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The following is issued on behalf of the Funding Committee for the Performing Arts:
The Funding Committee for the Performing Arts, at its second meeting, decided that the subvention amount for the nine major performing arts groups in the 2009-10 financial year would be similar to that in 2008-09 at $263,373,021.
The committee had discussed at its first meeting the departure of a subvented major performing arts group from the government funding mechanism. Since the issue of the use of funding originally earmarked for Theatre Ensemble is outside the committee's terms of reference, it decided to defer the decision to the Government. The committee noted that the relevant funding had been injected into the arts portion of the Arts and Sport Development Fund, which is open for application by the wider cultural and arts sector.
At the meeting, the committee reached consensus on the arrangement for public disclosure of the remuneration of the senior administrative staff of the major performing arts groups, and will follow up with the groups. The committee also noted that the selection and appointment of a consultant for the ˇ§Research Study on a New Funding Mechanism for the Major Performing Arts Groups and Relative Mattersˇ¨ was still in progress.
The committee took note of the release of Principal Dancer Miss Faye Leung by The Hong Kong Ballet Limited. The committee learned that the board of The Hong Kong Ballet Limited supported the decision and had proposed to engage Miss Faye Leung as the companyˇ¦s Guest Dancer. The board was actively negotiating with Miss Leung. The committee looked forward to a satisfactory resolution being reached between the two parties.
Ends/Thursday, February 26, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:01
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