A vibrant and resilient arts and culture ecosystem for the future

Speech by Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth & Trade and Industry at the Committee of Supply Debate 2022

1. Madam Chair, in the last two years, MCCY, the National Arts Council (NAC) and the National Heritage Board (NHB) have rolled out wide-ranging measures to safeguard livelihoods, build capabilities and position our arts and culture sector for a strong recovery in the new normal.
   
   a. Kudos to our arts and culture organisations and practitioners – they have responded boldly and creatively to the challenges brought on by the pandemic.
   
   b. Through their craft and artistic contributions, they have provided soothing balm and comfort to us all in a difficult time like this. We are grateful for their resilience and perseverance.   
2. Looking ahead for 2022, we will continue to work closely with our arts and culture community to chart our path towards recovery. We will enlarge our longer-term plans with the aims to foster in Singapore a resilient, sustainable and future-ready arts and culture ecosystem that:   
   
   a. Enriches and inspires lives;
   
   b. Unites us as a nation and pride in our shared heritage; and
   
   c. Enhances Singapore’s shine as a global city.
   
   

   Revitalising Our Arts and Culture

3. Today, we look forward to our arts and culture sector recovering even stronger than before from the pandemic.
   
   a. Our practitioners have reached new audiences, created new experiences, and enhanced existing capabilities while developing new ones in areas like digital showcases.
   
   b. This is the result of our collective resolve over the last two years as the arts and culture community collaborate and support one another.
4. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, Ms Tin Pei Ling and Mr Darryl David will be pleased to know that we will do even more to sustain the momentum and enable the sector to build on these gains. As shared earlier by Minister Edwin Tong, we will be injecting an additional $12 million to sustain good practices and learning points from COVID-19 after the end of the Arts and Culture Resilience Package (ACRP). Let me elaborate.
5. As we continue to adapt and move towards a new normal, we will extend the Venue Hire Subsidy for another 3 months from 1 April 2022 to 30 June 2022, at a stepped-down rate of 30%. This will continue to defray venue hire costs for our practitioners, as we progressively resume activities and welcome back larger audiences.
6. Introduced last year as part of the ACRP, the Organisation Transformation Grant (OTG), has attracted keen interest from arts and culture organisations and practitioners.
7. To sustain support for transformation, NHB will incorporate the OTG into its existing grants, such as the Heritage Research Grant, as well as the Minor and Major Project Grant.
   
   a. Heritage businesses and organisations will be able to benefit from an increased grant amount of up to $40,000, from $30,000 previously, to cater to larger-scale and longer-term projects.
   
   b. The grants will also be open to Business Associations to encourage transformation efforts in our historic districts.
8. 8. Similarly, NAC will launch a new Sector Transformation Fund (STF) to promote and sustain the transformation efforts of our arts and culture community.
   
   a. Projects previously supported under the ACRP Organisation Transformation Grant (OTG) that have longer-term potential for further development, can tap on the STF to push ahead and transform.
   

   
   Strengthening the sustainability of the sector

9. Let me now share how we will boost the sustainability of the arts and culture sector for diverse communities to enjoy, a point passionately highlighted by Ms Janet Ang.
   
   a. We will empower the sector to leverage on digital technologies to pursue new artistic, cultural and business opportunities. Through digitalisation, the sector can enhance their existing revenue streams, as well as improve productivity and organisational effectiveness.
10. We recently launched the Arts and Culture Digital Roadmap on 28 February to equip and enhance the digital journey of our arts and culture organisations and practitioners.
    
    a. They can use the Digital Roadmap, which has a self-assessment checklist, to gauge their level of digital readiness, and learn about the range of digital solutions and funding schemes available to businesses, charities, and individuals that can support such efforts.
11. As Mr Mark Chay pointed out, we can showcase our unique culture to local as well as overseas audiences by using more digital content.
    
    a. For instance, Ding Yi Music Company brought their triennial international composition festival called Composium online last year, which led to its musicians and compositions of local composers such as Cultural Medallion recipients Eric Watson and Law Wai Lun reaching international audiences.
    
    b. In the coming months, MCCY, NAC and NHB will be engaging our arts and culture organisations and practitioners through roadshows and workshops to promote awareness of the Digital Roadmap. We will also provide tailored support to those who require assistance to digitalise. Details of these efforts will be made available on the websites of all three organisations, once ready.
    

