Public policy is a choice of conflicting options. It involves conflicting situations and resolves conflicting values. It is often common to arrive at conflicting results at the end.
Egalitarianism (均分主義) advocates that all humans are equal in worth, status and rights. So, when Government has 100 dollars, it is a good idea to get 100 people equally share, and each one will get $1! It will unlikely give $60 to the best and let the rest share the remaining $40!
A quantitative approach (量化方法) is a numerical model to measure results. It is tempting for the Government to employ 10 “neither fish nor fowl” ways to solve a problem, instead of using one single method which can get to the heart of the matter. Why? Just adopting one solution can be risky and may be criticized as being biased. It is also far more comfortable to justify that ten remedies have been combined and the best has been tried in the circumstances.
In the world of sports, and of arts and culture, both egalitarianism and quantitative approach will not work. In these two worlds, the game is “winner takes in all”! They are very competitive environments and only a few victors usually receive most of the prizes and funds. Therefore, there is a great truth in the focus on a “pick the best” policy. By carefully selecting the most gifted, suitable and highest quality from a given group of alternatives, Hong Kong can, and only by this way can, produce the best athletes and artists who can compete internationally and bring honor and income to Hong Kong!
While aligning with the 15th Five-Year Plan of our Nation, Hong Kong is also formulating a Five-year plan for the city. In terms of sport policy, five principles have been embedded in the system. The Government aims to create a culture of “Sport for All” and provide enough community facilities (“Popularisation”). Nurturing top-tier athletes can maximize human potential, drive competition victory and inspire the whole community (“Elitism”). Mega sporting events push economic growth, catalyse city infrastructure development, and foster social cohesion (“Mega-Event Approach”). Sports require professionalization to ensure the standards and ethics of the athletes. Sports organisations have to be professional too, held accountable for the sensible use of resources and long-term strategic development (“Professionalisation”). Finally, marketisation (產業化), also known as commercialisation, allows art to thrive by getting businessmen to provide financial resources that sportsmen need in order to sustain, while also helping fund large-scale great projects.
The arts and culture world, in quite a similar position, does need supports from the Government’s acumen along the five above versatile and wise policies. Such policies, if equally implemented like what is happening in the sports world, will certainly lead to the creation of better-educated citizens, creativity among the young (for example, encouraging the “A”, in the “STEAM” (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics)). Art, design and creative concepts are the core engines of innovation in technology. Without them, technology in Hong Kong will just become a lower level of industrial “technical” applications and manufactures.
Many years ago, arts and culture in Hong Kong prioritized self-expression and individualistic operations. Nowadays, these mental frameworks in the artists’ world shift to the rigorous demand for different dynamics which can create a set of new economic forces related to arts and culture for them. The artists now realize that they need more resources to sustain, produce more capturing art works and invent income-benefit projects for themselves and Hong Kong. The 5 strategies, as adopted in the sport policy, can be employed in the arts and culture sector with reasonable modifications. The strategies will certainly give rise to a more flourishing environment incubating arts and culture.
The arts and culture world has already changed its mindset and direction. Cynicism is no longer the trend. It is perhaps the right time for the Government to consequentially examine its strategies regarding this important aspect of social and economic life in Hong Kong. Apart from technology and sports, arts and culture will be the promising new hopes for Hong Kong if we want to be an attractive international city!
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