Increasing Support for the Sustenance of Livelihoods amongst Performing Arts Workers

Mdm Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament do now adjourn."

Question proposed.

Mdm Deputy Speaker, I will first like to thank the Members for their patience. It has been a long day and I wish I could bring a song and dance item to break up the monotony of today's proceedings but that would not be allowed although I am sure it will be very welcome by Members of this House.

I would like to raise this Motion that “That this House recognises the importance of the Arts and to increase support for Performing Arts Workers and the Arts Industry.”

Mdm Deputy Speaker, the circuit breaker measures that were announced on 7 April sent our country into a tailspin. People were confined to their homes, separated from loved ones, deprived of their usual social activities and anxious about the future. After ensuring that we had enough food and essential items, our next instinct was to seek comfort in anything that could provide a semblance of normalcy, many of us turned to Netflix and YouTube, re-watched old films. We saw the videos on social media of people in other countries, singing, dancing, playing instruments and performing on their balconies to provide solace and companionship to their neighbours. I was touched by these videos. I am sure many in this House were too.

As the months dragged out, people sought ways to connect with others, to satisfy the need for human connection that we as human beings fundamentally need.

In our lowest moments, as the number of COVID-19 cases climbed higher, many of us felt powerless. The arts helped keep us sane, helped us process our confusion and grief and entertained us, lifting our spirits.

During the circuit breaker there was the poll in the newspapers reporting that Singaporeans thought artists had the most non-essential jobs. I was saddened to see that and felt it was unnecessary to include that poll of “non-essential jobs” at all. Perhaps the arts have grown so commonplace and ingrained in our lives that we started taking it for granted.

The arts have contributed not just in terms of providing comfort and strength during difficult times, but also to our economy. The Arts and Entertainment sector generated $6.6 billion in revenue earned in 2017 and provided jobs and livelihoods for 26,300 people in 2018.

There was a time when the arts held a great deal of importance to our society and our leaders. From former Acting Minister for Culture Mr Ong Teng Cheong who first recognised the importance of arts institutions in Singapore and who created what is now the National Arts Council, to former Minister of Information and the Arts, Mr George Yeo who aimed to turn Singapore into a culturally attractive global city through the Global City for the Arts project, we once saw the arts as a viable and important part of city-planning and development for Singapore.

However, it seems that the arts have fallen from their previous stature. Government funding for the sector has dropped almost 50% from $937 million in 2015 to $458 million in 2018. Artists today are struggling and many live hand-to-mouth.

This past month, I spoke with Edward, a 23-year-old Nee Soon South resident and professional actor, singer and dancer. Despite having a diploma in performance, he makes $10,000 a year, less than $1,000 a month, through his various freelance gigs. Edward worries about the future, specifically to what extent he will be able to support himself through his profession and whether he will ever be able to afford the expenses of starting a family.

When the circuit breaker measures were announced, all of the jobs Edward had signed on for evaporated, leaving him with very zero income. He is now returning to school to "upskill" and shared with me about his worries – whether there will be any opportunities left available for him in the arts sector when he re-enters the workforce in a few years.

Chronic income pressures on arts workers as well as other workers, come from a lack of regulations on a group of employees called "permanent casuals". They are among the 47% of freelancers that make up the arts and entertainment sector, higher than the 14% at our national level. Although permanent casuals might work full-time or part-time, they are paid hourly with no health or leave benefits. Such workers do not benefit from the Job Support Scheme or JSS because they are only paid for their time and therefore have no regular pay from their companies to begin with. They also do not qualify for the Self-employed Persons Relief Scheme because they typically often work exclusively for one company.

Outside of such workers, existing JSS measures provide only 10% of support to the arts and entertainment sector, even though this sector is still unable to return to its former operating capacity. From January 2021 onwards, JSS support will be reduced to 0%. There is a real risk that people like Edward may not have opportunities to return to, if or when the sector does recover.

Lack of stable income, heightened by COVID-19 restrictions, are forcing arts workers to seek other jobs. The arts and entertainment sector is incredibly diverse. It is not just made up of writers, actors, musicians and poets. It also includes lighting and sound technicians, school CCA teachers, museum operators, fashion designers, event photographers, and many more highly skilled people who produce and enable the productions that we consume. If we continue to do nothing more for them in terms of financial support during this time, they may be lost to other sectors, to the long-term detriment of our arts and entertainment industry.

