Grants in Hong Kong: Something Needs to Change
10-2-15
By: Meaghan McGurgan
In Fall of 2014 I applied for a grant in Hong Kong through the ADC. I knew it was going to be tough, 8 out of 10 people who apply for ADC grants in Hong Kong are rejected and very few projects in English are accepted. But I was very hopeful for its approval because I thought my idea was good, that I was going to provide a meaningful art experience and my fans in HK have encouraged me to apply for government funding. Many other English speaking artists in HK have done the same. You apply for the 2 main types of grants the ADC currently offers:
Project Grants
Multi-Projects Grants (Year Grants)
Currently 9 companies receive Year Grants in Hong Kong and the companies who have received these grants has been unchanged for several years. (3 years+) But how are we supposed to realize this? When going onto the ADC website I've realized the "Activity Reports" section hasn't been updated since Spring of 2012 and the "Recepient Section" since 2013.
Now, I did not receive my grant last fall. I got back the standard rejection letter that said please try again next year. I was sad, don't get me wrong... But what was really frustrating was I couldn't find the information about who received grants over me. I was directed to the website by a case worker at the ADC but there was nothing there. I couldn't see who my panel was or their breakdown in demographics. I was told they were "drama experts" but that's it.
I found a list of the "Examiners" on the ADC website and found that most of them are working theatre artists in Hong Kong but there are no representatives from the English, French, Japanese, Filipino or German art communities in the Drama section. Only 16 out of the 50 representatives are women. We see similar ethnic and gender bias in large awards ceremonies like the Oscars and Grammys. Are we dealing with a similar issue here? According to the ADC website we're entitled to "peer assessment" for our projects. What if there's no one on the 50 person panel that could be considered our peer based on the demographic breakdown of age, gender, race and artistic background? Are we continually funding projects at the ADC that negate to showcase the full compass of Hong Kong's art scene.
Now I do note, I saw a press release about 2 Cultural Exchange Programs being supported through the Drama division of the ADC. Over the past few months I've learned, there's one section that is always updated at the ADC, the Press Section.
Why has the Activity Report section not been updated in so long?
Does it really take 2 years to process the information and put it online?
Why hasn't the art community spoken up about the lack of communication on how grants are distributed?
Why are only 32% of the drama panel women and all the representatives of one racial profile?
Since tax payers help support the ADC, shouldn't we have free access to the information about who they're supporting and what art projects they are funding?
When I called the ADC and asked for a quote for this blog they simply had:
"No Comment."
This is nothing new for the art world of Hong Kong...
But I think it's something that desperately needs to change.
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