The government yesterday announced the names of 18 arts groups that will receive money from a HK$39 million fund, but warned them not to rely solely on official funding
Secretary for Home Affairs Raymond Young Lap-moon said the scheme hoped to foster medium-sized arts groups to make them self-sufficient when the grants ended in two to five years' time.
'It's very difficult for these groups to get sponsorship from the private sector,' Young said. He hoped the scheme would be an incentive for private-sector funding.
Chung Shui-ming, the chairman of the Home Affairs Bureau's Advisory Committee on Arts Development, said it was hard to drum up the economic incentives needed to encourage private arts sponsorship and said such funding should be tax- deductible.
Initially launched as a HK$30 million scheme, the government topped up the amount to HK$39 million in response to overwhelming demand.
Of 98 applications received, nine from music, visual arts and drama groups were selected for 'springboard' grants, which offer a 200 per cent matching grant for a maximum of two years and for up to HK$3 million to a group that can secure an income of HK$1 million.
Recipients can apply for subsequent grants of up to HK$4.5 million for three more years.