Terence Ho Wee San
Singapore
“I hope that artists and arts groups can make good use of the funding and grants in these difficult times, move on with fortitude and continue to innovate and create. I believe that the community will emerge stronger and more united after COVID-19. The development of arts and culture would also be different from before.”
“Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I have three supplementary questions. One, in view of the cancellation of SIFA, are there any plans to turn this into a #SGUnited Digital Arts Festival, by making the arts accessible and available?”
“Two, If we can have Singapore degrees in other subjects, why not the Arts? Three, the quality of the teaching and curriculum at NAFA, Lasalle and Intercultural Theatre Institute are recognised by overseas Universities.”
“Therefore, I urge the government to explore further – and perhaps turn the signing of MOU with our foreign partners into concrete and solid action plans, an instrumental role in expanding Singapore's cultural soft power to increase our presence and space.”
“I hope that the Government will consider exercising greater flexibility and adopt a more targeted approach in the administration of CMF. For example, besides providing matching funds for donations, the Government could perhaps consider providing matching funds based on proceeds from performances and ticket sales.”
“Local arts group Finger Players will be presenting in March this year an inclusive performance to audiences with disabilities through the usage of close captioning and audio description.”
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“We can build more partnerships amongst the art and culture groups, technology companies and even within academia. This would allow the arts and culture to innovate and create programmes, cutting down boundaries, enhancing audience and visitor experiences as we create new entry points for audiences. I look forward to more research and development (R&D) efforts resulting in the above-mentioned partnerships which would both sustain the arts and culture by making it more accessible and inclusive in Singapore for the disadvantaged communities. Over in the UK, the National Theatre employ the use of smart captioning glasses, which allows people with hearing loss to enjoy performances; users will see a transcript of the dialogue and descriptions of the sound from a performance displayed on the lenses of glasses. In fact, from 5 to 17 March, our local theatre company, The Finger Players, will be presenting an inclusive theatre performance, which caters to the needs of audiences with disabilities, through usage of closed captioning and audio description. I welcome Members of the House to support The Finger Players. More can and should be done through R&D efforts to promote inclusive arts. Lastly, while the Government has invested significantly in cultural infrastructure, more funds could be allocated to improving and upgrading the existing hardware of the arts, allowing our arts and culture groups to stay relevant and enable them to truly execute digital arts, allowing us then to be able to grow our "heartware" of the arts. In Mandarin. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Mr Speaker, sounding the horn for digital arts. In his 2019 Budget Statement, the Finance Minister talked about how Singapore should strive to become a Global-Asia node of technology.”
“In January 2018, there was an open call for partners to submit digital art and innovation concepts that can benefit and elevate visitor experience at the museum. It eventually turned into an exhibition titled Digimuse Presents, which featured a diverse range of seven digitally led prototype projects to enhance the journey of cultural discovery for museum goers, allowing visitors to explore fresh perspectives of culture and heritage via a series of immersive virtual and augmented reality exhibits, dynamic conversations enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) and more. To date, Digimuse-related exhibitions and programmes have welcomed 92,000 visitors to the museum. Over at the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, we started our Digital Concerts in 2017, streaming our concerts live to audiences in the comfort of their homes as well as for the international community. There is also the MeshMinds Foundation which recently collaborated with students from LaSalle College of the Arts to present an exhibition on using art and tech for good. These are just a few of the many examples of how arts groups and organisations in Singapore are innovating and using digital technology to enhance the sustainability and relevance of arts to the greater audience, serving them well and wise. Launching an exhibition at the ArtsScience Museum last year titled "All Possible Paths: Richard Feynman's Curious Life", Minister Heng Swee Keat said this, and I quote, "The best ideas emerge from the intersection of technology with the arts, when people from different disciplines collaborate to learn from one another". Indeed, as we have also heard in the Budget, partnering to win is also an important dimension in ensuring a skilled workforce and a vibrant economy.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to declare my interest as the Executive Director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and Vice President of the Singapore Chinese Music Federation. Innovation in arts and culture, sounding the horn for digital arts. It is heartening to note that one of the key thrusts in this year’s Budget is to foster a caring and inclusive society and this is done by, "securing our home and growing our economy and to improve the lives of our current and future generations of Singaporeans". In fostering a caring and inclusive society for all Singaporeans, this is where the role of the arts and culture can come in. The arts and culture are an important platform which contributes to the maturity of the populace. Allowing us to reflect on our shared heritage and common identity while at the same time to understand our differences and to celebrate our diversity. This is especially relevant and important in our Bicentennial year. In an ever-changing socio-economic landscape we live in, digitisation has become our way of life. We see it on the streets, hear it at the supermarkets. There have been campaigns encouraging Singaporeans to adopt digitisation as a way of life. Similar for the arts and culture, to allow it to continue to be relevant to audience needs and preferences and becoming an integral part of Singaporeans' lives and to enrich the soul of the nation, harnessing technology and innovation is the key and way forward for the arts and culture. It is interesting to note that The National Museum of Singapore has been utilising digital technology to innovate and enhance visitor experience to the museum under their Digimuse initiative.”
