Arts – Shaping perspectives and enabling opportunities for everyone

Mrs Rosa Daniel, Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Council

Ms Jean Tan, Executive Director, Singapore International Foundation

Mr Roland Davies, Country Director, British Council Singapore

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. Good morning, it is my pleasure to be here at the Arts and Disability Forum (ADF) 2017.

2. In its third instalment, this Forum has been bringing together like-minded players, to raise awareness for the arts and its potential for the disability sector in Singapore. This is also the Forum’s second year in partnership with the British Council and the Singapore International Foundation. I hope we will continue to involve more partners and participants in furthering this cause.

3. I would like to extend my welcome to our speakers who have travelled from afar to join us – Dr Alice Fox, from the United Kingdom; Ms Myra Tam, from Hong Kong, and our very own physical theatre practitioner Mr Ramesh Meyyapan, who is based in Glasgow.

4. We also have with us today, Singaporean practitioners who are passionate about making the arts more inclusive. They include visual artist and Cultural Medallion recipient, Ms Chng Seok Tin; Mr Damien Lim, Director for Ministry of Bellz; and Ms Jean Loo, founder of Superhero Me. Thank you for joining us, and to share ideas on how we can shape a more inclusive society through the arts.

Taking stock of the current arts and disability landscape

5. To provide some context for today’s discussion, I would like to give an update on our current efforts to grow inclusive spaces, develop programmes for a wider audience base and build capabilities to make the arts more inclusive.
   
   Growing Inclusive Spaces
   

6. First, on inclusive infrastructure – we have been making our arts and cultural spaces more accessible to persons with disabilities (PWDs). This is in line with the 3rd Enabling Masterplan published last December, which aims to build a more inclusive society for PWDs.

7. For example, the National Museum of Singapore (NMS) and National Gallery Singapore (Gallery) have designated parking and restrooms for visitors with disabilities. The upcoming Singapore Art Museum (SAM) revamp would also provide an opportunity to make its spaces more accessible for visitors with special needs.
   
   Developing Programmes for a Wider Audience Base
   

8. Second, to complement the infrastructural improvements, we have been developing programmes that reach out to a wider audience base. Gallery offers Singapore Sign Language Interpretation tours, where participants are led on a tour by both a docent and a Sign Language interpreter. NMS, the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Peranakan Museum have also launched a Quiet Mondays programme, where soundscape volume and houselights are reduced, to encourage PWDs to visit the museums on Monday mornings.

9. Similarly, our arts groups are also introducing more opportunities for PWDs to enjoy the arts. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Bellz - a hand-bells ensemble - completed their second autism-friendly, or sensory-friendly performance. These performances are designed with relaxed concert etiquette, to allow audience members to leave their seats or groove along to the music. Great care was also taken to minimise changes in lighting and sudden introduction of loud sounds. Esplanade has also created more inclusive performances, such as sensory-friendly shows for their PLAYtime! Theatre.

10. What is perhaps most reflective of our vision of an inclusive society and has the greatest potential for growth, would be for artists of diverse profiles to come together to perform. I attended the Purple Symphony’s inaugural concert last year, and was very impressed by how this exceptional orchestra brought musicians with and without special needs together to make music. Another example would be Redeafination, a dance crew comprising deaf and non-deaf performers, which has represented Singapore at regional events, such as the 2015 opening ceremony of the ASEAN Para Games, and at international dance competitions.
    
    Building Capabilities in the Arts and Disability Sector
    

11. Third, we are focusing on capability development, to bring more people on board this journey with us. Our strategies include training programmes, development of toolkits and targeted resourcing for individuals and arts groups.

12. Our museums have organised training programmes for museum staff and docents to better engage visitors with special needs. The National Heritage Board (NHB) is also developing resources, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to provide these visitors with more effective tools to communicate their needs.

13. Our arts scholarships have been made available to PWDs, or those interested to work with PWDs. NAC provides funding support to both start-ups and established companies that have a vision in creating inclusive arts. For example, Superhero Me, who works with children from needy families and those with special needs, was recently awarded NAC’s Seed Grant. NAC’s Major Company recipients such as TheatreWorks featured an inclusive cast in last year’s staging of GALA; The Arts Fission Company works extensively with the less mobile elderly; and Raw Moves - A Little Raw, a dance company, supports inclusion for children.

14. NAC has also been working closely with the Ministry of Education’s Special Education (SPED) Branch to integrate the arts into the curriculum for students with special needs, and to develop teachers’ capabilities in arts-instruction. The NAC Artist-SPED School Partnership Programme affords opportunities for artists and SPED teachers to co-develop and co-teach arts-based lessons. This partnership has led to the creation of a Visual Arts Toolkit, which can be used by the wider SPED fraternity to engage students in meaningful art-making. Separately, NAC has also been organising arts toolkit training workshops, to equip practitioners in the disability social services sector with the skills to conduct arts activities with their clients.

Role of the ADF as a catalyst

15. Moving forward, we must continue to push the boundaries and identify barriers that may limit PWDs’ participation in arts and cultural activities.

16. This Forum has the potential to remove these barriers and catalyse many of the positive changes that we want to see. The conversations over these two days will be valuable in establishing partnerships and networks that can advance the arts and disability sector. We must continue the conversations beyond this Forum, and take it to our respective networks and contexts.

Conclusion

17. In closing, I would like to thank the organisers for putting together this two-day programme. It promises rich insights and perspectives on the themes of inclusiveness, empowerment and collaboration.

18. I hope the upcoming discussions and workshops will enable all participants to grow a deeper appreciation of the dialogue surrounding arts and inclusivity, and prompt reflections and ideas on how we can adapt best practices from regional and international case studies, to strengthen our current efforts.

19. I wish everyone a fruitful forum ahead. Thank you.