Arts Development Council election system under review

Individual artists excluded from voting for members of the Arts Development Council may gain the right to vote under changes proposed by the arts funding body.

The changes, in a paper subject to public consultation until December 12, would allow arts competition winners and finalists, graduates of local arts degree programmes and tenants of creative spaces to register as voters. This would give them the right to nominate and vote for council members representing 10 art forms in next year's election. Instructors of arts subjects and activities at all levels would also be included.

Some members of the arts community welcomed the review, but are sceptical about the impact of the proposed changes.

Stricter criteria are suggested for arts organisations wishing to register as voters after criticism that the present rules covering them are too loose.

Arts organisations wishing to register as a voter would have to be those focusing primarily on arts administration, arts criticism, arts education, xiqu, dance, drama, film and media arts, literary arts, music and visual arts.

The Arts Development Council gets annual funding of HK$87 million from the Home Affairs Bureau, out of government expenditure on arts and culture, which this year totals HK$3.09 billion. It is governed by a 27-member council, 10 of whom are elected every three years.

This is the first time that the council has conducted a consultation on the election process.