“The Esplanade's Community Care Programme has organised 200 arts events for 6,250 seniors and brought many arts groups and artists to nursing homes, benefiting more than 900 seniors and patients. The National Gallery and the Deutsche Bank jointly organised the Art Bus Programme to bring 1,782 seniors from 35 welfare homes to the Gallery, so that they have a chance to participate in arts activities and tours. For these seniors, this was their first time in life to step into the National Gallery where the beauty of the facade and the interior of the building have struck them deeply. SCO, Ding Yi Music Company, The Necessary Stage and the Nam Hwa Opera are doing their part to introduce arts to our seniors. Nam Hwa Opera even brought Chinese opera to the various community hospitals, so that the seniors can watch the Chinese opera at close distance. These arts groups have their own regular workshops and performances to interact and build rapport with seniors. I hope the seniors can enjoy this golden moment of their life by embracing arts and exploring their potentials. Through arts, they can build confidence, become more charming and reinvent themselves. Here, I would like to commend the 125 Cultural Medallion recipients. They are the maestros in the artistic field and have been contributing passionately to the arts and cultural development in Singapore all their life. Going forward, I hope the Government can put in more support and resources to develop arts activities for seniors, for example, introducing a Cultural Pass, to benefit more seniors. We also hope more Government agencies, enterprises and the people’s sector can join the efforts, use arts as a tool to bring people joy and exert influence and allow our seniors to live a happy, healthy and gracious life.”
“The Minister for Culture Community and Youth, Ms Grace Fu, pointed out at the Silver Arts Seminar on 6 September 2017 that there were many benefits for seniors to participate in arts activities. Three in four seniors surveyed see arts as a channel to know people with different cultural backgrounds. This survey affirmed our efforts to connect communities and encourage people to live a more meaningful life through arts and cultural activities. NAC's Silver Arts Festival held every September showcases a series of music, film, theatre events at multiple locations around the island. Many of these events are free so that seniors can develop their arts potential through music, dance and other artforms, and have fun together with their family and friends. The annual festival has attracted and benefited close to 40,000 seniors. NAC has worked with many organisations, such as MOH, AIC, Singapore Mental Health Association and Singapore Dementia Association, to incorporate arts seminars and activities into the social services and health sectors, and to develop more support for arts. NAC will increase arts contact points in the community by bringing art performances to nursing homes and community hospitals. NAC will also train more cultural volunteers to hold arts events for seniors living alone. The Esplanade held close to 70 performances for seniors between 2017 and 2018, attracting 73,000 senior audience. The flagship event is "Sing Out Loud", aimed to teach seniors with dementia to sing and take part in music activities. By doing this, seniors have one more channel to express themselves and they also have the opportunity to learn different vocal techniques when both their mind and body are being stimulated.”
“The therapeutic and intrinsic values that the arts have on our seniors are something we have to reflect on, where the involvement of our elderly in the arts can help them enjoy a better quality of life and maintain a curious and active mind in their golden years. I hope that there will be more support and resources catered for our seniors from the Government across all sectors, more companies and enterprises, including the people and the public, and bringing and making the arts more accessible for our seniors across society, allowing our seniors to live with dignity, purpose and peace of mind in their golden years, leading a healthy, happy and gracious life. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Arts for ageing well. In recent years, various Government agencies, arts and cultural companies and enterprises have come together to introduce a variety of arts and cultural programmes for senior citizens, allowing our seniors to live a vibrant, meaningful and active life in their golden years. Artists and arts companies are more willing to stage productions targeting our seniors. So, be it as an audience, volunteer or participant, our seniors can play an important role in these arts and the cultural activities. Studies done by the NTU's School of Social Sciences and the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine found that participating in the arts or simply attending arts-related events can significantly increase the mental and physical health of our seniors. They can enjoy a higher quality of life and better physical and mental health compared to those not attending any arts and cultural activities. If seniors can actively participate in community or cultural events, their memory can be improved and dementia can be prevented.”
