As an aspiring Arts Nation, I believe that we should have our own Arts University. By transforming or upgrading our art academies, this will draw local and overseas talents into enrolling into these institutions. At present, we do partner prestigious universities overseas; send our students overseas on exchange programmes to broaden their horizon. All these are important. Competitive benchmarking is ambitious and it will help one to grow and learn more about their competitors. We have to nurture local talents. Thus, these efforts will help create vibrancy in the arts scene, heighten motivation amongst the arts practitioners and in the process, and spark off friendly contests to achieve excellence. I urge the government to explore the possibilities of transforming our arts academies like NAFA and LASALLE into full-fledge Arts University.
2) Establish a robust eco system to develop top notch artists
Singaporeans can be proud of our artists and arts groups winning international awards and being featured at leading arts venues and festivals around the world. I believe that there is a need to redefine our arts ecosystem, so as to for a greater platform for professional artistes, artistic director and arts manager.
We do have many top notch artists, Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients. NAFA has nurtured 13 recipients of the Cultural Medallion. Another 14 of their alumni have been presented the Young Artist Award. Also, many of their alumni have gone on to make their mark in the professional arts scene in Singapore and abroad. LASELLE, too, has her fair share of Cultural Medallions.
Perhaps we could recognise our cultural medallions more during National Arts events, and work closely with the different National Arts Flagship Companies, to groom and identify younger talents, then pass on the knowledge from one generation to the next.
Many of them started their music journey since young. They were nurtured by dedicated teachers and supportive parents. We will need to establish a robust eco system to develop top notch artists and management, who are equipped with strategic and critical thinking, to groom and nurture the next generation of finest artists. In achieving excellence, clear career pathways, programmes and platforms need to be in place, also leading them to join national arts flagship companies. This eco-system needs to be sustained.
3) Young Singaporeans in the arts scenes and future international award winners
In fact, we do already have young talented individuals in the arts scenes. Wong Kah Chun was the first Asian to win the prestigious international Mahler Conducting Competition for in 2016.Violinist Kam Ning has gone on to perform all over the world both as soloist and chamber musician. She was the Second Prizewinner at the Queen Elisabeth Competition in 2001. 11-year-old Chloe Chua is the junior champion of the Menuhin International Violin Competition in 2018. 15 year-old Chen XinYu was admitted into the NAFA School of Young Talents at the age of 6. When she turned 8 years old, XinYu won the First Prize in the Junior Pipa Category of the Singapore National Chinese Music Competition 2012 organised by the National Arts Council.
All these are our young Singaporeans, and we should continue to track their performances in the local and international arts scenes. These young budding talents are the future of our arts scenes, and we will need more of them. What does the future hold for international arts winners in Singapore? To cultivate full-time artists and retain them, we need to have clearer career pathways, specialization that leads them into national arts flagship companies, after graduation. We will need the government; such as MOE, MCCY, NAC, the Universities and colleges, and art groups to strengthen their core and emphasis on the importance of outstanding artistic development.
The arts scene in Singapore is evolving. Not only seeking more Singaporeans to engage and participate in arts, I urge the government to rethink and reoffer, at the national level about how Singapore can achieve arts excellence and fly our Singapore flags high in the international scenes. Not only do we need artistes, we need to have qualified teachers, managers and directors, to keep the arts scenes vibrant and to foster the sustainability of the arts sector.
In conclusion, I would like to recommend that the government upgrade and transform arts institutions such as NAFA and LSALLE into full-fledge Arts University; establish a robust eco system to develop top notch artists and nurture local artists to serve better in the National arts flagship companies.
Thank you.