An entire sector may be at risk of being wiped out. I was disappointed that in yesterday's Ministerial Statement by the Deputy Prime Minister, there was no mention of any extension of support to the arts sector workers.

To be fair to the Government, the $55 million Arts and Culture Resilience Package is certainly helpful, but it can be enhanced to make the support accessible for all arts workers, including permanent casuals.

The Digitalisation Fund specifically is also a good initiative in the right direction, but only currently available for productions rated G. Granted, NAC and IMDA may be approaching these funding criteria with consumer perspective and safety in mind, but I urge consideration on the limitations to creativity and marketability of our arts productions if only G-rated productions can receive funding. Parental controls on online media platforms exist for a reason, for parents to be involved and exercise the necessary control over children's media consumption. This should not be a responsibility that is shifted over to the state, with costs that the arts and entertainment sector ends up bearing, to the detriment of an industry's vibrancy and sustainability.

If we invest in its development and the development of those who are keen to have a career in the arts, it can provide financial upliftment to individuals and families. Take the story of another resident Yusri better known Shaggy in this industry. Despite being from a low-income and challenged family, he made a career and eventually a business out of being an arts technician and multimedia designer for stage productions. He saw the arts as a way out of poverty and it has, so far. His work in the arts provided him with a better life than he had when he was growing up. Yusri is quite established now in his livelihood after spending more than 10 years in the sector. He was also personally also highly resourceful in seeking out courses in business and marketing that could help his arts career.

Despite the progress thus far, Yusri sees such opportunities disappearing for those starting in the industry today like Edward.

Where in the past it was not necessary to have a degree to begin work in the arts and entertainment sector, it is now increasingly important, despite wages staying the same. He also shares the same anxieties about the future as Edward.

The arts and entertainment industry is one that has tremendous potential and unlimited in its "export capacity" – thanks to technology and the Internet. It would be a mistake for us to miss out on developing our arts and entertainment sector with a view towards its internationalisation. We can learn a lot from South Korea's example, whose arts and entertainment industry brought the country S$39.8 billion in 2018. Besides being now known globally, Korean entertainment has created subsequent demand worldwide for Korean-branded merchandise including cosmetics and food.

Even the example of a local food establishment cited by Deputy Prime Minister Heng yesterday during his speech – Seonggong, is also a Korean brand. This is the result of active and committed investment by the Korean government since the 1960s, in preserving traditional and modern culture, and actively promoting it internationally. Singapore can emulate Korea's example, and go even further, potentially increasing our soft power internationally as well.

I hope that the Government will consider investing more into the development of the arts. Create business mentorship and marketing training specifically for artists and entertainers so that they can acquire business literacy to make better livelihoods out of their talent and craft. The arts and entertainment sector can also benefit from professionalisation such as a wage framework guideline so that artists are not subject to the devaluation of their work and a race to the bottom to get jobs, which is happening often currently.

In our Future Economy deliberations, I sincerely hope the arts and entertainment sector will receive due consideration for its potential. When I was 16 years old, I told my parents I would like to study fashion design and become a fashion designer. They told me I would not be able to make a decent living out of it, and insisted I get a degree in NUS which I did. I am sad to observe that 20 years on, this still rings true.

The Singapore Tourism Board marketed us as a country where "passion is made possible". It was a wonderful campaign, but such efforts should go beyond being a short-term marketing campaign. We need broad and deep capacity-building, for the diverse talents and passion for our people to thrive.

To summarise, I have four specific proposals for the House to consider and to support.

In the immediate term, to increase and extend JSS support for arts workers, and income support to permanent casual workers who did not qualify for SIRS. Two, to broaden the eligibility criteria for the Digitalisation Fund beyond G-rated productions. Three, to develop a wage guideline framework for the arts sector, in consultation with the sector's workers. And lastly, to invest in capacity-building of the arts and entertainment sector through overseas exchanges, scholarships, as well as business and marketing training for arts and media students, artists and arts producers.

