Promotion of Local Arts Scene

Ms Janice Koh asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (a) what is being done to raise the profile of Singapore's arts scene and the work of Singapore artists internationally; (b) how much has been spent and how many artists have been supported to tour and participate in international platforms, such as festivals and biennales, in the last five years; and (c) how does the Ministry assess the impact of such participation on Singapore's global branding.

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Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The Government recognises the importance and merits of profiling Singapore's arts scene and talent internationally, which has to go hand-in-hand with building up a strong, vibrant and authentic arts and culture scene and appreciative audiences locally. Whilst the Government's efforts to support arts and culture development in Singapore would contribute towards our branding as a global city for the arts, significant resources have also been invested in showcasing and supporting our artists at key international platforms.

The National Arts Council (NAC)'s key grant scheme for international engagement and promotion of Singapore artists and their works is the International Development Grant (IDG), which covers international travel, collaboration and marketing development. In addition, NAC has an International Arts Residency Programme, which supports Singapore arts practitioners in developing capabilities and international networks through participation in relevant international residency platforms. Over the past five years, some 640 artists and arts groups have benefited from these two schemes, with over $5.1 million of grants disbursed. Recent recipients include the Siong Leng Musical Association and Traditional Southern Fujian Music Society which received an IDG to participate in the Malaysia International Nanyin Festival held in July 2011; as well as playwright-director Zizi Azah and actor Gerald Chew who participated in the prestigious La Mama residency in Italy last year.

For local writers, the Publishing and Translation Grants can also enable them to gain a broader readership both here and internationally, with the creation of new titles and reprint of important canonical works. In 2011, NAC collaborated with Epigram Books to translate (into English) and publish 10 literary works by Cultural Medallion winners, which will be marketed in Singapore and internationally.

NAC also helps to raise the international profile of our local talent by actively leading promotional efforts at key international platforms. For instance, since 2001, the Government has been showcasing Singapore visual artists at the Venice Biennale, the oldest and most prestigious international contemporary art platform, where local artists, including Ming Wong (in 2009) and Ho Tzu Nyen (in 2011), were featured.

Another such event was the French Poetry Rights Fair and the French Poetry Festival in June 2012 where NAC led a delegation of Singaporean poets to profile their works and meet with international publishers and agents. NAC also travelled to the Bologna Book Fair and London Book Fair this year to promote Singapore literature and writers to international publishers, agents and translators.

With the support of local and international partners, the Government has also spearheaded several showcases of Singapore's arts and culture in key cities abroad. In 2005 and 2007, the Government organised Singapore Season in London and China respectively, featuring our local artists and arts groups as part of our cultural diplomacy efforts to showcase Singapore as a vibrant, multi-cultural global city. This was followed by the staging of the Singapore Showcase in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2009 in conjunction with the Edinburgh International Festival, which not only helped create positive collaborations between Singapore and a stable of prestigious Edinburgh festival partners, but also provided a platform for our artistic talents to reach new audiences.

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In addition, the signing of cultural cooperation agreements with strategic countries has opened up new opportunities for raising the profile of our local artistic talent. For instance, under the Singapore-France Cultural Agreement, the Government organised Singapour Festivarts in Paris from October 2010 to January 2011, which featured Singapore performers, alongside a showcase of Singapore film and an exhibition of our Peranakan culture. Apart from bilateral partnerships, the Government also promotes local talent at multilateral platforms, such as the ASEAN Youth Cultural Exchange Festival.

MICA believes that our efforts to promote our artistic talent overseas, coupled with our efforts to build a vibrant arts and culture scene in Singapore, have been a step towards positively shaping perceptions of Singapore as a global city for the arts. This is reflected in the international media coverage for, as well as feedback we have received from visitors to, the cultural showcases and key international platforms where our artists are presented.

Our artists have also done us proud. For instance, Ming Wong won the Special Mention Award at the 2009 Venice Biennale, the first time Singapore has ever won at the Biennale. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Singapore Chinese Orchestra have also been invited to perform at prestigious venues overseas and garnered positive international reviews. More recently, T.H.E. Dance Company has also been invited to perform in Beijing and Italy this year.

As Singapore embarks on our next phase of cultural development, the Government will continue to work closely with the arts community to support our practitioners towards greater heights of excellence and build Singapore's branding as a global city for the arts.