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The Tai Po Youth Arts Festival 2016, organised by the Working Group on Signature Projects of the Tai Po District Council (TPDC) and the Tai Po District Secondary School Heads Association, was launched today (February 20) at the former Tai Po Government Secondary School. The two-day programme offers a rich diversity of arts performances and activities for the enjoyment of people of all ages.
Officiating at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, said that, with "Arts and Fun" as the main theme, the event aims to encourage youths to organise and carry out arts projects to nurture their interest in arts and develop their artistic potential.
The festival is a large-scale arts event to tie in with the district's Arts Centre Project. Mr Lau commended the project as a high-quality proposal with a view to promoting arts at the district level and providing arts groups with spaces to create and perform. It can also foster cultural exchange between arts groups and residents as well as enhance community participation in the arts.
The implementation of the Signature Project Scheme (SPS) serves to achieve the objective of enhancing district administration. Mr Lau said about half of the 27 SPS projects, including the Arts Centre Project in Tai Po, are still awaiting vetting and approval by the Public Works Subcommittee (PWSC) and the Finance Committee (FC) of the Legislative Council. He urged the PWSC and the FC to screen and approve the SPS projects for implementation in the interest of the community.
Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony included the Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Dr Wilfred Wong Ying-wai, and the Chairman of the TPDC, Mr Cheung Hok-ming.
The arts festival covers a wide range of activities, including puppet shows, music, dancing and circus performances as well as arts workshops with the participation of over 50 arts groups.
Ends/Saturday, February 20, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:01
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