Without a doubt, there are many other individuals and organizations in the region who practice art philanthropy that were not included in the 2009 Forbes List such as the Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation in Hong Kong. Founded in 2005, one of its missions is to promote Chinese arts and culture.
It does so by promoting creative arts education by providing free arts education programs (seminars and workshops on art, photography, writing, etc.) for young people in Hong Kong and supporting education of Chinese nationals abroad.
Since its inception, the Foundation has held Through Our Eyes, a photography education program that help young people express themselves in a creative way and explore their as yet hidden talents and cultivate their potential in the visual arts. As of 2009, over 1,000 students have participated in this program. Aside from giving youths the opportunity to discover their talents, the Foundation also provides them with a platform where they can showcase to the public their works.
Another educational program that the Foundation established is the Get It Write! program which “aims to enhance the enthusiasm of the youth for literary writing in Chinese.” It does so by familiarizing the students with inspiring literary works and encouraging them to write their own. The products of these workshops will be compiled into a publication that the Foundation hopes would encourage more students to participate.
Meanwhile, another program, Leap!, is starting to introduce creative expression to children as young as four to six years old. The program, integrated into the pre-school curriculum, encourages young children to express themselves through movement: through music, drama and dance.
Through the Sidekick Theatre Festival, the Foundation provides opportunities for groups to create original and experimental theater performances while another program stages performances of Kunqu Opera to help revitalize traditional Chinese arts.
The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation also partners with other organizations in different countries to carry out its objectives.
Another laudable organization is the Myer Foundation and the Sidney Myer Fund based in Australia and built by Sidney Myer who, in his lifetime, was a businessman and a generous philanthropist. Sidney Myer Fund holds a Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards which was started in 1984. It is “intended to enhance the status of the performing arts in Australia and pay tribute to outstanding achievement in drama, comedy, dance, music, opera, circus and puppetry.”
Among the winners in 2008 was Big hART, a group composed of professional artists, producers and arts workers who have been working together since 1992. They create a wide variety of work from theater to film, from television to radio, film to photography, dance to new media. Working in small communities with the marginalized sector, they fight for the preservation of Australian indigenous languages, and received enthusiastic response from audiences during their performances.
Another 2008 winner is Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter who have made significant contributions to Australian music, voicing out “ideas of Aboriginal identity, country beliefs and spirit.” Both are multi-awarded singers and songwriters who use their craft to help advance awareness of the Aboriginal culture.