ASSESSMENT OF SINGAPORE ARTS FESTIVAL

ASSESSMENT OF SINGAPORE ARTS FESTIVAL

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Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts whether he will provide an assessment of the Singapore Arts Festival and its development into an international yet quintessentially Singaporean festival which artistically presents Singapore's finest artists and companies in new works and international collaborations and demographically engages with as many people as possible, giving them ownership of their annual international festival.

RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: I would like to thank Ms Irene Ng for her interest in the Singapore Arts Festival and its future direction. Ms Ng's question addresses three key issues: first, the development of the Singapore Arts Festival into its present state; second, the cultivation of Singaporeans'

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sense of ownership of the Festival; and third, the content and collaborations featured in the Festival. I will address these points in turn.

The Singapore Arts Festival has come a long way since its beginnings over 30 years ago as a national showcase that celebrates the local arts of our diverse communities. Over time, it has explored the invitation of international stalwarts, the commissioning of new local works, the inclusion of crowd-pleasers, as well as the revisit of seminal works by Singaporean writers. These have shaped the Festival's direction, form and programming mix. Today, the Festival is a celebration of the arts with a distinctive Asian flavour, featuring bold and innovative collaborations. It is still evolving. Yet, at its heart, it remains a People's Festival – a festival that is committed to the interests and aspirations of our people and resonant among artists and audiences alike.

Reflecting this, this year's Festival was themed "Between You and Me", and focused on fostering connections with artists and audiences, in order to nurture their sense of ownership of the Festival. To connect with artists, the Festival launched targeted platforms that facilitated deeper dialogue, collaboration and engagement on issues such as tradition and its continued relevance. To connect with audiences, the Festival introduced a year-long education and outreach programme to sustain its engagement with the public beyond the festival period, and to build communities of art lovers, art makers and art volunteers.

The Festival also seeks to foster a sense of ownership through its unique blend of home-grown works and international brand names, so that Singaporeans can be proud of the Festival's international standing, and yet embrace it as their own. In addition, Singaporeans are invested in the Festival through active participation in Festival showcases and outreach activities. Notably, in the vein of embracing the creative spirit and promoting "Arts for All", the Festival culminated in a Mega Line Dance closing event, which brought together 2,100 line dancers from all ages, backgrounds and walks of life.

Audience and critics alike appreciate the Festival's increasing focus on quality local productions and accessible, interactive events. Over the years, the Festival has also garnered higher sponsorships than its predecessor. In spite of uncertainty following the economic downturn, sponsors and donors generously contributed over $1.7 million to this year's Festival.

In terms of content and collaborations, the Festival strives to achieve a programming mix that appeals to a wide range of ages, cultures and artistic taste in order to engage all segments of the population. While international heavyweights such as Joshua Bell, Peter Brook and the Cloud Gate Theatre make their presence felt, regional and local productions are also rapidly making their mark in the Festival, with about half of the nine sold-out productions featuring artists from Southeast Asia. The wide appeal of Festival programmes is evident from the impressive 54% of sold out performances this year.

This year's Festival also raised awareness of Singapore's performance heritage and history, prompting new audiences and long-time fans to look back at eminent Singaporean productions with fresh perspectives. Margaret Chan's rendition of "Emily of Emerald Hill" sold out quickly, and garnered excellent reviews from both the media and audiences. Another seminal production, "Those Who Can't, Teach", by The Necessary Stage, also received a similar positive reception.

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Collaborations are essential to achieving a programming mix that is both cutting-edge and resonant among Singaporeans. Collaborations with international partners provide a platform for creative dialogue between local and foreign artists, which seek to share experiences and spark inspirations for local productions with international appeal. To give an example, this year's collaboration with the French Compagnie Carabosse for the opening event exposed the Singaporean volunteers and artists involved to new techniques and possibilities for public arts performances and installations. Collaborations with local audiences, by involving them in the incubation process, will also ensure the relevance of local productions to the Festival and its audiences.

Looking ahead, the Singapore Arts Festival will continue to strive to become the quintessential "People and Creation Festival". The 2011 Festival is themed "I want to remember", and will build on the many successful initiatives piloted this year. As the People's Festival, the Arts Festival will continue to familiarise audiences with Festival productions, art forms and the creative process through the yearlong calendar of education and outreach events leading up to the 2011 Festival. As a Creation Festival, next year's Festival will see new incubated works by Singapore's finest artists and arts companies come to fruition.

In conclusion, I would like to assure Ms Irene Ng that we will carefully consider all feedback, consult with audiences, and continually review the format and programming of the Festival, to make it relevant to Singaporeans, for Singaporeans.

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