Support for Cultural Associations to Document and Preserve Artefacts

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the Ministry's plans to support cultural associations to document and preserve their artefacts during relocation or closure; (b) whether the Ministry conducts outreach to cultural associations on donations of artefacts to NHB-managed museums; and (c) whether clearer criteria can be provided on what determines an artefact’s accession to, or rejection from, NHB-managed museum collections.

NHB has a close working relationship with many community stakeholders who own their own collections of artefacts. These include individuals, community groups, religious organisations and cultural associations.

NHB provides professional advice and support to these stakeholders to help them better maintain their collections, such as through public workshops, seminars and conferences to share best practices in collections care and management. If there are requests for specific types of support, such as help with the conservation or restoration of artefacts, NHB will study these on a case-by-case basis and advise their stakeholders accordingly.

NHB also provides grant support for projects that document, safeguard and showcase private collections and which foster greater public appreciation of our shared heritage.

For example, NHB supported the Eurasian Association with its Heritage Project Grant1 to refurbish its Eurasian Heritage Centre in May 2016.

Several projects by the Singapore Heritage Society have been supported by NHB’s Digital Project Grant, to digitally document manuscripts in Seng Wong Beo Temple and to create 3D scans of underground artefacts from Bukit Brown Cemetery.

NHB museums and heritage institutions regularly receive offers of donations from private collections and many of them have been accepted over the years. For instance, the Indian Heritage Centre received a donation of a kavadi from the Chettiar’s Temple Society in 2014 and a group of ritual objects/articles of faith from the Marthoma Syrian Church in Singapore in 2017.

However, NHB would not be able to accept all offered donations and has certain guidelines concerning the receipt of collections which help determine whether an artefact donation is accepted or not.

Broadly speaking, potential artefact donations are assessed by NHB’s in-house professional curators who examine each artefact’s significance and value, with an emphasis on how it would help tell our Singapore Story and its potential in enhancing public understanding of our heritage.

In addition, the donations must meet broader considerations, such as the extent to which they suit or complement the collecting strategy and curatorial direction of our museum or heritage institution. The artefacts must also be authentic and appropriate for future public display.

This approach is benchmarked against international museum best practices, such as those of The British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of New York.

MCCY appreciates the generosity of many donors who have contributed to our National Collection and, in turn, to the telling of our Singapore Story. More information on the donation criteria for the National Museum Singapore and the Asian Civilisations Museum can be found on their respective websites.