HKAF, launched in 1973, is a major international arts festival committed to enriching the cultural life of the city by presenting annually in February and March leading local and international artists in all genres of the performing arts as well as a diverse range of "PLUS" and educational events. 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. HKAF presents top international artists and ensembles, such as Cecilia Bartoli, Yo-Yo Ma, Philip Glass, Tan Dun, Riccardo Chailly, Christian Thielemann, Gustavo Dudamel, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sylvie Guillem, Kevin Spacey, Robert Wilson, Peter Brook, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Mariinsky Theatre, Bavarian State Opera, the Bolshoi Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Zingaro, Royal Shakespeare Company, Berliner Ensemble and National Theatre of China. HKAF actively promotes Hong Kong's own creative talents and emerging artists, and has commissioned and produced over 100 new local productions in the past decade, including theatre, chamber opera, music and contemporary dance, many with successful subsequent runs in Hong Kong and overseas. HKAF invests in arts education for young people. In the past 24 years, our "Young Friends" has reached over 700,000 secondary and tertiary school students in Hong Kong. A variety of arts education projects targeted at primary, secondary, and tertiary school students has been launched in recent years. Donations to the "Student Ticket Scheme" also make available about 8,000 half-price student tickets each year. HKAF organises a diverse range of "Festival PLUS" activities in community locations each year to enhance the engagement between artists and audiences. These include lecture demonstrations, masterclasses, workshops, symposia, backstage visits, exhibitions, meet-the-artist sessions, and guided tours.​ The 44th Hong Kong Arts Festival (2015) – HOW TO BOOK https://www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/tickets/index.html The 44th Hong Kong Arts Festival (2015) – PROGRAMMES https://www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/programmes/index.html#