Twelve Hong Kong arts projects will be funded by the China National Arts Fund in 2025, a move the city's cultural chief hailed as a recognition of Hong Kong’s high-caliber culture ecosystem.
The projects were chosen following a review of 11,091 applications from across China by the Council of the China National Arts Fund, of which 818 were picked for funding.
The 12 homegrown arts projects include two large-scale productions, two small-scale productions, two fine arts individual creations, three training programs, two projects created by young artists and one cultural exchange program.
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In a statement issued on Monday, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui gave thanks for the national support for Hong Kong’s cultural and artistic sector.
Law highlighted the diversity of the selected projects, which she said illustrates the flourishing artistic ecosystem of Hong Kong.
“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will continue to leverage our cultural characteristics, which are rooted in Chinese culture and embrace Western culture, to enhance international cultural exchanges and promote people-to-people bonds, further consolidating Hong Kong's position as an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange,” Law said.
Launched in 2013, the China National Arts Fund is dedicated to encouraging artistic creation and cultivating artistic talent nationwide. Since 2022, the fund has been open to applicants from Hong Kong and Macao, aiming to promote the development of cultural arts in the two cities and support local artistic professionals. Over the past three years, 31 Hong Kong projects have benefited from the subsidies provided by the fund.
The sole cultural exchange project to gain favor with the national fund was the Cantonese musical “The Impossible Trial”, which is co-presented by West Kowloon Cultural District and Hong Kong Repertory Theatre.
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Henry Tang Ying-yen, chairman of the board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, said the encouraging result was an acknowledgement of the locally produced musical and Hong Kong’s talent.
The grant will facilitate the musical’s premiere on the Chinese mainland in June 2025 in Shanghai, followed by a run in Beijing in August.
The Authority will continue leveraging its power as a world-class arts hub to solidify the city’s role as a center for cultural exchange between East and West, and contribute to showcasing the nation's cultural soft power, added Tang.
Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com
