The city of Wuxi, Jiangsu province recently released an instruction to encourage public participation in hosting cultural activities and offering cultural services.

According to the instruction, the government encourages enterprises, non-profit organizations and individuals to help with operation of public cultural facilities including libraries, museums, theatres, music halls, galleries and recreation activity centers by means of naming, co-running, and donation.

Public organizations and individuals can host non-profit cultural festivals, art exhibitions and cultural popularization activities, and take part in the preservation of non-material cultural heritage.

After concluding a concert in the municipal Great Hall of the People on Dec 7, Yan Xiangjun, principal of Wuxi Abing Cultural Promotion Company, immediately started preparation of another folk music concert. He said the government’s decision greatly promoted social initiative in hosting cultural activities.

Having a great interest in traditional culture and photography, Lin Chao, principal of an enterprise in Wuxi New District, recently opened a non-profit gallery. He appreciated the instruction as the local government offers subsidies to cultural projects serving the public, which made it easier for him to establish a gallery.

In 2012, the city allocated 10 million yuan ($1.56m) to support public cultural services, benefiting a number of literary and artistic groups. The instruction published this time showed the government would provide high-quality cultural products to the public through open tender.

The instruction also sets a reviewing system. Regular review of stadium usage, resource allocation efficiency, and public satisfaction of privately operated cultural projects will be undertaken. The government will first require rectification of projects that fail the review, and terminate those which still cannot meet the requirements after rectification.