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The International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) will hold its 20th international congress in Hong Kong from June 6 to 11.
At the press briefing session today (May 26), Assistant Director (Performing Arts) from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department Ms Agnes Tang In-kwan said that to May 22, 278 individuals from 30 countries had registered for participation in the ISPA Congress. "This is the highest registration record for the summer congresses in the past 10 years," she said.
"The Hong Kong Congress will truly be an international meeting of arts practitioners, with various concurrent regional events being held in early June. There are the ISPA Academy, the 9th Annual Conference of the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres, Annual Conference of the Association of Asian Performing Arts Festivals, China (Hong Kong) International Performing Arts Fair and Hong Kong Dance Festival 2006," Ms Tang said.
The theme for the congress will be "The New Silk Road for the Performing Arts", which extends the legacy of the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty (7th Century) when the exchange of goods lead to arts and cultural links between East and West.
The congress will include a wide spectrum of activities such as seminars, workshops and performances.
Artists, festival directors, arts practitioners and producers will also attend.
They will include: Founder and Artistic Director of the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan Lin Hwai-min, Artistic Director of Setagaya Public Theatre, Japan Mansai Nomura, composer Chen Yi, Artistic Director of Seoul International Dance Festival, Korea Lee Jong-ho, Executive Director of Boston's Celebrity Series Martha H. Jones, Artistic Director of London's Barbican Centre Graham Sheffield, Chief Executive Officer of Esplanade Theatre, Singapore Benson Puah, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Yan Huichang, Founder and Artistic Director and Chief Executive Director of CCDC (City Contemporary Dance Company) Willy Tsao, and Artistic Director of Hong Kong Repertory Theatre Fredric Mao.
Founded in 1949, the ISPA is an international non-profit organisation founded by more than 600 executives and directors of concert and performance halls, festivals, performing companies, and artistic competitions; government cultural officials; artists' managers; and other interested parties with a professional involvement in the performing arts from more than 50 countries in every region of the world, and in every arts discipline.
The ISPA's mission is to develop, nurture, energise and educate an international network of arts leaders and professionals who are dedicated to advancing the field of performing arts.
"By working with Hong Kong arts and cultural organisations as well as regional partners and associates, the Hong Kong Government takes great pleasure in hosting this international meeting for arts administrators, arts centre executives, festival directors, producers, touring agents and other arts practitioners, and we are looking forward to it being a great success," Ms Tang said.
For more information about the ISPA, please visit www.ispa.hk
Ends/Friday, May 26, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:01
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