WHEN Benny Chia Chun-heng thinks of 1997, he dreams of an audience, a huge pool of punters ready to be seated and entertained. And he sees artists by the thousands - writers, actors and musicians just waiting to fill the halls of Hong Kong.
The nightmare scenario is a little different - a bleak vision of artistic self-censorship and government control of the arts.
But the founder and director of the Fringe Festival and Club is describing himself as an optimist - ''I would say we have a better than average chance of surviving'' is his verdict on the fate of alternative arts in Hong Kong.
''In any society, the arts always have to battle for survival, they are always the first to have their funds cut, which I think is unhealthy and short-sighted. It's like being on the frontline all the time,'' reflected Mr Chia.
Of course, the frontline is where Benny Chia has spent most of his adult life - not really in the firing line, but more at the vanguard of alternative live entertainment in the territory.
Last month the softly spoken and erudite thespian was rewarded for his devotion to all things cutting edge in the theatrical world when he was awarded the Badge of Honour in Queen's Birthday Honours List.
