The Hong Kong Arts Festival Receives Friends of Spain Award

4 December, 2015, Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Arts Festival Society announced today that it had received jointly with Dr Stanley Ho a “Friends of Spain” Award from the High Commissioner for Brand Spain and the Spanish Consulate in recognition of their contribution to the cultural presence of Spain in Hong Kong by showcasing very important Spanish culture events over the years. The award ceremony took place at The Langham Hotel on the evening of 3rd December 2015.

Since 1973, Hong Kong Arts Festival has introduced to Hong Kong audiences various Spanish artists including Paco de Lucia (1997 with the Guitar Trio), Nacho Duato (with his own dance company Compania Nacional de Danza in 1998 and 2004), flamenco star Antonio Canales (2003 and 2015), Eva Yerbabuena (2006), Jordi Savall (1997 and 2013), and many more. The HKAF presents Duato’s The Sleeping Beauty next March as Festival Finale featuring the Mikhailovsky Ballet. 

Tisa Ho, Executive Director of Hong Kong Arts Festival, said: “We are honoured to receive the Friends of Spain Award, and are very grateful to the Spanish community for the recognition. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our donors, sponsors and patrons. Without their support, it would not have been possible for us to present such a wide variety of arts and cultural programmes in Hong Kong.”

納曹．杜亞陶Nacho Duato © Beowulf Sheehan

米克洛夫斯基芭蕾舞團《睡美人》Mikhailovsky Ballet – The Sleeping Beauty © Stas Levshin

About the Hong Kong Arts Festival

Launched in 1973, the Hong Kong Arts Festival (“HKAF”) is a major annual international celebration of the performing arts and one of the region’s premier cultural events. Held in February and March each year, HKAF presents over 1,400 artists in more than a dozen venues throughout Hong Kong, supplemented by about 250 Festival PLUS and arts education events.

HKAF presents the world’s top artists as well as stars of tomorrow and gives equal importance to great traditions and contemporary creations. HKAF also commissions and produces works in theatre, chamber opera and contemporary dance; some HKAF productions have toured to other Asian cities after their Hong Kong premiere.

HKAF is a non-profit organization. The estimated budget for the 2016 Festival is around HK$110 million. About 30% of its annual income comes from government funding, about 37% from the box office, and close to 32% from sponsorships and donations from corporations, individuals, and charitable foundations.

For more information, please visit: www.hk.artsfestival.org.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

For further enquiries, please contact Ms Katy Cheng, Marketing Director, on 2824 3555 or:

Ms Wendy Chung (Opera and Music)
Direct Line: 2828 4931, Email: wendy.chung@hkaf.org  

Ms Alexia Chow (Chinese Opera, Theatre and Dance)
Direct Line: 2828 4933, Email: alexia.chow@hkaf.org

Mr Bonny Loo (Jazz/World Music, Theatre)
Direct Line: 2828 4932, Email: bonny.loo@hkaf.org