The Hong Kong Arts Festival was founded in 1973. It is run by the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society Limited, a non-profit organization. About 30% of annual revenue comes from sponsorships and donations from individuals, corporations and charitable foundations, another 30% from the box office, and the remaining 40% from government funding and the Government’s grant-matching scheme. The program of the festival is divided into five main sections: opera, music, theater, dance, and special programs.
The festival presents top international artists and ensembles from around the world, introducing local audiences to the best of contemporary performing arts. Past participants have included the Royal Shakespeare Company (England), the Moscow Art Theater (Russia), the Beijing People’s Art Theater (China), the Bavarian State Opera (Germany), the New York City Ballet (USA), Mikhail Baryshnikov (USA), Kevin Spacey (USA), Riccardo Chailly (Italy), Yo-Yo Ma (USA), Jose Carreras (Spain), Cecilia Bartoli (Italy), Anna Netrebko (Russia), Christian Thielemann (Germany), and others.
Alongside introducing local audiences renowned international artists, the HKAF strives to promote local emerging artists and creative talents. The festival has commissioned and produced more than 100 new productions in the past decade, including music, contemporary dance, chamber opera, and theater.
The Hong Kong Arts Festival prides itself on its educational activities. Its Young Friends program reaches out to hundreds of thousands of school students in Hong Kong. Thanks to the Student Ticket Scheme, over 8,000 half-price student tickets are issued each year. Another highlight of the festival is its Festival PLUS program that enhances the engagement between artists and audience through lectures, workshops, masterclasses, exhibitions, meet and greets, guided tours, and other activities.
Photo: Hong Kong Arts Festival 香港藝術節