In the 1930s in America, Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal included a "Federal One" project. The federal government hired more than 10,000 artists to create works of art across the country, including murals, theatre, fine arts, music, writing, design, and so on. It was part of a plan to stimulate economic recovery during the Great Depression, where there was widespread poverty and high unemployment. This plan helped put artists back to work on lifting the spirits of a people, and inspiring them towards a more hopeful future amidst the economic turmoil of that time. We could take a leaf out of that book.

Art can be a great nation-building tool, forging common identity amongst the people amidst a crisis. And what do we envision when we say "Singapore Together"?

Singapore is not just a nation of engineers, scientists, technologists and doctors. Amongst us are playwrights, songwriters, painters, poets and storytellers. A truly inclusive economy and future is one that allows all diverse talent to thrive.

To borrow the words from a famous American actress Stella Adler, who founded the Stella Adler Conservatory of Theatre in 1949, and was also teacher to Steve McQueen and Robert DeNiro, "When life beats down and crushes the soul, art reminds you that you have one."

Let us not allow our arts sector to languish any further.

Minister of State Low Yen Ling.

Mdm Deputy Speaker, I thank Ms Carrie Tan for her passionate speech and for her four suggestions on increasing support for the arts.

Like Ms Carrie Tan, MCCY recognises that our arts and culture play a critical role in our efforts to foster a more caring people, cohesive society and nation. The arts play a key role in connecting different communities. The arts show the world who we are and what we stand for, as a people and as a nation. During these unprecedented times, the arts and culture sector is even more essential than ever, as a source of inspiration and hope for Singaporeans.

As Ms Carrie Tan noted, the Government has since the 1980s, initiated deep seated efforts to develop a vibrant and sustainable arts and culture sector. Wide-ranging in breadth and aims, the Masterplans from the 1980s to the 2000s, such as the report of the Advisory Council on Culture and the Arts or ACCA, and the Renaissance City Plans have built a foundation for the growth of Singapore's art and culture. Since 2012, our approach has been guided by the Arts and Culture Strategic Review or ACSR which seeks to bring arts and culture to everyone, everywhere, every day.

This blueprint to enhance our arts and culture has made steady progress. In the Committee of Supply debate last year, MCCY noted that several ACSR outcomes, such as the number of arts and heritage activities have been registering healthy increases. The diversity and the types of activities, as well as attendance, have grown as well.

Despite such progress, we cannot rest on our laurels. MCCY recognises the need to update our strategies and approaches, so that our arts and culture continue to strengthen Singapore's social fabric and unity. In 2018, these important aims were reflected in the inaugural Our SG Arts and Heritage Plans introduced after extensive engagement with stakeholders across the public, private and people sectors. These plans cover a span of five years until 2022, and comprehensively set out the strategies that will provide strong foundations on the continued growth of the arts and heritage sectors. These included the continued emphasis on nurturing arts excellence and focus on leveraging technology, that the Member spoke about as well. Out of the eight strategic priorities in OurSgArts Plan includes addressing the needs of arts freelancers.

To better support the development of our arts and culture, the Government has steadily and consistently increased funding for these sectors. Contrary to Ms Tan's suggestion that funding for the arts and heritage fell from 2015 to 2019, I would like to clarify that based on MCCY's annual Singapore Cultural Statistics report, funding for these sectors actually rose from about $300 million per year before 2013, to around $450 million per year from 2016 to 2018. In fact, funding was highest in 2014 and 2015 due to the enhanced programming for our SG50 celebrations, as well as major development projects like the revamp of the Asian Civilisations Museum and construction of the National Gallery Singapore.

I wish to also highlight to Ms Tan and Members that substantial funding was provided to the culture sector through the Government's provision of $350 million to-date for the Cultural Matching Fund or CMF to encourage cultural philanthropy. Rolled out in 2014, the CMF matches qualifying donations raised by the arts and heritage groups dollar-for-dollar. Between 2014 and 2018, the CMF has matched about $215 million worth of donations raised by the sector. This has helped over 100 arts and heritage groups double their donation income. The grant has enabled these arts and heritage groups to develop their capabilities – this topic is also one of the four recommendations that she has talked about – for the long-term sustainability of the organisations as well as support digital productions.