“The annual festival has engaged and attracted close to 40,000 seniors through music, film, theatre and more. NAC has also developed cross-sector partnerships with Social Service Organisations (SSOs), allowing beneficiaries within the social service sector to have increased access to the arts. This is made possible through initiatives like Art Reach and the WeCare Arts fund, a collaboration between NAC and PA. The fund has benefited more than 171 SSOs, 91 artists and some 8,300 beneficiaries since 2014. One of the recipients, Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts, has been working closely with our seniors, together with TOUCH Community Services. The outcomes were encouraging and inspiring. While we engage our seniors in the arts, we must also not forget to pay tribute to our seniors who are involved in the arts themselves as a mentor, teacher and practitioner artiste. To date, 125 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents have been conferred the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's highest accolade in the arts. They have dedicated their lives to the arts, enriching Singapore's cultural landscape. They now guide and nurture our next generation of artists in Singapore. In addition to the NAC's efforts, there are also many national and local arts companies, such as the Esplanade, National Gallery, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), Ding Yi Music Company, The Necessary Stage, Drama Box and Nam Hwa Opera, with the support from the corporate enterprises and foundations which are also engaging our seniors in their own ways with their respective programmes, workshops and initiatives.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, arts for ageing well. It has been heartening to observe agencies from different sectors across the Government, arts and cultural companies and enterprises coming together to introduce a variety of arts and culture programmes for senior citizens, allowing our seniors to live a vibrant, meaningful and active life in their golden years. Artistes and arts companies spare no efforts in staging concerts and play productions targeting our seniors. Be it as an audience, volunteer, participant or mentor behind the scenes, our seniors are actively involved in the arts. More can be done to engage our seniors in arts. The Arts for Ageing Well study in 2016 was commissioned by the National Arts Council (NAC) and conducted by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) School of Social Sciences found that participating in the arts or simply attending arts-related events can significantly increase mental and physical health. Three in four seniors surveyed acknowledge the benefits of the arts, and value it as a means of inspiration, expression and bridging differences. The National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine discovered that by participating in the arts and community activities can slow down or even prevent the onset of dementia where, after a year of taking part in art, music and social activities, more than 20% of senior citizens surveyed saw an improvement in their memory. They even developed a much more positive outlook in life which acts as a preventive measure for those who are diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. In relation to the survey, the NAC's signature Silver Arts Festival showcases the meaningful possibilities seniors have in and through the arts in their everyday lives.”
“I hope arts and culture can be used as a vehicle to inspire creativity and innovation among our young and to reflect our national spirit. Cultural diversity is our unique character and can resonate with Singaporeans. Arts play an active role in deepening the national identity, trust among people and mutual respect among communities. When creating an image of a cultural metropolis, we can learn from other major cities by managing our culture and arts causes with the spirit of professionalism, through forming alliances and cultivating brand names. This is the way how arts develop. To promote arts, works of art must combine ideological elements, artistic qualities and watchability together. To become a cultural capital, Singapore can adopt a strategy by incorporating arts education into its school curriculum and creating a strong arts and cultural atmosphere in the society. I am confident that if we can incorporate our diversified culture and arts into daily lives, Singapore will become a more vibrant, attractive and cohesive place! It will be a home with tenderness, warmth and elegance!”
“It also provides learning and career development opportunities. This is a very targeted assistance which I fully support. As our new arts roadmap goes into the next five years, I hope the Government, businesses and the people sector can strengthen their collaboration, in order to connect and absorb our diversified cultures, create a more open and richer cultural environment, and make more funds and resources available for artists. Meanwhile, I would like to suggest that a think-tank be set up to engage in research in traditional arts and help improve our understanding and appreciation of traditional arts. When encouraging people to participate in traditional arts, we should also include the vulnerable groups. In the sports field, we have already recognised the disabled talents and given them opportunities to use their potentials. In the field of arts and culture, we can create more platforms for the vulnerable groups to participate and learn. Arts must go into the masses in order to sustain vitality. Here I have two suggestions to make. First, we can introduce a Culture Pass app, similar to the ActiveSG app. The Government can support by giving perks or subsidies, to students especially, so as to encourage Singaporeans to use the subsidies to get tickets to art performances. Second, make attending arts performances as part of civic education for Primary 3 or Primary 4 students. Every primary student should have at least one chance to watch a concert, dance or theatre performance. This will generate interest and instil in their heart a passion for arts and music. I hope that MOE can consider making good use of the time released from doing away with examinations and shake up our arts education. Arts education should be incorporated into our civic education.”