    
    Support for Self-Employed Persons

12. Madam, through the Self-Employed Person Grant (SEPG) introduced under the ACRP, SEPs have engaged in new collaborations.
    
    a. For instance, an independent producer, Ms Nurhafezhah Maznan, created a structured programme for 8 young theatre directors to learn from 17 artists and other creatives, how to direct works in Malay and Tamil.
13. We will continue to deepen our support for Self-Employed Persons (SEPs) by incorporating the SEPG into the NAC’s existing Presentation & Participation (P&P) and Capability Development (CD) grants. Ms Tin Pei Ling will be glad to know that through this move, a. Priority will be given to grant applications initiated by or targeted at SEPs.
14. In addition, we are committed to creating conditions in the arts and culture sector for livelihoods to thrive, with targeted support for SEPs.
    
    a. First, we will increase opportunities for capacity development for SEPs. To this end, NAC will raise greater awareness of the skills and competencies SEPs need to help them make informed choices for their career progression. NAC will also work with partners to mount training courses in new and emerging areas such as e-pedagogy and digital arts education programme development for arts instructors.
    
    b. Second, NAC will work with industry partners to ensure better protection and working conditions for our SEPs. NAC will promote the adoption of best practices among organisations which engage SEPs – from the signing of formal contracts to improving contractual obligations between the parties, and recognising our SEPs for their skills and contributions. For example, our national cultural institutions have adopted the Tripartite Standards on Contracting with Self-Employed Persons since 2018.
    
    c. Third, NAC will pilot new ways for SEPs to create value in the arts sector and beyond. NAC have observed some enterprising SEPs especially in the last two years, developing artist-business partnership and testing ways to work with enterprises working on sustainability solutions. NAC will support SEPs to push boundaries and contribute to the broader creative economy, as well as to collaborate with each other and new partners – such as local businesses – from other sectors in new and innovative ways.
15. We encourage SEPs to make full use of the available grants to sustain their practices, collaborate on new initiatives and develop new capabilities. We look forward to our SEPs’ continued contributions to Singapore’s arts and culture.
    

    
    Activating spaces for the arts and culture

16. Madam, besides developing our people, MCCY is also working closely with the sector to strengthen our cultural infrastructure for artists and creatives to incubate, to experiment, and to collaborate.
17. One of the newest additions to this growing pool is the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) at Tanjong Pagar Distripark (TPD). I visited SAM at TPD just two months ago with Minister Edwin just two months ago for the 10th Singapore Art Week (SAW) and we saw for ourselves how a former industrial warehouse was turned into a fascinating location for experimental exhibitions and programmes. 
    
    a. The TPD welcomed more than 17,000 visitors during SAW 2022 and its unique large space allowed the public to be immersed in various arts and culture experiences in a very engaging manner.
18. Another exciting development is also taking place at Kampong Java. NAC is partnering the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to refurbish and pilot arts and culture sandbox spaces at 52 to 56 Kampong Java. These venues that I mentioned will offer artists of various disciplines an affordable place to focus on their experimental and creative process. NAC will seek views from the arts community on the use of these spaces in the first half of this year. 
    

