Speech By Radm (Ns) Lui Tuck Yew, Senior Minister Of State For Education, And Information, Communications And The Arts, At The 2008 Arts Awards Presentation Ceremony On 17 October 2008 (Friday), 7.10 Pm, At The Istana

Speech By Radm (Ns) Lui Tuck Yew, Senior Minister Of State For Education, And Information, Communications And The Arts, At The 2008 Arts Awards Presentation Ceremony On 17 October 2008 (Friday), 7.10 Pm, At The Istana

       Significance of the Arts Awards

1. Good evening. Let me first thank President Nathan for doing us the honour of gracing this year's presentation of the Arts Awards.
2. This evening, we witness some of the best artists in Singapore being honoured with the two highest arts awards this nation will confer on her most prominent artists -the Cultural Medallion and the Young Artist Awards. The Cultural Medallion is awarded to individuals who have attained and demonstrated sustained artistic excellence, while the Young Artist Award gives recognition to our outstanding young talents.  
   
   

   Nurturing Local Arts Talent

3. Nurturing local arts talent is pivotal in our efforts to build a thriving arts and cultural ecosystem in Singapore. Under the Renaissance City Plan III, the National Arts Council (NAC) has formulated a comprehensive talent development strategy comprising three key thrusts. First, talented individuals are discovered through national arts competitions like the National Chinese and Indian Music Competitions as well as the Golden Point Award. Second, these individuals are further developed through specialised arts training, fellowships, mentorship programmes and arts residencies. The Cultural Medallion and Young Artist awards constitute the third thrust of this strategy, which is to recognise talent both for their artistic excellence, as well as for their contributions to the cultural development of Singapore.
4. The process to develop and nurture our artistic talents is lengthy and painstaking. Part of this process requires NAC to consistently profile our homegrown artists at local and international platforms. These include the Singapore Arts Festival, the Singapore Biennale, the Singapore Art Show, the Singapore Writers Festival, and the multi-agency showcase, Singapore Season. Our artists also participate in national representations at major arts markets and international festivals overseas like the prestigious Venice Biennale. I am happy to say that our local arts talent have been attracting international attention and gaining prominence at these platforms.
   
   

   Award Recipients as Cultural Icons

5. Over the past 28 years, 90 artists have been conferred the Cultural Medallion and 91 have received the Young Artist Award. The awards recognise individual achievements and serve as an important motivational tool for Singapore arts community as a whole to excel in their artistic pursuits. Today, we will pay tribute to eight more of our highly talented artists - three of whom will receive the Cultural Medallion; and five, the Young Artist Award.   
6. The award recipients are highly talented individuals and iconic figures who have made an indelible impact on Singapore's cultural landscape. They are our cultural heroes who embody the Singapore spirit of exploration and enterprise, who inspire us to dream and give form to things invisible to the ordinary eye. They are important to our arts scene not just because of the works of distinction that they create, but also because of the inspiration and pride that they ignite in our people through their tenacity, passion and achievements.
   
   

   Past Recipients, Continued Contributions

7. Receiving the award is not the end of the journey for the artist. In fact, many of the Arts Awards recipients move on to chalk up greater achievements. Tan Choh Tee, a 2006 Cultural Medallion recipient, and Eric Khoo, a 2007 Cultural Medallion recipient, are just two of the many distinguished artists who have completed new projects recently. Choh Tee held his solo exhibition in Beijing and Singapore, while Eric's film, My Magic, was selected for the Palme d'Or, the most prestigious prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year, before it was screened in Singapore. These projects were supported by the Cultural Medallion grant.
8. Likewise, our Young Artist Award recipients have gone on to scale new heights. Toh Ban Sheng and Beatrice Chia from the 2006 batch of Young Artist Award recipients furthered their artistic development through the Young Artist Award grant. Ban Sheng recently attended a choral music symposium and completed a choral immersion programme in Europe. Beatrice is planning an original sketch comedy this year that will also be performed in Kuala Lumpur. 
   
   

   Conclusion

9. In closing, I congratulate all the Arts Awards recipients for your sterling achievements. I encourage you to pursue your passion in your chosen artistic field and create even more works of distinction to enrich our cultural heritage and inspire fellow Singaporeans.
10. Your Excellency President S R Nathan, we thank you for gracing this special occasion and are very honoured to have you present the Cultural Medallion this evening. I would also like to thank the Specialist Panels for their help in the evaluation process, as well as our arts patrons, arts supporters and friends from the arts community and media. We look forward to your continued involvement and contributions to help the arts in Singapore scale greater heights.
11. Thank you.