“The number of our local performing arts groups is increasing each year, from 2,689 in 2013 to 3,162 in 2016. However, the audience who are willing to buy tickets to watch a show have been dwindling for the past five years as tickets sold in 2016 was 1.81 million, compared to 2.06 million in 2012. This is a worrying trend faced by the artists, the National Arts Council (NAC) and the Government. In terms of the Government, various Government Ministries should reach consensus and introduce policies to support the arts. The arts and culture should become a strategic tool for Government agencies, from MFA to MOE. We also need to have more physical infrastructure for arts and culture. The “hardware” is important if we are to grow our "heartware". People need spaces to meet, exchange ideas, build a sense of community and home. These spaces are also where artists and the general public can interact with one another more freely. Our biggest challenge is how to change people’s pragmatic mindset and increase their interest in arts and culture, making it an integral part of their life. We need more examples of deeper, interesting and inspiring stories to increase the influence of arts and culture. We need to constantly strengthen and broaden the ecosystem for the arts and culture, so that more Singaporeans can participate in arts and cultural activities, as audience, a learner or a volunteer. NAC has recently announced the five-year "Our SG Arts Plan", in which many practical suggestions were raised. One of them is to increase the support for freelance arts professionals. This year, NAC set up a Resource Centre for the freelance arts professionals, providing services, such as legal support, financial planning and contract samples.”
“The arts and culture should become a strategic tool for Government agencies, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to the Ministry of Education (MOE). We also need to have more physical infrastructure for arts and culture. The “hardware” is important if we are to grow our "heartware". People need spaces to meet, exchange ideas, build a sense of community and home. These spaces are also where artists and the general public can interact with one another more freely. In Mandarin, please. (In Mandarin): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Deputy Speaker, for the past many years, we have been continuously strengthening and promoting arts and culture. This is reflected in our policies. However, in order to create more exciting, colourful and diversified art platforms, more efforts are needed in the area of traditional arts. More can be done to make the traditional arts an integral part of our society, bringing together people of different races, religions and backgrounds, and creating a shared understanding across our various communities. Traditional arts can best embody our roots and beliefs. In this regard, I have three visions and two wishes. The first vision is to make Singapore into a modern metropolis with unique and diversified cultural scenes, nourishing and inspiring its citizens with arts; the second vision is to make arts into a bonding agent between different communities; the third vision is for Singapore's soft power to wield international influence. Two wishes. My first wish is to recognise our veteran artists and cultivate mentors and role models to guide younger artists. My second wish is to develop policies to strengthen the arts ecosystem so that it will be more vibrant and sustainable.”
“Deputy Speaker, I would like to declare my interest as the Executive Director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. As an active sportsman, I strongly believe in the importance of a healthy and happy lifestyle. However, I believe that this is not just about the body, but also the heart and soul. That is why the arts are so important, especially the traditional arts, which connect us to who we are today. More can be done to make the traditional arts an integral part of our society, bringing together people of different races, religions, and backgrounds, and creating a shared understanding across our various communities. We need to develop policies to strengthen the arts ecosystem so that it will be more vibrant and sustainable. To deepen understanding and appreciation of the traditional arts, we need to take these art forms seriously. We could, for example, have think-tanks to engage in research that will provide strong and sound evidence for the importance of the traditional arts. In addition to traditional arts, the arts-for-all can play in serving underserved and disadvantaged communities, and how more can be done to help the next generation of Singaporeans to love arts and fulfilled lives. I hope that the Ministry will consider issuing a "Culture Pass" via a mobile application which offers a credit similar to ActiveSG for students and senior citizens to spend on cultural events and encourage cultural discovery. Looking to the future, we really hope to see the arts become a part of everyone’s everyday life, actively transforming the well-being of individuals, but also bringing people together as a nation and uplifting our spirits. For this to happen, we need alignment of all Government Ministries in supporting the arts in their policies.”