29 individuals received scholarships from the National Arts Council and the National Heritage Board

Mr Edmund Cheng, Chairman of the National Arts Council 
Mr Ong Yew Huat, Chairman of the National Heritage Board 
Ladies and Gentlemen

1. Let me first congratulate our 29 scholarship recipients. Each of you was awarded your scholarships based on your talent, your love for arts and heritage and your desire to lead its development. I hope that you will make the most of this chance to learn, grow, and hone your abilities.
   

2. It is an exciting time to be in the arts and heritage sector. In our early years of nation building, our preoccupation after separation was economic survival – we were focused on bread and butter issues, understandably in those years. But even then, our founding fathers did not neglect our cultural development. Some of you will remember Mr Rajaratnam, our first Cultural Minister, pushed very hard for the National Theatre, even before Singapore was independent. He pushed very hard for the National Theatre, which was in his mind, a way to commemorate the attainment of self-government by the people. So, as he put it, rather than bricks and mortar, he wanted a place which would showcase the cultural talents, to celebrate the attainment of self-government.
   

3. Later, Dr Goh Keng Swee lamented that it was a “scandal” that Singapore did not have a symphony orchestra of its own. As he put it, “there's more to life than making money, and investing in the orchestra would be worthwhile as it would raise the standard of culture of Singaporeans”.
   

4. These were efforts that our founding fathers had put into developing Singapore's culture. It was upon these early foundations that we developed and grew the arts and culture in Singapore. Today, our arts and cultural scene is much more vibrant. We have the Esplanade; we refurbished our museums; and soon, we will see the upgraded Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (home of the SSO), as well as the opening of the National Art Gallery in 2015.
   

5. More and more Singaporeans are actively involved in arts, heritage and cultural activities – both as audiences and participants. The number of arts companies and societies has also increased over the years, especially with more grants and support from the Government. All these are testaments that our cultural scene has become more vibrant, with an exciting calendar of activities in the arts, culture and heritage throughout the year.
   

6. However, we must still do more to step up our cultural development. In the “Our Singapore Conversation” sessions held over the last few months, there was a clear call amongst many participants for a stronger sense of shared culture and national identity, anchored by our heritage and our collective memories. Many people we spoke to during the conversations talked about what it means to be a Singaporean, how can we strengthen this sense of our cultural identity, and this sense of belonging to the nation. It was a very strong feedback amongst many Singaporeans.
   

7. To achieve this, one critical strategy is to invest in our human capital. We may have good hardware – the museums and theatres – but we also need good curators, arts managers and artistic talents. So we need more young people to step forward to pursue their passion in the arts, culture and heritage. That's why we have the NAC and NHB scholarships, and I'm glad that we have a strong team of NHB and NAC scholars this year.
   

8. Our 3 NHB scholars, Mandy [Lim], Kathleen [Ditzig], and [Yeo] Kirk Siang will be doing their degrees in Anthropology, Curatorial Studies, and Social Planning – three very different fields. But these are skills that will support and strengthen our heritage development.
   

9. Likewise, I am confident that our 26 NAC scholars will help to raise standards in our arts scene. For example, [Woo] E-Hui will be pursuing a degree in Theatrical Production and Izmir [Ickbal] a Masters in Set Design. These are specialist skills, and with more of such specialists to complement our actors, we will be able to develop more sophisticated and high quality productions.
   

10. I am also glad to see amongst the recipients today, many who are already actively performing, exhibiting and teaching. Many of these are receiving Postgraduate Scholarships. These include recipients such as Alvin [Chiam], a theatre practitioner and teacher, Debbie [Ding], whose artwork was a shortlisted for this year's Sovereign Asian Art Prize, and Dave [Chua], who is a familiar name in our literary and film circles. So we have a very well-rounded pool of scholars this year – both students who are doing their undergraduate studies as well as more experienced artists.
    

11. After your studies, all of you will be working in the arts and heritage sectors. Some of you will be in the public service – you may be with NAC, NHB or in the Ministry, helping to develop and implement policies that nurture the arts and heritage in Singapore. Some will take on specialist or management positions in our cultural institutions – for example, you may be a curator in the museum, or you may be helping to oversee some of our cultural institutions. And many of you will continue on to be arts practitioners and professionals, honing your craft in your respective fields.
    

12. Whichever path you choose, there are three ways to approach your work – as a job, a career, or a calling. If you see your work as a job, you do it only for the money. But I think if that is your perspective, then perhaps you have chosen the wrong job, because you can't go into the arts and heritage for the money. If you see your work as a career, then you will try to advance and progress, and that's fine because there are many opportunities in the arts and cultural sector where you can advance and take on bigger responsibilities, and lead institutions. But I would like to think that you can also see your work as a calling, where you find your work intrinsically fulfilling, and you see your \work as contributing to a greater good and as serving a larger purpose.
    

13. I hope all our scholars will see your work not just as a job or a career, but a calling. You are not just pursuing your own artistic goals, but also helping to shape our nation's cultural development. You are continuing in the fine tradition of NAC and NHB scholars who have come before you, many of whom have gone to become artistic leaders in their own fields, and also key pillars in our cultural scene. I am confident that all of you will one day contribute in your own way to the richness of Singapore's arts, culture and heritage.
    

14. Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise the contributions of the parents, family and friends of our scholars who are here today.
    

15. We often recognise the talent, the passion and tenacity of our arts and creative practitioners, but we sometimes forget that they succeed only with the encouragement of their supporters. It's not always easy to take this path in the arts, culture and heritage, because you will have distractions and many other options and sometimes, may be pressured to take on options which other people would see as conforming to more conventional successes in our society. You have the support of your parents, your families and your friends. So I would like to pay tribute to the parents, the families and the friends here today because you have played, and will continue to play, an important role in making our scholars' dreams possible. And I am sure that they are grateful to you for your unwavering support.
    

16. To our scholars, I hope that you will continue to work hard and excel in everything you do. Make full use of the opportunities that you have overseas. Be our cultural ambassadors wherever you go – talk to people about Singapore arts, culture and heritage, inspire them about what we have here. Most of all, make a lasting contribution to our cultural development, and make Singapore a vibrant city we are proud to call home.