Mdm Deputy Speaker, with the pandemic, these steady efforts to grow the arts and culture sector are being disrupted like other affected industries hit by safe distancing measures and the halt of group events. The Government has, through its special budgets, released specific help and measures to boost incomes and livelihoods. Arts organisations and practitioners are able to tap on broad-based measures such as the Jobs Support Scheme or JSS, Self-Employed Persons Income Relief Scheme or SIRS, COVID-19 Support Grant or CSG and SEP Training Support Scheme for income support and skills training.

The Government recognises that the arts and culture sector, like the retail and food industries, has been significantly affected. Hence, the sector will continue to receive further Government support till March year. This is unlike what Ms Tan had suggested – that the arts and entertainment sector only receives 10% wage support under the JSS, with this dropping to 0% from January 2021. I would like to clarify that eligible organisations currently receive 50% wage support for 10 months under Tier 2 of the JSS, similar to the retail and food industries. These organisations will receive a rate of 30% for seven more months, with disbursements in March and June 2021. I hope Ms Tan will be happy to hear this information.

In addition to these measures, MCCY also announced a $55 million Arts and Culture Resilience Package or ACRP in April 2020. The ACRP provides additional support and opportunities for the arts and culture community while encouraging the development of longer term capabilities that will help the sector emerge stronger after COVID-19. By end August 2020, ACRP funding generated over 6,000 work and training opportunities for arts and culture practitioners and supported more than 900 digitalisation projects and programmes. As announced on 21 August this year, MCCY will be providing an additional operating grant under the ACRP to support arts and culture organisations as well as those in closely related sectors that Ms Tan talked about earlier and that are key to the arts and culture eco-system. I want to assure Ms Tan that we will announce additional details soon.

We understand that the pandemic has disrupted livelihoods and plans in the arts and culture sector. Arts workers, including freelancers, have been hard hit. I would like to thank Ms Tan for the initiatives she has suggested to better support these groups of valuable talents and workers. We recognise the diverse capabilities of our arts and culture freelancers and how they contribute richly to our arts and culture eco-system. It is important to provide them with ways and means to continue contributing in this sector. MCCY and NAC are working closely with partners to provide a range of support to boost the livelihoods and capabilities of freelancers.

Allow me, Mdm Deputy Speaker, to share several ways in which MCCY and NAC are ramping up assistance and opportunities for the arts and culture sector, including freelancers.

Firstly, we have the Capability Development Scheme for the Arts or CDSA. Capability development is also a topic that Ms Tan spoke passionately about in her speech earlier. Capability development has been and continues to be a long-standing priority for the sector. This grant helps arts and culture organisations and practitioners upskill and prepare for a post-COVID-19 recovery. So far, the CDSA has supported close to 600 training opportunities, of which around 300 were for freelancers. Those tapping on the CDSA are eligible for paid training allowance of $10 per hour. Many of the training programmes identified by the NAC are not only useful in raising the capabilities of arts freelancers across diverse domains, the programmes are also eligible under the SkillsFuture framework for costs to be defrayed.

Secondly, the Digital Presentation Grant for the Arts or DPG. This supports ground-up efforts by artists and arts groups to present their work in digital form. This not only generates work opportunities, it also builds industry capabilities in digital content production. She spoke passionately about K-pop and actually to a certain extent, I think it is also partly because of their ability to translate their art form into digital medium. The response to DPG has been positive. It has supported over 300 projects and provided around 4,500 work opportunities, of which about 1,100 were for freelancers.

Ms Carrie Tan had noted that the DPG only supported productions rated General. Mdm Deputy Speaker, allow me to explain the reasons for this. The DPG is created as a scheme during COVID-19 to support the efforts of artists and arts organisations wanting to present their work digitally or via a digital medium. Unlike live performances which are subject to classification ratings under IMDA, online content, like she mentioned earlier, is easily and generally available with no age segregation. This makes it prudent for the DPG to underwrite productions rated General. The DPG also serves to cater for inclusive access by all audiences, including young children. I think a lot of Members in the room are parents. We want to be there with our kids when they are consuming digital content but we cannot be certain that we will always be there guiding them when they are watching and consuming digital content.

Hence, the DPG has supported a large number of digital works suitable for the general public. That being said, I want to assure Ms Carrie Tan that productions with a higher than General rating are still being supported. Apart from the DPG, NAC has continued to provide funding for major companies, key arts groups and artists through NAC's regular grant schemes and commissions, which have been enhanced to include digital works and presentations. These could cover wide-ranging works, including those with a higher than General rating.

