Plans and Initiatives to Support Minority Arts Groups to Reach Wider Audiences

Ms Usha Chandradas asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Ministry has any plans or initiatives to assist or encourage minority arts groups that perform and present their work in non-English mediums, to reach out to wider audiences.

The Government provides significant support for minority arts groups to develop their craft and reach out to wider audiences.

The National Arts Council (NAC) offers several grants and initiatives to support content production and audience development in the arts sector, including for minority artists and arts groups that perform and present their work in non-English language mediums. For instance, NAC's Major Company Scheme has provided multi-year funding to groups, such as Malay dance company Era Dance Theatre, Indian dance company Apsaras Arts and Malay theatre company Teater Ekamatra, to present their shows and festivals.

Under the Presentation and Participation grant, NAC has supported the creation and presentation of works by minority artists and arts groups. Examples include, singer-songwriter Ahmadul Amin's debut album Bukan Untuk Semua, the Singapore Malayalee Association's annual Varnum exhibition and the Singapore Indian Orchestra and Choir's Spring Harmony concert.

The Government also supports platforms that enable minority artists and arts groups to showcase their work to diverse audiences.

For example, the annual Malay CultureFest, a signature programme by the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC), is a key platform for local Malay artists to showcase traditional and contemporary craft and performances. Some arts groups that have worked with MHC include, Malay folk music ensemble Nobat Kota Singa, traditional Malay orchestra Orkestra Sri Temasek and fusion Indonesian-Western ensemble Djoko Mangkrengg.

In addition, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay presents two annual festivals, Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts and Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts, as well as the year-round cultural series Pentas and Raga. These programmes provide our Malay and Indian artists opportunities to create and present their works to local and international audiences. For example, for the 2024 edition of Pesta Raya, Esplanade commissioned Teater Ekamatra to present Bangwang Putih Bangwang Merah, a retelling of a Nusantara folktale. The production, which was written by Malaysian playwright Ridhwan Saidi and directed by Singaporean director Mohd Raren Jainal, featured a cast from Singapore and Malaysia. Esplanade also co-produced Arisi: Rice with Apsaras Arts, which was presented at Kalaa Utsavam in 2022 and, subsequently, at the Madras Music Academy in India in January 2024.

The Esplanade's cultural festivals and series also allow our minority artists to collaborate with their regional counterparts. As part of Pentas, traditional Malay music troupe Persatuan Pemuzik Tradisional Melayu Singapura organised Gemada, a two-day gathering of audiences and artists interested in Malay traditional music. Meanwhile, Raga has supported Apsaras Arts to organise the upcoming Indian Performing Arts Conference.

The annual Chingay Parade, organised by the People's Association (PA), is another opportunity for our minority artists to reach out to a wide audience. Each year, PA recruits over 300 performers to present the Malay and Indian ethnic segments of the Chingay performance. Past participants in Chingay include, the Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts Group, Sakthi Fine Arts, Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS), Damaru Singapore and Manimaran Creations.

In the area of literary arts, the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) has consistently featured non-English Language programming. The 2023 SWF included a Malay panel session Layar ke Teks featuring Jamal Ismail, Asnida Daud and Fadhli Fadzil, as well as a panel session Perspectives on Literary Critique in Tamil Literature featuring local Tamil writers Azhagunila and Neelakandan Sivanantham alongside Indian writer Suneel Krishnan.

The Government has a range of initiatives that offer minority artists opportunities to engage younger audiences. For example, NAC's Arts Education Programme features over 180 programmes conducted by minority artists and arts groups that the Ministry of Education schools can use in their arts education plans. These include, workshops and performances in traditional arts, such as Malay and Indian dance and music; as well as visual arts workshops, such as Batik painting by Kamal Dollah and screen printing by Shariefah Shamsir.

At the community level, the Government also organises several initiatives that allow minority artists to reach wider audiences. For instance, the recently launched ArtsEverywhere@CDC initiative brings quality performances by professional arts groups, including minority arts groups, to heartland locations across the island. Traditional Malay drumming group NADI Singapura performed at the launch event in July 2024 and the current series of performances also involves Indian music troupe Brahmastra. Such community-based initiatives enable our minority artists and arts groups to extend their offerings beyond traditional arts spaces and develop new audiences.