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Arts and culture participation in S’pore growing, says report

SINGAPORE — More Singaporeans are taking part in arts and cultural programmes and activities, even as fewer bought tickets for arts performances such as concerts or theatre performances.

Residents painting HDB facades to celebrate SG50. More individuals and community groups have stepped forward to initiate projects to preserve Singapore’s heritage. Photo: Tristan Loh

Residents painting HDB facades to celebrate SG50. More individuals and community groups have stepped forward to initiate projects to preserve Singapore’s heritage. Photo: Tristan Loh

SINGAPORE — More Singaporeans are taking part in arts and cultural programmes and activities, even as fewer bought tickets for arts performances such as concerts or theatre performances.

The total number of performing arts interest groups organised by the Community Clubs and Residents’ Committees, for instance, rose by 20 per cent from 1,999 in 2013 to 2,406 last year, showed the Singapore Cultural Statistics (SCS) report released yesterday. The overall membership of these groups rose to 36,766, more than double the figure in 2011.

Similarly, 2014 saw greater participation in performing arts courses organised by Community Clubs and Residents’ Committees: There were 19,000 courses offered last year, compared with 17,269 in 2013, with the number of participants in these courses increasing to 163,777 (up from 150,262 in 2013).

However, the number of ticketed attendances for performing arts events dipped to 1,876,922 last year from 1,897,162 in 2013. This decline has been continuing since 2011, even though the number of performances last year rose from 3,006 to 3,256. Total gross takings for the year also fell to S$100 million from S$122.6 million in 2013. But the attendance for non-ticketed arts events rose from 2 million in 2013 to 2.8 million last year, almost equalling its peak in 2011.

Meanwhile, overall visitorship to the country’s museums (both public and private) and heritage institutions saw a slight dip from 8.442 million in 2013 to 8.07 million last year, due largely to the partial closure of the galleries at the National Museum of Singapore and the Asian Civilisations Museum for renovation works.

Nonetheless, visitor numbers rose for some of the other museums and heritage institutions. The Peranakan Museum, for example, saw an 11 per cent increase in visitors from 373,292 to 417,057, while the number of visitors who went to the Singapore Art Museum rose from 729,078 to 743,718.

Increases were also noted for the Malay Heritage Centre (from 152,345 to 166,506) as well as the Singapore Philatelic Museum (117,466 to 142,106) and Reflections At Bukit Chandu (44,093 to 45,067).

Gross box office takings for Singaporean films fell from more than S$13 million in 2013 to about S$4.76 million last year. But the report did not state how many films were released in each of the two years.

An increase was seen in contributions by individuals and corporations to arts and culture, with a total contribution of S$72.9 million last year, up from S$46.3 million in 2013. The report stated that the high contributions were partly because of cash and artefact donations received by the National Gallery Singapore, which will open to the public on Tuesday.

Government funding over the past two years also increased as more individuals and community groups stepped forward to initiate projects to preserve and promote Singapore’s heritage, with an estimated S$489.3 million granted in 2014, from S$439.6 million the year before.

Ms Grace Fu, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth said in the media release that it was encouraging to see more Singaporeans taking a part in building the country’s arts and culture scene.

“Through art and culture, we pursue our aspirations, find inspiration, and improve our quality of life,” she said. “Over time, our national identity will be strengthened as we compose the Singapore Story together.”

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