Support for arts sector workers

*1255. Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Government is studying the Republic of Ireland’s Basic Income for the Arts scheme to directly invest in arts sector workers, which has shown social and economic returns.

Response:

1. Ireland's Basic Income for the Arts scheme provides selected artists and arts workers a weekly allowance for three years. The scheme recognises art as a public good and aims to enable creative practitioners to focus on their artistic work by lightening their financial pressures with the weekly payment.

2. Singapore shares this objective of supporting our artists and recognising the intrinsic value of the arts. However, while Ireland's scheme is well-meaning and directly addresses artist remuneration over the three-year period, the challenges of limited fiscal resources remain. Only a limited number of artists benefit from the scheme, and they might still face financial pressures and uncertainty once their funding cycle concludes. This approach, whilst providing temporary relief, may not fundamentally address the broader structural challenges facing the arts sector.

3. Singapore seeks to support arts groups and artists through a multi-dimensional ecosystem approach – through developing workers’ capabilities, strengthening arts organisations and growing demand for the arts – so that our artists will have more and better jobs in a sustained manner.

4. To maximise employability, we introduced the Skills Framework for Arts, jointly developed by NAC and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) in 2023 to help practitioners understand the skills they need to acquire, build capabilities, and forge career pathways. We also introduced work-based training programmes for participants to upskill while gaining industry experience and networks. These programmes include technical theatre training with Esplanade Academy, special needs teaching with Rainbow Centre Training and Consultancy (RCTC), and early childhood pedagogies with Singapore Drama Educators Association (SDEA). Together, these initiatives combine knowledge-building with hands-on experience. During these work-based training programmes, trainees who are self-employed receive training allowances and course fee subsidies where applicable. For trainees who are required to work in the arts sector after their apprenticeships, we match them to suitable opportunities.

5. Strong arts companies create quality employment opportunities. MCCY and NAC support the growth of our arts companies in a broad-based and sustained manner through organisational funding schemes such as the Major Company Scheme, and we attract private and philanthropic resources into the sector through the Cultural Matching Fund. 

6. Lastly, but not least, developing audiences is essential to sustaining demand for the arts and ensuring opportunities for arts sector workers.  In 2024, NAC launched the ArtsEverywhere@CDC series with People's Association and Community Development Councils to bring quality arts experiences to major heartland nodes. In 2025, we announced renewed efforts to cultivate audiences from young, through NAC-Arts Education Programmes which will be extended to all government-supported preschools by 2027. This year, NAC will enhance funding under the Artist-in-School Scheme (AISS) for traditional and multicultural arts programmes. These provide immediate additional work opportunities on a sustained basis for artists.

7. We also introduced the SG Culture Pass in 2025 to encourage Singaporeans to access local arts and cultural offerings, with the aim to engage them to continue paying for local arts productions. In 2026, NAC also launched the Audience Development Playbook, which provides actionable insights into audience segmentation, planning, and engagement, providing arts practitioners with the knowledge and skills to expand their reach.

8. With one-third of Singapore's arts workforce comprising Self-Employed Persons (SEPs), NAC will also introduce new programmes to help arts SEPs build entrepreneurial capabilities, strengthen their legal literacy, and enhance access to legal support.

9. We will continue to review our efforts to develop the arts ecosystem and create good jobs and opportunities in the sector.