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The "Open Stage" Pilot Scheme, which will be held at the piazzas of three performing arts venues of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), has received 26 applications encompassing various art forms, including acoustic band, instrumental music and singing, as of today (July 29). Qualified performers who have passed an audition by the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC) will soon stage performances at the HKCC piazza.
The first performing group, a guitar and singing duo, will give their debut performance under the "Open Stage" scheme this Saturday (July 31) between 8pm and 10pm at the HKCC piazza (between the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the MTR Exit J). The other qualified groups are scheduling their performances from August onwards.
Aiming to promote arts and culture in the community and provide opportunities for performers to showcase their talents, the six-month "Open Stage" Pilot Scheme will soon be launched also at the piazzas of Sha Tin Town Hall (STTH) and Kwai Tsing Theatre (KTT). The scheme enables members of the public to appreciate the arts at leisure and enriches the cultural ambience of the community.
The pilot scheme is open to different forms of performing arts. Performers can be an individual or a group of not more than eight persons. Auditioned and qualified performers may register for a performance session of two hours each between 10am and 10pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, except on dates and times reserved for special activities.
The registration system will operate on a first-come-first-served basis. No hire charges are payable. To ensure a certain level of artistic standards, applicants must go through an audition conducted by a panel comprising representatives from the respective venue, the cultural sector and District Council. Performers not auditioned will not be able to join the scheme.
After taking into consideration of the views of the community, some implementation details of the Pilot Scheme have been revised, such as allowing performers to collect money at the designated performing areas.
An applicant should be a Hong Kong resident aged 18 or above and hold a valid Hong Kong permanent identity card. There is no age limit for performers, who should be holders of valid Hong Kong permanent identity documents or valid travel documents indicating that they are lawfully employable in Hong Kong.
The scheme will be implemented on a trial basis for six months till year end and will be reviewed before mapping the way forward.
Details of the scheme and application forms are available at the respective venues and can also be downloaded from their websites. Completed application forms should be sent to the venues by post or in person. HKCC - enquiries: 2734 2009, website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/hkcc ; STTH - enquiries: 2694 2555, website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/stth ; KTT - enquiries: 2406 8192, website: www.lcsd.gov.hk/ktt .
Ends/Thursday, July 29, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:16
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