Thirdly, even though the arts and culture sector may be disrupted, practitioners in this sector continue to benefit from commissioned work and partnerships for key festivals and events like Silver Arts, Singapore Heritage Festival, Singapore Writers Festival and Singapore Art Week. By end August, Mdm Deputy Speaker, 72 commissions and partnerships were supported under the ACRP, providing over 950 work opportunities, most of which were for freelancers.

For example, NAC digitally adapted four performances for Silver Arts 2020. I think many of the Members in the Chamber, I think you have seen some of these productions. They have gone out to many of your elderly residents who usually will be out and about but they can now enjoy this programme in the safety of their homes.

These were new works by Toy Factory, Asian Cultural Symphonic Orchestra, Wadah Seni Entertainment and Ding Yi Music Company. Their productions anchored the digital festival in September 2020 – just last month – and encouraged many of our seniors to stay engaged creatively through performances and activities in the comfort and in the safety of their homes – in fact, through their mobile devices, at their fingertips, through their mobile devices, anytime, anywhere.

Another key project commissioned by the NAC was "Streets of Hope", which was an out-of-house and digital integrated campaign featuring original artworks at areas such as the civic district and presented digitally on the Gillman Barracks website and social media channels. This commissioned project benefited over 360 freelancers. I am happy to share with Ms Tan and the Members that it was well received online with an estimated 158,000 unique reach and 33,000 social media engagements.

Fourthly, Ms Tan raised the issue of "permanent casuals", or arts workers who may have neither benefited from JSS or SIRS. MCCY recognises that these workers have critical skills and are valuable members of the arts and culture sector. We have been working with our cultural institutions, including the Esplanade and Arts House Limited, to help workers engaged by these institutions apply for Government support schemes they are eligible for, including SIRS and also CSG. These institutions also provide the workers with information on job opportunities, including those under SGUnited Jobs initiative.

We know it is not easy and our arts and culture workers, especially the freelancers, need all the help they can get. I would like to highlight that freelancers can approach NAC's Arts Resource Hub or ARH for additional resources to help them continue their practice. The ARH, which was started in September 2019, has been engaging its stakeholders throughout this year to better understand their concerns during COVID-19. As a result of these engagements, ARH has expanded its range of talks and clinics to provide more targeted information and support for freelancers as suggested by Ms Tan. These include sessions on how to leverage digitalisation tools such as augmented and virtual reality, and copyrights and intellectual property in the digital realm. I am happy to share with Ms Tan and Members that the ARH has just reopened the co-working spaces at Goodman Arts Centre and Stamford Arts Centre today.

I wish to assure Ms Carrie Tan and the House that MCCY and NAC are fully and wholeheartedly committed to ensuring good work opportunities for our practitioners and freelancers. Our national cultural institutions have adopted the Tripartite Standard on Contracting with self-employed persons since 2018 and we encourage all other arts organisations to do so. In addition, NAC is working with partners from the arts community on initiatives to boost the industry, such as the one led by the artistic director of Drama Box, former Nominated Member of Parliament, Mr Kok Heng Leun, to look into best practices in the theatre scene. This effort will lead to recommendations on what constitutes good employment and fair work practices that can be adopted by both freelancers and companies.

Minister of State.

Yes, Madam.

Please finish your last point.

Thank you, Mdm Deputy Speaker. This is an important topic, please allow me two more minutes to wrap up.

You have to wrap up in one minute.

Thank you, thank you, Madam. I will do so.

So, Madam, in conclusion, let us continue to work closely together. A healthy partnership between Government, private and people sectors can pull us through this crisis and ensure that our arts and culture eco-system emerge stronger from COVID-19.

I want to welcome and also urge Singaporeans to continue to support the talents and the productions and the programmes of our artists, which included the freelancers. As we do so, our demand creates work opportunities for this valuable sector and we also make the appreciation of arts and culture an integral part of our lives.

Order. The time allowed for the proceedings has expired.

The Question having been proposed at 7.12 pm and the Debate having continued for half an hour, Mdm Deputy Speaker adjourned the House without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.

Adjourned accordingly at 7.43 pm.