WKCD: A radical proposal : Pro-ART

WKCD: A radical proposal - Let the developers have it


Maybe I will try my hand at a sort of Editorial style posting - to see if there is any reaction, whether postive or negative. Please do comment.


I just read a short article in the Standard, entitled: "Art for art's sake not politics, DAB man warns hub":

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=133139&sid=39555172&con_type=1&d_str=20130424&fc=4


Here's the alarming part: "One of the main projects - the Xiqu Centre for Chinese opera - has doubled in estimates from HK$1.3 billion in 2006 to HK$2.7 billion this year, owing to an increase in construction costs." And, hey, that may not be the final figure - it can go up from there.


Why does the Xiqu Centre, or any of these Venues, really need to be located at West Kowloon?


Why not just give the opera HK$1.5 billion, and let them find their own venue, specifying that it must be a secondhand building, and they cannot spend more than half that sum on the building, saving the rest for renovation, and working capital. The opera will then have a lower cost, money in teh bank, and the ability to develop their own future. Get the feather-bedding bureaucrats out of the management of this, and turn the WKCD area back over to developers. Then the government will have "hatched" a successful new cultural enterprise, and can get on with what it does well: collecting land premiums.


The same can be done with the other culutural enterprises meant for WK.


Art would thrive with this business-like approach, rather than becoming struggling enterprises, huddled within a White Elephant environment.

That should be standard proceedure for anyone taking money from the taxpayers - you get a lump sum (no more) and have to account for how it is spent. If you come up short, ask for donations from the private sector.

With the current system, they are being encourage to develop a "handout mentality"

Our whole society is encouraged to develop an entitlement mentality. :-(

Yeah.

While relying on the government to "confiscate" the required money through taxes and inflation.


If HK rely wants and needs these institutions, why not set them up on a sounder footing.


They can buy secondhand properties (old schools, old factories, etc), which would be far cheaper. And then operate from their at a lower cost, while being closer to "real people" (rather than tourists.)


Look at the London Museum which arose in an old power station: It has grown up to be very successful. And look at the successful Art district in Beijing.


The HK "trophy mentality" is going to kill what might have otherwise been a good idea.