West Kowloon Cultural District set to appoint former housing chief as its new head
Duncan Pescod, the third chief in six years, will take over reins from Michael Lynch – along with uncertainties in budget and positioning
Former housing chief Duncan Pescod was yesterday named the new head of the West Kowloon Cultural District - its third chief executive in six years.
The incoming leader of the mega arts hub may have clinched one of the world's top cultural jobs, but critics say what lies ahead is likely to be a bumpy road to deliver the controversial, over-budget project that has by now taken more than 15 years to build.
The appointment of a retired long-time government official may also defeat the purpose of setting up a statutory body that is supposed to operate at arm's length from the government, according to Oscar Ho Hing-kay, who sat on one of the consultative committees prior to the formation of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority in 2008.
Pescod, as chief operating officer of the authority since October, has been heading its infrastructural development as well as commercial and operational planning.
"West Kowloon is supposed to be operating outside of the civil servant system," Ho said.
"We realised its operation mindset and system and we tried to avoid that, but now it's like bringing the arts hub back to the things we tried to avoid."