    
    Preserving and celebrating our shared Heritage

    Our tangible heritage

19. Madam, many of these cultural spaces are located at sites with a long history. Our built heritage connects us to the nation’s past, like what Mr Sitoh Yih Pin mentioned, and forms a part of our cultural identity. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin will be glad to know that MCCY is continuing to safeguard and celebrate Singapore’s shared heritage.
    
    a. One important aspect of this work involves the heritage impact assessment framework (HIA), which Minister for National Development Mr Desmond Lee had shared earlier at MND’s COS. MCCY and NHB will continue to support MND and URA in implementing the HIA framework. The framework further strengthens how public agencies must thoroughly evaluate the heritage significance of a site as an important consideration in the early stage of planning for development projects.
    

    
    Our intangible heritage

20. Our rich heritage is also a source of national pride. All Singaporeans celebrated when our hawker culture was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2020. Last year at COS, I shared that we would embark on consultations to identify possible elements for Singapore’s second UNESCO intangible cultural heritage nomination.
    
    a. Between June 2021 and January 2022, NHB held Focus Group Discussions with approximately 170 participants, comprising intangible cultural heritage practitioners, heritage business owners, academics and youths, to hear their views and their thoughts and suggestions.
    
    b. Through these conversations, we heard a clear preference for our second nomination to be multicultural in nature, and relatable to Singaporeans.
    
    c. A total of 10 possible elements have been suggested through these consultations. For example, our Chingay Parade, the Making and Sharing of Kueh, Peranakan Beadwork and Embroidery, Orchid Cultivation and Yusheng, just to name a few.d. NHB will broaden its consultations over the course of the coming months to engage more stakeholders, as well as the general public, before a final decision is made on the element to be nominated.
    

    
    Our museums

21. Madam Chair, our museums showcase our valuable heritage and I am glad to update that,
    
    a. Come this December, families and young children can look forward to a dynamic and engaging experience at the new Children’s Museum Singapore (CMSG), in what used to be the Singapore Philatelic Museum. Ms Janet Ang spoke passionately about the importance of arts and culture for the young, and we agree with her. The CMSG will feature a range of topics, including Singapore’s history and biodiversity, and help foster a stronger awareness of our shared values and national identity in our young children.
    
    b. In another development, following extensive consultations with the community, the Peranakan Museum will reopen in 2023, with an expanded curatorial focus on the rich cross-cultural traditions and distinctive arts of the Peranakan communities in Southeast Asia. Founders’ Memorial Travelling Exhibition
22. Besides looking forward to the CMSG and Peranakan Museum, Singaporeans can all play a part in shaping an important reflection of our heritage, the Founders’ Memorial. Next month, NHB will launch the Founders’ Memorial “Share Your Story, Shape Our Memorial” Travelling Exhibition
    
    a. Besides an update on the Memorial’s architectural design, the travelling exhibition will provide the public a chance to share artefacts and stories related to key national policies or milestones, or their encounters with our founding leaders.
    
    b. For example, Mr Timothy de Souza is keen to share his personal mementoes as one of Singapore’s first fighter pilots.
    
    c. We look forward to rich and interesting contributions from all Singaporeans.
    

    
    Charting future directions for the Arts and Culture

    Our SG Arts Plan

23. Madam, looking ahead, MCCY will build upon the foundation and progress made by Our SG Arts Plan in 2018. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin would be glad to know that today, our arts sector includes diverse talents who collaborate and create new arts experiences for audiences in Singapore and beyond, including the underreached groups mentioned by Ms Janet Ang and Mr Mark Chay.
    
    a. Through signature arts festival platforms, such as SAW which I mentioned earlier, Singapore International Festival of Arts and Singapore Writers Festival, we have brought together diverse players in the local arts ecosystem, grown a strong audience base and profiled Singapore arts globally.
    
    b. Community partnerships have been forged across 20 Arts and Culture nodes, bringing people of different backgrounds together through the arts.
    
    c. Arts education has also been enhanced with experiential, cohort-based learning programmes to museums and concert halls, as well as digital content. Arts offerings are more inclusive than before, with support for quality arts experiences for our pre-schoolers as well as students with special needs.
24. Since July 2021, NAC has held conversations with around 400 stakeholders in one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions on the future of the arts for Singapore. Building on these insights, we are developing Our SG Arts Plan 2.0 to set the stage for the next phase of our arts development:
    
    a. First, we will strengthen the role of the arts in the wider local and global creative economy;
    
    b. Second, we will develop further ways for the arts to contribute to deepening our national identity, social cohesion and inclusivity;
    
    c. Third, make the arts a distinctive factor that adds to Singapore’s attractiveness as a global city.
25. NAC welcomes feedback and ideas from the sector to refine Our SG Arts Plan 2.0. A public consultation will be conducted in the second part of this year.
    

