ACAD launches 14th-round funding exercise of Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme
The following is issued on behalf of the Advisory Committee on Arts Development:
The Advisory Committee on Arts Development (ACAD) today (November 27) launched the 14th-round funding exercise under the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme (ACDFS).
The ACDFS provides funding support for innovative and impactful proposals that contribute to four objectives, namely capacity development of arts practitioners, arts groups, art forms and/or the arts sector; programme/content development; audience building; and arts education. Over 190 successful applications have received funding in the previous 13 rounds to implement large-scale and cross-year arts and cultural initiatives that cover various art forms and practices, such as performing arts, visual/media arts, multidisciplinary arts, community arts, and arts education/appreciation/promotion.
The assessment criteria for applications include artistic/professional merit, creativity and originality, impact on the arts sector and the community, technical feasibility of the proposed initiatives/activities, capacity in financial planning and management, and the management ability of the applicant and the project team.
In the 14th-round funding exercise, the ACDFS will disburse a provision of approximately $50million in the form of Springboard Grant, a matching grant, and Project Grant, a direct grant.
The Government has put on trial in the 13th-round funding exercise a new initiative for successful applicants of the Project Grant. An additional 200 per cent Incentive Matching Sum, up to a ceiling of $800,000, will be made in respect of non-government sponsorship and/or donations solicited during project implementation. This arrangement will also be applied in the 14th-round funding exercise with a view to cultivating a supportive culture for arts in the community and fostering a tripartite partnership involving the Government, arts groups, and the private sector to promote arts and cultural development in Hong Kong.
The 14th-round funding exercise under the ACDFS is open for application from today and will close at 6pm on January 22, 2025. Applications can be submitted online, by post or by hand. The Guide to Application and relevant materials have been uploaded to the website of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (www.cstb.gov.hk). The Secretariat of the ACDFS will arrange a briefing session on December 11 at the Hong Kong Central Library. Representatives of the ACAD and successful applicants in previous rounds will attend to share experiences with potential applicants. Details can be found on the above website. The application results are expected to be released around July 2025.
LCQ 18: Redeveloping aged public housing estates
Following is a question by the Hon Yang Wing-kit and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (November 27):
Question:
According to the 2024 Policy Address, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will release the redevelopment plans for Sai Wan Estate and Ma Tau Wai Estate in 2025. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as it is learnt that the Sung Wong Toi Road site, which is small in size, will be used for rehousing some residents of Ma Tau Wai Estate affected by the redevelopment project, whether the Government will consider selecting the redevelopment site which is adjacent to Ma Tau Wai Estate and is larger in size, or Site 2B1 at Kai Tak, to rehouse all residents of Ma Tau Wai Estate affected by the redevelopment project; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) whether it will look into the prospect of planning the redevelopment of Chun Seen Mei Chuen, Ma Tau Wai Estate and Lok Man Sun Chuen together in the form of a small district, with a view to achieving more effective planning of ancillary facilities in the community; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether it will promote the collaboration among HA, the Hong Kong Housing Society and the Urban Renewal Authority in carrying out redevelopment by way of land replacement, with a view to expediting the redevelopment of aged public housing estates; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is studying the redevelopment plan for Ma Tau Wai Estate along with relevant technical assessments. The redevelopment plan will be released in 2025. Chun Seen Mei Chuen and Lok Man Sun Chuen are rental estates developed and managed by the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS). The redevelopment plan of these two estates will be subject to HKHS's further study and formulation.
There is clear division of work among the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), HA and HKHS. According to the information provided by the Development Bureau, under the Urban Renewal Ordinance (Cap. 563) and the Urban Renewal Strategy, URA is mainly responsible for rejuvenating old districts, improving the standard of private housing and the built environment. Generally speaking, the redevelopment projects of URA involve acquisition of private buildings, compensation and rehousing; redevelopment by way of Joint Venture (JV) with private developers through tendering and receiving upfront payments from the JV developers to meet the acquisition costs of other redevelopment projects. Requiring URA to participate in the redevelopment of public housing estates by way of land replacement will jeopardize the financial viability of URA's redevelopment projects, affecting URA's capital flow and financial position, and will also thin out URA's resources for redevelopment of old and dilapidated private buildings. Given the rapid ageing of private buildings in Hong Kong, we consider that URA should focus on the redevelopment of old and dilapidated private buildings.
In response to the question raised by Hon Yang Wing-kit, the Housing Bureau has consulted the Development Bureau on the redevelopment site at Shing Tak Street/Ma Tau Chung Road near Ma Tau Wai Estate. The site concerned is a redevelopment project undertaken by URA in accordance with the Urban Renewal Ordinance. URA has tendered the site to a JV developer for private residential development. As regards Kai Tak Area 2B1, it has been granted to HKHS for development of about 1 800 subsidised sale flats (SSF). The superstructure works are currently in progress and the relevant SSF are expected to be completed in 2026-27. Therefore, the above two sites are not suitable for rehousing the residents of Ma Tau Wai Estate under the HA.
