Achieving Arts Excellence in Singapore

Mr Deputy Speaker, achieving arts excellence in Singapore. In Mandarin, please.

(In Mandarin) [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.]: Achieving arts excellence in Singapore. In recent years, the Government, arts companies and enterprises have been working together to organise many arts and cultural activities for people of different ages and background. I think that, beyond introducing and promoting arts, we should work towards achieving arts excellence. Besides growing our local arts audience and arts lovers, we need to groom more top notch arts professionals, so that the entire arts scene can be more vibrant and diversified!

Arts play an important role in defining our national cultural identity. Growing the local arts audience is one of the priorities in NAC’s SG Arts Plan. From Independence to now, our arts and culture scene has been developing very fast, and arts promotion has also achieved marked results. In our schools, besides knowledge and skills, allowing students to access arts through art classes is part of our holistic education to fully develop their character. Arts can stimulate curiosity and creativity in our students. For students who are more talented, we need to provide them with a more professional training platform, so that one day they can become one of the world’s top artists.

In order to groom our own local artists and talents, we should develop and have our own arts university. Currently, there are several well-resourced arts schools that provide good quality arts education, such as SOTA, NAFA, Laselle and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at NUS. I suggest that the Government could consider to upgrade NAFA and Laselle into a full-fledged arts university. This will enable the arts students to further their arts study at the tertiary level in Singapore and be recognised.

Next, while promoting arts, we should constantly seek new heights. How can we groom future professional artists for our flagship national arts groups? For these arts professionals, we need to provide them with a more flexible learning framework and environment, and a specialised career path. After graduation, they will be able to work at our national arts flagship companies. With a steady supply of professional artists, arts managers and researchers, our local art eco-system will be greatly improved.

Thirty-two year-old Wong Kah Chun won a gold award at the 5th Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition. In 2018, 11-year-old Chloe Chua won the junior champion of the Menuhin International Violin Competition. Recently, 16-year-old Lu Jie Ling won ‘the Singapore Champion’ at the Singapore International Ballet Competition. Their talents were developed, and recognised at international arts scenes. Singapore has the ability to groom these arts talents, and we need to create more such future award winners. The government, MOE, MCCY, schools and arts groups need to attach importance to developing the eco-system for arts excellence. While urging more Singaporeans to attend arts activities, we should also rethink and explore how we can develop arts excellence. We should not only let arts be down to earth, but also let Singapore artists and art works shine at the international stage!

(In English): In English, please. It has been heartening to observe agencies from different sectors across Government; arts and cultural companies and enterprises coming together to introduce a series of arts and culture programmes for Singaporeans of all ages. As we focus on creating access and opportunities to arts of different forms, and also engaging in deeper and more sustained appreciation of arts, I believe that we should all come together to achieve artistic excellence that inspires.

The arts have always played an important role in defining our nation’s cultural identity in Singapore. The arts bring diverse communities together. The arts scene has been thriving as artists chart professional careers and arts groups grow in strength. And the SG Arts plan maps the National Arts Council’s (NAC) priorities over the next five years to bring Singapore’s arts development to new heights. Our arts community has also achieved significant success with distinctive works that have resonated with audiences both locally and overseas. These are pursuit of arts excellence. And these local talents are our nation’s pride and define our nation’s distinctive identity.

In schools, our students are exposed to arts programme, as part of their holistic education. Be it music lessons or aesthetics lessons, these are part of a student’s curriculum. Also, the National Arts Council – Arts Education Programme provides all students with access to quality arts education experiences.

In terms of Co-curriculum Activities, students can choose the Arts CCAs, where they have opportunities to take part in the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Presentation as well as the annual SYF Celebrations. In 2012, the SYF Central Judging was rebranded as a SYF Arts Presentation. The award structure revamp was put in place by the MOE to emphasise enjoyment of the arts rather than the pursuit of awards. This has provided access and opportunity, increasing the participation rates in performing arts.

For students who are more talented and seek deeper engagement in arts, there is the Artist-In-School Scheme. This scheme supports sustained partnerships between Singapore Arts Professionals, such as musicians, dancers, and writers to co-develop customised arts experiences that deepen students’ engagement in and through the arts.

The arts can play a significant role in culture-building, community life and city planning. As society becomes more diverse, the arts can help deepen understanding and bridge differences across communities. I believe that artistic excellence and creating access and opportunities to arts for the masses are two different tracks.

Therefore, I have three recommendations. One, explore the possibilities of transforming our arts academies into a full-fledged Arts University. The arts must energise and excite Singaporeans, bring people together and reflect what Singapore represents to a global community. In Our SG Arts Plan, one of our key strategic thrusts was “Singaporeans are empowered to create, present and appreciate excellent art”. But where will our creators of excellent art come from? In pursuit of access and opportunities to arts, we should not forget we ought to reach the pinnacle of excellence.

In order to groom our own local pool of artists and talents, we ought to have reputable arts institutions. We already have the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at NUS, founded in 2003; the arts institutions – LASALLE College of the Arts, founded in 1986; Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, established in 1938, and School of the Arts (SOTA), founded in 2008. These are already reputable institutions; however, more can be achieved.

