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The Hong Kong Arts Festival (HKAF) is one of the major annual events that enriches the city’s cultural life.

On 23 February, the 46th HKAF opened with the Club’s Charities Trust maintaining its four-decade-long support for this leading arts extravaganza. The funding this year covers the opening performance and several other leading productions, as well as various educational programmes.

As a long-term partner of the HKAF, the Trust has through its donations enabled the HKAF to bring in three main pillar programmes under The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series since 2008. This year the Series features the festival’s opening show, Anna Karenina performed by Switzerland's Ballett Zürich, which isan exclusive Asian premiere; another exclusive Asian premiere, Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, performed by the Welsh National Opera; anda Rachmaninov piano concerto cycle performed by star soloist Denis Matsuev with theState Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia "Evgeny Svetlanov", conducted by Kristjan Järvi.

Other exciting performances and associated events include:

Jockey Club Local Creative Talents Series - Pavilion of a Hundred Flowers, a widely-acclaimed Cantonese opera classic which sees new energy injected into this traditional art form. Related educational activities, including lecture demonstrations and experimental workshops, are expected to reach some 4,600 students.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Series, which promotes local talent by featuring young dancers and choreographers and their innovative dance works. Now entering its seventh year, the series comprises 12 performances under the themes of The Battle Zone│Vortex, Dance Exchange, and Dance off. As part of this programme, the Club is also supporting educational and outreach activities that allow students to learn more about contemporary dance. Over 5,000 participants will benefit.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Student Matinee Programme, which will enable about 2,500 students to enjoy free special performances of Whipped Cream by the American Ballet Theatre on 23 and 24 March. To enhance their appreciation of the programmes, the students will learn about the performers and the content of the programmes through pre-show workshops. As in previous years, the Club will fund a transport subsidy scheme to help students from remote districts enjoy these programmes.

More details of all these events are available at www.hk.artsfestival.org/en.