    
    Our SG Heritage Plan

26. Let me now turn to Our SG Heritage Plan which has since 2018, enabled Singaporeans to rediscover and affirm our shared values and identity through diverse offerings and multiple touchpoints.
    
    a. Our museums are now more accessible through digital initiatives and offerings that reach out to a larger audience.
    
    b. Seniors can now enjoy age-friendly programmes under the Silver Hubs initiative, while programmes under the HeritageCares also reach out to low-income families, persons with disability, children with special needs as well as youth-at-risk.
    
    c. Heritage is being infused into everyday spaces through the Street Corner Heritage Galleries scheme. Our Tampines Gallery, Kreta Ayer Heritage Gallery and Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery have all enlivened local communities.
27. Following NHB’s consultations with a diverse range of stakeholders that include insights from our museum community, youth, creatives, heritage societies, and heritage business owners, NHB is drawing up plans for Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0.
    
    a. Firstly, we will support the heritage sector’s digital adoption and develop capabilities to transform their operations and efforts in connecting Singaporeans to our heritage;
    
    b. Second, we will also showcase Singapore’s rich multicultural heritage beyond our shores to grow new audiences and markets for our heritage sector, while at the same time, learning from the best in the world to develop our home talents;
    
    c. Thirdly, we will work closely with our local communities as well as heritage enthusiasts, and partners in the tech and creative industry to celebrate our unique local histories.
28. We invite all Singaporeans to share your views and feedback for Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0 when NHB launches the public call in the middle of this year.  Madam Chair, in Mandarin, please.
29. 拓展具有本地特色的艺术和文化遗产领域，有助于提升新加坡作为国际大都会的活力和魅力。而能够让人产生共鸣的艺术作品以及文化的遗产，更会无形中加深国人对国家的认同，有助于建立更有凝聚力、更有包容性的新加坡。文社青部未来将通过延续“新加坡艺术拓展蓝图”，以及“新加坡文化遗产计划”，达到以上目标¹
30. 2018年推出的“新加坡艺术拓展蓝图”，通过具有代表性的平台，展现新加坡多姿多彩的艺术风貌，并和我们的艺术界同仁以及社区伙伴们，一同将文化艺术活动带到我国20多个地点，加强了我们社区的参与，包括学前与特需儿童，以及乐龄长辈们，确保我国的艺术领域更具包容性，让更多人受惠。²
31. 另一方面，“新加坡文化遗产计划”自2018年推出以来，让国人重新发现并肯定我们共同拥有的文化遗产。我们更多国家古迹的保留以及小贩文化的申遗成功，也让更多新加坡人意识到文化遗产在日常生活的重大价值。³
32. 接下来，国家艺术理事会和国家文物局，将会继续开展咨询，和文化艺术，以及遗产保护界同仁进行深度的对话，并希望联同各行各业的国人，共同拟定下一个新加坡“艺术拓展蓝图”与我们的“文化遗产计划”，为创意经济以及传承新加坡的多元文化尽一份力。⁴
    

    
    Conclusion

33. Madam Chair, MCCY and our agencies remain committed to working with the arts and culture community to revitalise our arts and culture sector, and chart its future directions.
34. As we build on the gains that we have made together over the last two years, we will carve an exciting journey ahead, towards a thriving and sustainable arts and culture ecosystem – one that enriches livelihoods, one that unites our people and one that enlivens our city. 

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