Dare to Dream, Dare to Do: Building pathways for future leaders

• Now, we are all here because we are celebrating not only individual achievements, but also the future of Singapore’s arts and heritage – a future that each of our 55 scholars will help carry forward.

• To our 55 scholars, this simple ceremony marks a very important milestone, key milestone, in your studies and in fact, life chapter. It is a testament to your passion, to your talent, and to your hard work and perseverance. On behalf of the Art Schools - UAS, LASALLE, NAFA, SOTA as well as NAC and NHB, we want to extend our heartiest congratulations to each and every one of you.

• We also want to acknowledge the families, friends, mentors and educators in the room. Your encouragement has given our 55 scholars the confidence to dream boldly and pursue their calling. You have stood by them through their learning journey. Today’s achievement also belongs to you. It really takes a village to raise a child, we are all children, no matter how young or not so young we are.

Singapore’s Arts and Heritage Landscape

• The arts and heritage play a vital role in shaping Singapore’s identity. In our multicultural society, arts and heritage give voice to our diversity and shared experiences. Our stories are passed down across generations. In fact, just two days ago, CE/NHB was just with me in another institution – the National Museum to celebrate the Baba Nyonya Literary Festival. That is the importance of our arts, culture and heritage because our legacy helps us understand one another and deepen our sense of belonging.  This is why Singapore continues to invest heavily in the arts, culture and heritage.

• Our goal is to have more Singaporeans experience the arts where we live, work, play and gather. We want fellow Singaporeans to embrace the arts and heritage as part of our everyday life.  That is why the MCCY Family made a big push for the SG Culture Pass. It was a very important milestone for us to really encourage fellow Singaporeans to not only to come to Esplanade, the NGS, and other institutions but really to experience art.

  • To this end, we have launched the ArtsEverywhere@CDC initiative in July 2024, exactly two years ago. Within the span of two years, ArtsEverywhere@CDC has reached more than 63,000 people through more than 130 performances. Through ArtsEverywhere@CDC we have brought quality arts experiences closer to fellow Singaporeans in the neighbourhoods and familiar community spaces. To those of you who have attended, you would have seen how the multicultural performances come together in a uniquely Singaporean fashion, and how it has also whetted the appetite of fellow Singaporeans who previously had not experienced or watched any art performance, but because of that, they now can use their Culture Pass and beyond to draw their family members and friends to also watch other cultural performances.

  • ArtsEverywhere@CDC will also introduce more cross-cultural performances; building on the recent launch by Minister David Neo. We will also give Singaporeans more opportunities to experience traditions beyond their own and deepen all our appreciation of our multicultural heritage.

  • Similarly, the Heritage Activation Nodes, in short we call it HANs, were launched two years ago in 2024 to bring heritage programmes closer to fellow Singaporeans. Within a short two years, HANs have welcomed more than 30,000 visitors.

  • Through HANs programmes, residents, Singaporeans, and community partners not only participate in the activities, but they also shape the efforts to cultivate and preserve our heritage. For example, they celebrate what makes each precinct distinctive through local stories and flavours; precinct by precinct, community by community.

• Over the years, we have collectively built a vibrant cultural landscape, shaped by our arts and heritage institutions, practitioners, arts groups, and community partners.

• Singapore is home to respected cultural institutions such as the Esplanade, Asian Civilisations Museum, and the National Gallery Singapore, where we are all gathered today.

• Each year, platforms such as Singapore Art Week, the Singapore International Festival of the Arts, and the Singapore HeritageFest bring together, in a thoughtful and curated manner, arts and heritage closer to Singaporeans while sharing our distinctive cultural life with the world.

• Our plans for the future build on this strong foundation that I have just shared. Through Our SG Arts Plan 2.0, we will continue to grow a Creative Economy powered by artistic talent, excellence, and innovation. Guided by Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0, we will continue to safeguard our heritage so that our shared stories remain meaningful for future generations.

• This is why talent development is so important.

  • Because our plans, our institutions and our platforms provide the foundation. But it is our artists, our heritage practitioners, our cultural workers and our creative professionals who will bring ambitions to life.

  • Each and every one of you, our 55 scholars, will be part of the next generation carrying this work forward.

Building pathways for future leaders

• Since 2011, the National Arts Council and National Heritage Board have supported over 250 scholars to study locally and abroad.  In fact, many former scholars have gone on to make a lasting impact on our country, our economy, our community and also to inspire new possibilities. Before I turn the attention to the 55 scholars, let me cite three former scholars, to tell you how far you can go. I think it is really about imbuing the “dare to dream, dare to do” spirit, so let me just share with you the stories of three former scholars.

  • Denise Leong, she has advanced the field of creative health practices through HOWONE Institute. By working with over 40 organisations to pilot multidisciplinary programmes, Denise has shown how the arts can enrich the lives of vulnerable communities. Art, other than the aesthetic, is also about art therapy helping to uplift lives. In the last two years in Parliament, we announced how we are working with our healthcare institutions to make this happen.

  • Another NAC scholar, Niranjan Pandian; he brought Indian traditional music to wider audiences in Singapore as well as overseas. His work showed how tradition can remain vibrant when it is performed, shared and reimagined for new generations. And if COVID has taught us anything, it is that while we all prefer watching art live, whether theatre or cultural performances, when we apply technology, we can allow our Singapore art to travel overseas, and that is what Niranjan has done.

