MORE FUNDS FOR CULTURAL, ARTS EXCHANGE

Financial Secretary Paul Chan proposed to allocate $135 million to support Hong Kong artists taking part in performances and productions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Mr Chan noted that Hong Kong’s position as an East‑meets‑West centre for international cultural exchange has been included in national planning for the first time, giving full recognition to Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages as a cultural melting pot of East and West.

He said the Government would continue to dedicate its efforts to promote cultural development, including mapping out a Blueprint for Arts & Culture & Creative Industries Development, nurturing a diverse talent pool, enriching arts, cultural and creative content as well as upgrading cultural infrastructure, with a view to further enhancing the ecosystem for relevant industries.

To promote the exchange of culture and arts in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), Hong Kong will host the GBA Culture & Arts Festival in 2024.

Mr Chan said he would allocate $20 million for the festival and it is expected that 5,000 Hong Kong and Mainland artists as well as other practitioners in the arts and cultural sector will participate in the event that is anticipated to attract 140,000 audience goers. 

Mr Chan also plans to provide $135 million over five years, starting from the next financial year, to support performing arts groups and artists in Hong Kong who take part in performances and productions in the bay area. 

It is expected that 1,000 Hong Kong artists will participate in these activities, with an audience of 40,000 from the bay area each year.

To support the development of creative industries, Mr Chan said the Government will inject $500 million into the CreateSmart Initiative (CSI) to encourage more cross‑sectoral and cross‑genre collaboration on creative and cultural programmes, and promote the co‑production of television variety programmes by local television stations with Mainland or Asian production teams to enhance the influence of Hong Kong’s pop culture. 

He said the CSI will also provide funding for the Hong Kong Design Centre and the Trade Development Council to implement flagship events and incubation programmes.

The Government launched the CSI in 2009 and by the end of September 2022, nearly $2.3 billion had been allocated under the CSI to sponsor the creative sector in organising about 650 projects in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas.

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