For instance, as the first pre-tertiary arts school in Singapore, SOTA’s programme allows students to take one arts subject, in addition to the usual academic subjects taught in mainstream schools. At the end of their six-year programme, students graduate with an IB diploma. However, it was reported in May 2017 that only three in 10 SOTA graduating students went on to pursue arts-related university courses. An article then raised questions about the effectiveness of SOTA’s programmes in preparing students for a career in the arts.

As an aspiring Arts Nation, I believe that we should have our own Arts University. By transforming or upgrading our art academies, this will draw local and overseas talents into enrolling into these institutions. At present, we do partner prestigious universities overseas, send our students overseas on exchange programmes to broaden their horizon. All these are important. Competitive benchmarking is ambitious and it will help one to grow and learn more about their competitors. We have to nurture local talents. Thus, these efforts will help create vibrancy in the arts scene, heighten motivation amongst the arts practitioners and in the process, and spark off friendly contests to achieve excellence. I urge the Government to explore the possibilities of transforming our arts academies like NAFA and LASALLE into a full-fledged Arts University.

Two, establish a robust ecosystem to develop top notch artists. Singaporeans can be proud of our artists and arts groups winning international awards and being featured at leading arts venues and festivals around the world. I believe that there is a need to redefine our arts ecosystem, so as to for a greater platform for professional artistes, artistic director and arts manager.

We do have many top notch artists, Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients. NAFA has nurtured 13 recipients of the Cultural Medallion. Another 14 of their alumni have been presented the Young Artist Award. Also, many of their alumni have gone on to make their mark in the professional arts scene in Singapore and abroad. LASALLE, too, has her fair share of Cultural Medallions.

Perhaps we could recognise our cultural medallions more during National Arts events, and work closely with the different National Arts Flagship Companies, to groom and identify younger talents, then pass on the knowledge from one generation to the next.

Many of them started their music journey since young. They were nurtured by dedicated teachers and supportive parents. We will need to establish a robust ecosystem to develop top notch artists and management, who are equipped with strategic and critical thinking, to groom and nurture the next generation of artists. In achieving excellence, clear career pathways, programmes and platforms need to be in place, also leading them to join national arts flagship companies. This eco-system needs to be sustained.

Lastly, young Singaporeans in the arts scenes and future international award winners. In fact, we do already have young talented individuals in the arts scenes. Wong Kah Chun was the first Asian to win the prestigious international Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition for in 2016.Violinist Kam Ning has gone on to perform all over the world both as soloist and chamber musician. She was the Second Prizewinner at the Queen Elizabeth Competition in 2001. Eleven-year-old Chloe Chua is the junior champion of the Menuhin International Violin Competition in 2018. Fifteen-year-old Chen XinYu was admitted into the NAFA School of Young Talents at the age of six. When she turned eight years old, XinYu won nearly all the First Prizes in the National Chinese Music Competition organised by the National Arts Council.

All these are our young Singaporeans, and we should continue to track their performances in the local and international arts scenes. These young budding talents are the future of our arts scenes, and we will need more of them. What does the future hold for international arts winners in Singapore? To cultivate full-time artists and retain them, we need to have a clear career pathway, leading them into a national arts flagship company, after graduation. We will need the Government; such as MOE, MCCY, NAC, the Universities and colleges, and art groups to strengthen their core and emphasis on the importance of outstanding artistic development.

The arts scene in Singapore is evolving. Not only seeking more Singaporeans to engage and participate in arts, I urge the Government to rethink and re-offer, at the national level about how Singapore can achieve arts excellence and fly our Singapore flags high in the international scenes. Not only do we need artistes, we need to have qualified teachers, managers and directors, to keep the arts scenes vibrant and to foster the sustainability of the arts sector.

In conclusion, I would like to recommend that the Government upgrade and transform arts institutions such as NAFA and LASALLE into a full-fledged arts university; establish a robust ecosystem to develop top notch artists and nurture local artists to serve better in the National arts flagship companies.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank Mr Terence Ho for his suggestions to grow arts excellence in Singapore. MCCY and the National Arts Council (NAC) work closely with partner agencies and the arts community to develop a rich and vibrant arts landscape in Singapore, including through arts excellence.

Mr Ho spoke about the important role the arts plays in building our national identity, bringing different communities together and presenting Singapore to the world. I agree. MCCY recognises that the arts plays an important and critical role in building a caring, cohesive and confident Singapore. We are committed to partnering the community to nurture arts excellence even as we grow broad-based engagement.

I will address Mr Ho’s three suggestions in turn.

First, I agree with Mr Ho on the importance of providing opportunities for our children to experience the arts. Exposure to the arts at a young age can nurture creative thinking and help our children develop empathy and confidence. In addition to the initiatives already highlighted by Mr Ho, NAC has worked to enable quality arts experiences during different life stages from pre-school to tertiary education. To give one example, The Artground at Goodman Arts Centre is an incubator space that offers arts programmes for children as young as a few months old, such as the recent programme called “Baby Space” held in April. NAC has also collaborated with partners like the Early Childhood Development Agency and NTUC My First Skool to bring our artists to pre-schools to enrich their first encounters with the arts.