  • I am also glad to know that Ong Chiew Yen has made strides in the heritage sector. Chiew Yen has strengthened museum operations at the National Museum of Singapore before going on to establish robust financial frameworks at HeritageSG, where she now serves as the Chief Executive Officer, a former scholar who rose up the ranks to be CEO, and at the same time, she is playing another concurrent role, serving as a Director of the Heritage Conservation Centre.

• Now, Denise, Niranjan and Chiew Yen, they have shown the vital role that each and every one of our scholars can play in strengthening Singapore’s arts and heritage landscape.

• To build a vibrant arts and heritage landscape, we will continue to strengthen pathways to support talents at different stages of growth. That is why we welcome talent of different ages and backgrounds to apply for NAC and NHB scholarships.

  • For instance, the NAC-University of the Arts Singapore Arts Scholarship is now in its third year, with five awardees in 2026.

  • The NAC Arts Scholarship for Diploma students is now in its second year, and it has awarded 41 recipients across LASALLE, NAFA, and SOTA.

Carrying Our Cultural Legacy Forward

• We are all looking forward to the potential contributions of this year’s diverse cohort of 55 scholars. You range from diploma students beginning your journeys to mid-career practitioners deepening your craft, preserving traditions, and exploring new creative directions.

• Some are giving new expression to our stories through the arts. Others are preserving and interpreting the memories and practices that shape our shared identity here in Singapore. I will now highlight eight scholars.

  • Ow Yong Wai Yen will pursue Music Studies at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and she will be using music to celebrate our cultural heritage and bring communities together. I am very proud of you, congratulations.

  • Next, from the School of the Arts, Tanakrit Lim hopes to encourage dialogue and deepen cross-cultural understanding through the Visual Arts. I love your aspiration and inspiration, continue the dare to dream, dare to do spirit.

• Now, our heritage scholars will help Singapore better understand who we are by looking at the past.

  • Mohamad Firdaus Bin Mohamed Sani. He will pursue Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices at NTU. Firdaus will build on his work with Orang Laut SG and The Black Sampan to bring this part of our history to wider audiences. Very proud of you, congratulations.

  • Next, Jenna Goh Ai Lynn, contributed to the second Heritage Masterplan, so she was already very interested in Heritage and through the scholarship, she will deepen her expertise in arts and heritage by pursuing Arts and Cultural Management at King’s College London. Congratulations, Jenna.

Diversifying pathways and possibilities

• Our 55 scholars are further expanding our arts by developing new skills and new capabilities in different fields.

  • For example, Ong Lin Wei is deepening his craft in film and media composition at the Film Scoring Academy of Europe. Congratulations Lin Wei. In fact, his training in Music for Motion Pictures and Contemporary Media will equip him with the skills to create music that adds emotional depth and identity to visual storytelling. We need all of this for our arts and cultural landscape, but at the same time to position Singapore well as a creative hub for Singaporeans as well as the global audience.

  • Next, we want to extend our congratulations to K Kapilan Domythals Naidu Kapilan sees technology as a medium for artistic exploration.  A media artist and creative technologist, Kapilan works with computational arts through research, experimentation and education. Who says arts cannot intertwine with science? His Fine Arts studies at LASALLE will allow him to take this practice further. Congratulations, Kapilan.

• Other scholars are strengthening the specialised capabilities that is needed for Singapore to grow as a key cultural entertainment hub. As our arts and creative industries grow, we certainly need more specialists, our own Singaporean specialists here in Singapore for our theatres, our concert venues and our own performance spaces. I am going to highlight two names.

  • Ng Choon Teck Melvyn is developing his expertise in sound technology at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. At the same time, the second gentleman, Sheikh Ukasyah bin Sheikh Indra, is building his capabilities in Theatre Production and Management at LASALLE. Congratulations to Melvyn and Ukasyah.

  • Together, Melvyn and Ukasyah, and the scholars in the same field, they will strengthen the technical capabilities needed for safe, seamless and high-quality productions here in Singapore. Don’t just do it in Singapore. In time you may team up with other sound engineers and bring our Singapore production overseas. Anything is possible, and through that, you are bringing the entire Singapore arts, culture, and heritage ecosystem overseas as well.

Conclusion

• Ladies and gentlemen, to our 55 scholars this year, we recognise your talent and passion to drive Singapore’s arts, culture and heritage sector forward.

• As you embark on your journey ahead, we want to share with you, I am sure Professor Kwok, Wai Lan, as well as SOTA, LASALLE, NAFA school leaders, and Hwee Nee, Elaine and Chairman Swee Chen, will encourage all the scholars; to learn widely and deeply. Do remain curious and open to new perspectives whether you are pursuing your studies locally or overseas. We look forward to your contributions to enrich our communities and deepen Singapore’s arts and heritage. Because through your studies and your future work, you can certainly bring Singaporeans closer together, united by the pride of our unique history and arts and culture.

• Once again, congratulations to each and every one of our 55 scholars! All of us look forward to meeting you, congratulating you and your families. Congratulations.

• Thank you.