Organiser of Hong Kong’s top stage awards vows show will go on as Arts Development Council pulls support after 2023 event ‘damaged its reputation’

Hong Kong Federation of Drama Societies says Arts Development Council acted after ‘external inquiries’ raised concerns over damage to funding body

Leisure and Cultural Services Department also says no venue or financial support will be offered to event this year

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The Hong Kong Drama Awards ceremony is to lose external funding after the Arts Development Council says concerns raised about damage to its reputation at last year’s event. Photo: Handout

Published: 8:22pm, 17 Jan 2024Updated: 5:20am, 18 Jan 2024

Hong Kong’s most prestigious theatrical awards event has been told it is to lose public funding and use of a venue for its annual ceremony after authorities said last year’s show, which featured government critics, damaged an arts body’s reputation.

The Hong Kong Federation of Drama Societies on Wednesday said the Arts Development Council had written to it and revealed it had received “external inquiries” that raised concerns the 2023 event caused direct or indirect damage to, or had an adverse effect on, the funding body’s reputation.

“The federation was surprised by [the council’s] hasty move and sent a letter requesting it to specify which segment or clip directly or indirectly caused damage or adverse impact on the reputation of the council,” the organisation said.

“So far, we have not received a response.”

Cartoonist Wong Kei-kwan, who uses the pen name Zunzi and whose work was dropped by newspaper Ming Pao after complaints from senior government officials, presented a prize at last year’s awards. Photo: Edward Wong

The federation added the council had also refused its funding application for this year’s Hong Kong Drama Awards event because of “intense competition and limited resources”.