Promotion of the arts best done by artists
With the appointment of Henry Tang Ying-yen as the chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Board, we have been given a glimpse of our government’s position on the cultural hub.
Introducing a businessman to head the board might be seen as an effort by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to deal with cost overruns. Tang can surely apply his management expertise for the projects in West Kowloon.
However, looking back at his track record in government, reducing the wine tax and abolishing estate duty as financial secretary, I am worried that the policies of the cultural district might be tilted in favour of large corporations under the leadership of Tang.
In fact, entrepreneurs hold key posts in the Arts Development Council and the Hong Kong Arts Centre, even though there is no lack of talented arts and cultural personnel in the city. Businesspeople are profit-oriented and might not grasp some of the complex issues in the cultural sector.
We must abandon the traditional notion that art appreciation is only for the upper classes. The development of arts in Hong Kong should be led by experts in the field.
Justin Chan, Edinburgh, Scotland
