Support for Commercially Sustainable Arts Careers

*131. Ms Gho Sze Kee: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) how does the National Arts Council help artistes build commercially sustainable careers while safeguarding artistic integrity, including supporting them to monetise and showcase their work effectively; (b) what platforms exist locally and abroad to expand their reach; and (c) whether there are new schemes planned to boost portfolios, business opportunities and market presence.

1. Under Our SG Arts Plan (2023-2027), the National Arts Council (NAC) takes a multi-pronged approach to support our artists to build sustainable careers and develop artistic excellence.

2. At a broad-based level, NAC offers grants to artists and arts groups to create and showcase works both locally and internationally. From 2022 to 2024, for example, over 190 artists and arts groups tapped on NAC’s Marketing and Audience Development Grant, with many presenting their works at overseas exhibitions, Biennales and book fairs.

3. NAC also supports independent arts practitioners in developing their professional and business competencies through the Arts Resource Hub, which offers mentorship and peer learning. NAC has also partnered SkillsFuture Singapore to establish a Skills Framework for the Arts, which helps practitioners better plan their further development and their careers.

4. NAC also directly supports platforms where our artists can showcase their work and build a wider audience. These include Singapore Art Week, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), and the Singapore Writers Festival. This year’s edition of SIFA involved more than 360 local artists and crew and reached close to 80,000 audience members.

5. NAC has also worked with partners to bring local art to everyday spaces across Singapore through platforms such as ArtsEverywhere@CDC, Poems on the MRT, and I Play SG Music, where local music is played in spaces like shopping malls. These programmes have raised the profile of our artists and their works.

6. NAC also supports our practitioners to boost their market presence overseas. For example, since 2023, NAC has commissioned a Singapore stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair – one of the world’s largest annual trade fairs for the book publishing industry. In 2024, our delegation of 10 publishers and the Singapore Book Publishers Association conducted over 140 business meetings over the course of the fair.

7. Through these efforts, we are building an ecosystem where our artists can pursue excellence as well as sustainable careers. And with the SG Culture Pass, all Singaporeans can play a part in supporting our artists.