Mr Ho asked about the diverse pathways beyond arts practice that have been taken by students from the School of the Arts (SOTA) after graduation. Our objective in establishing SOTA more than 10 years ago as a premier arts school to nurture leaders in all fields remains relevant today. SOTA was set up to provide a learning environment where both the artistic and academic potential of our students can be realised, and where a culture of experimentation and expression allows them to discover their passions and their strengths. SOTA has attracted some of our best and brightest students who are capable of succeeding in many fields of study and of gaining entry to some of the top academic institutions in the world. A SOTA education develops the skills and confidence for students to follow the pathways they wish to pursue in life. SOTA’s success is not defined only by the number who progress to higher-level arts institutions and become future art practitioners and leaders of arts and culture institutions, but also those who go on to take up other non-arts disciplines, and who then infuse their creative bent and skills into diverse professional fields and industries such as engineering and law. These graduates of SOTA are the future patrons, supporters and audiences who champion the arts.

I agree with Mr Ho that it is important to provide opportunities for students to pursue creative arts at the tertiary level. There is currently a wide range of diploma and degree programmes in arts, design and media, more than 90% of which are government-subsidised. They are offered at all five Polytechnics, LASALLE College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, NUS – including the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, NTU and Singapore Institute of Technology. Altogether, there is a total of 70 diploma and around 30 undergraduate degree courses offered in the creative arts, catering to students who are keen on specialised disciplines such as Music and Fine Arts, as well as those who are interested in more broad-based and multi-disciplinary programmes such as NTU’s degree in Media Art.

With the competing manpower needs of our economy, it is also the responsibility of the Government to ensure that arts education is competitive in quality and relevance with other disciplines in enhancing the employability of our students. MCCY and MOE will therefore study carefully Mr Ho’s suggestion for an arts university, taking into account the evolving arts education landscape.

I will now turn to Mr Ho's second recommendation. We agree that it is important to establish a robust ecosystem that contributes to the development of artists who can make Singapore and Singaporeans proud. To achieve this, NAC's Our SG Arts Plan has identified eight priority areas which range from using digital technology to maximising the impact of the arts on society. We are also committed to providing sector-wide support for our freelancers to look after their own financial and healthcare needs over the longer term. With their range of skills and expertise, freelancers make an important contribution and should have access to resources that will better equip themselves for the nature of their work. MCCY and NAC have been working with our partners to further develop the plans to support freelance artists that we shared at the Committee of Supply debates earlier this year and we will be sharing more details in due course.

Another priority in the Arts Plan is to grow our audiences, who are critical to a thriving and sustainable arts ecosystem. The success of a sustainable arts ecosystem is determined not just by the quality of artists and their works, but also by whether they succeed in connecting with and growing their audiences. NAC will, on its part, also step up efforts to help our home-grown talents grow audiences. An example of how NAC has partnered the community to build our audiences is the Hear65 initiative launched in April 2018. This was done in collaboration with independent music media company Bandwagon to celebrate and promote all forms of Singapore music.

Finally, I will address Mr Ho's third recommendation – supporting our young artists locally and internationally. Two other priorities in Our SG Arts Plan are to build diverse capabilities in the arts sector and to take Singapore's arts beyond our shores. Our arts eco-system is made up not only of artists but also other arts practitioners, such as managers and administrators, educators, researchers and academics. NAC will continue to support the development of arts professionals in all these areas through its initiatives and funding schemes. For example, Jean Hair was awarded an NAC scholarship in 2018 to pursue a Master of Arts and Cultural Management and has since returned to Singapore to continue her work at the National Gallery of Singapore. We are also proud of our 2011 Young Artist Award recipient Joshua Tan, who was appointed Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in the same year and went on to be the Principal Conductor of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra.

There are multiple platforms for young artists to showcase and develop their talent, such as the annual SHINE festival organised by the National Youth Council and the Noise Music Mentorship programme by NAC. Some who perform well at such events and competitions are engaged by our national companies, such as Moses Gay – a prize winner at the National Chinese Music Competition in the early 2000s, who is now a colleague of Mr Ho as an Assistant Conductor with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO). In addition, NAC will continue to provide opportunities for our artists to participate in overseas residencies and exchanges, from Indonesia to China and Australia. These allow our artists to learn from others, build their markets overseas and share what Singapore is capable of.

MCCY and NAC are committed to developing our young talent and are constantly exploring new ways of doing so. NAC is currently working with our flagship arts companies and institutions to take in NAC scholarship recipients after they return from their studies. This will help the scholars further their development under the tutelage of experienced professionals, while the companies gain from an injection of new ideas and energy. I would like to thank Mr Ho and the SCO for being part of this effort to groom our young talent and help them fulfil their potential. We look forward to his continued partnership and contributions to the development of a vibrant and sustainable arts landscape in Singapore.

*Question put, and agreed to.*

*Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn."*

Adjourned accordingly at 6.45 pm.