts and Literature in 2007.
2. Mr Ma Fung-kwok
Mr Ma is an experienced film production administrator and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, which is tasked to promote and develop culture and the arts in Hong Kong. Mr Ma has deep knowledge of the operation of local and overseas performing arts groups as well as different modes of governance of performing arts venues. He was a member of the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the WKCD (April 2006 - June 2007) and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (January 2005 - December 2006).
3. Mr Danny Yung
A well-known experimental art pioneer, Mr Yung has devoted his lifetime to exploring various aspects of arts including performing arts, cartoon, experimental films, video arts, visual arts and installations. A founder and artistic director of the acclaimed avant-garde arts collective, Zuni Icosahedron, he has contributed significantly in bringing Hong Kong's arts and culture in touch with the international climate. He has been striving for the development of culture by means of creative exchange and preservation and development of intangible cultural heritage. Mr Yung was a Member of the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the WKCD (April 2006 - June 2007).
4. Ms Yuko Hasegawa
Ms Hasegawa is the Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. She is a renowned curator on the international scene. Ms Hasegawa has sophisticated expertise in curatorialship as well as planning of newly-built museums. As the founding artistic director of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan, she had successfully planned and developed the museum as a must-see appeal in the city. She is also a former Board member of the International Council of Museums for Museums and Collections of Modern Art.
5. Professor Jenny So
Professor So was the Department Head of Fine Arts and is now the Chair of the Institute of Chinese Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Professor So has good standing in the art education circle and has published widely in Hong Kong, the Mainland of China, the United States and Europe. During her tenure as Associate Curator, Curator and Senior Curator of Chinese Art (1990 - 2000) at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the American National Museums of Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, she organised major loan exhibitions for education through the arts and cultures of all origins.
6. Mr Victor Lo
Mr Lo was the Convenor of the Museums Advisory Group (April 2006 - June 2007) and a member of the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the WKCD (April 2006 - June 2007). He is the Chairman of Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Design Centre and the Chairman of the Council of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Mr Lo has a wide interest in different forms of visual art, and is dedicated to the development of design and innovation for the benefit of our society. Mr Lo is also a member of the Executive Council.
7. Professor Lee Chack-fan
Professor Lee is Chair Professor of Geotechnical Engineering of the University of Hong Kong, and is highly esteemed in the engineering field. He has not only participated in numerous infrastructural projects in Canada and in Mainland China, but also served as technical adviser to the World Bank, the United Nations Development Plan, the Asian Development Bank and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Professor Lee is active in a broad range of community service. He is the Chairman of both the Harbour-front Enhancement Committee and the Council of the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust.
8. Professor David Lung
Professor Lung is a highly regarded architect in Hong Kong. He is the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and holds the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Chair of Cultural Heritage Resources Management of the University of Hong Kong. Professor Lung has published on heritage and architectural conservation. He has also led seminars on heritage and tourism as well as conservation of urban heritage. Currently, he chairs the Land and Building Advisory Committee of the Government and serves on the Board of Directors of the Urban Renewal Authority. Professor Lung is a keen supporter of arts and cultural development. He was a member of the Culture and Heritage Commission (April 2000 - March 2003) and a member of the Museums Advisory Group of the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the WKCD (April 2006 - June 2007).
9. Mr Andrew Lam
Mr Lam is an experienced planner who has extensive knowledge in urban design and landscape architecture. He has participated and led a number of urban planning and management projects in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Asia. During his tenure as the Executive Director (February 2002 - November 2005) at the Urban Renewal Authority, he was a pioneer in cultivating and implementing the concept of engaging the public in urban planning and design projects. Mr Lam also has a keen interest in arts and culture. Apart from serving on the Committee on Museums (November 2004 - January 2007), he is now a member of the Advisory Committee on Revitalisation of Historic Buildings and the Antiquities Advisory Board.
10. Mr Paul Chan Mo-po
Mr Chan is a qualified accountant and a Past President of the Council of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (December 2005 - December 2006). He is the Chairman of the Legal Aid Services Council and a member of the Strategic Development Commission, the Consumer Council and the Beat Drug Funds Association. He has been elected as the Legislative Council Member representing the Functional Constituency of Accountancy.
11. Mr Ronald Arculli
Mr Arculli has a long and distinguished record of public service. He was the Convenor of the Financial Matters Advisory Group (September 2006 - June 2007) and a member of the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the WKCD (September 2006 - June 2007). A practising solicitor, he is the Chairman of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and a Member of the Executive Council.
12. Dr Allan Zeman
Dr Zeman was a Member of the Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the WKCD and its Financial Matters Advisory Group (April 2006 - June 2007). He is the Chairman of the Board of the Ocean Park Corporation and Lan Kwai Fong Holdings Limited. Dr Zeman is well known for his success in turning Lan Kwai Fong and the Ocean Park into attractions for both local and overseas visitors. He is also a member of the Tourism Strategy Commission, Board of Urban Renewal Authority and Director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
13. Mr Sin Chung-kai
Mr Sin has a long public service record. He represented the Information Technology Functional Constituency of the Legislative Council from 1998 to 2008. He is well regarded for his dedicated efforts to transform Hong Kong into a leading digital city. Mr Sin was the Convenor of the Working Group on Digital Entertainment (February 2002 - March 2003), which explored how multi-media technologies should be further developed in Hong Kong for various applications in the creative industries, including films, videos and computer animations . He was also a Member of Digital 21 Strategy Advisory Committee (October 2004 - September 2008).
14. Mr Jeffrey Lam
Mr Lam is a veteran industrialist who has a broad range of experiences ranging from industrial and business promotion to innovation and technology support. His past and present public services cover, amongst others, the fields of transport (from October 1997 to March 2004 as a member of Transport Advisory Committee and from April to September 2004 as its Chairman), vocational training (from January 2002 to March 2005 as the Chairman of the Vocational Training Council - Import/Export/Wholesale Trades Training Board), trade promotion (current member of Hong Kong Trade Development Council) and anti-corruption (current member of the Advisory Committee on Corruption of the ICAC). Mr Lam is a current member of the Legislative Council.
15. Mr Edmond Chung Kong-mo
Mr Chung has more than 10 years of local community services ranging from welfare of local residents to the well being of the youth. He is an elected member and the Chairman of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council. Yau Tsim Mong is the district where the WKCD will be located.
Ends/Thursday, October 23, 2008
Issued at HKT 14:32
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