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Kathy Lai appointed chief executive of National Arts Council

SINGAPORE – The Ministry Of Culture, Community And Youth named the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Arts Council (NAC) yesterday. She is Ms Kathy Lai, who is currently Assistant CEO of International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, a government agency promoting international trade Ms Lai will replace her predecessor, Esplanade’s Chief Executive Mr Benson Puah, who stepped down in August.

New National Arts Council CEO Kathy Lai, whose appointment was announced by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth on Sept 27, 2013.

New National Arts Council CEO Kathy Lai, whose appointment was announced by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth on Sept 27, 2013.

SINGAPORE – The Ministry Of Culture, Community And Youth named the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Arts Council (NAC) yesterday. She is Ms Kathy Lai, who is currently Assistant CEO of International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, a government agency promoting international trade Ms Lai will replace her predecessor, Esplanade’s Chief Executive Mr Benson Puah, who stepped down in August.

The 48-year-old also sits on the board of directors of SPRING Singapore. She boasts over 20 years of experience in international trade and public sector administration, and her stint with IE Singapore included a six-year post at the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC. Her involvement in the arts has largely been on a personal level — as a pianist and gamelan player, as well as an art collector.

Due to arrive at the NAC on Nov 1, the new appointment is one she’s embracing with enthusiasm.

“I look forward to this new role and working closely with the community and current team in NAC to bring greater vibrancy to the arts scene,” said Ms Lai to TODAY. “One of my priorities in the coming months will be to connect with artists and arts groups to get a better understanding of their aspirations, and the challenges they face.”

Reactions from the arts community have been more circumspect and guarded as Ms Lai is relatively unknown in the arts scene.

It is in stark contrast to her predecessor’s familiar presence in the arts scene prior to his appointment with the arts council in 2009.

During Mr Puah’s four-year-tenure, a round of changes took place at the NAC, most notable of which was the strong emphasis on community arts.

Ms Lai has yet to elaborate on her plans for the arts council, but some are beginning to wonder how a new chief executive with a distinct international economics and business background would affect the NAC’s current direction.

“It will be interesting to see how the SPRING and IE Singapore connection will sit next to the whole community arts thing, which Benson was trying to push and raise the standards of,” said an Arts Manager, who declined to be name.

Playwright and Director Mr Chong Tze Chien said the new head should be given a chance.

“I don’t know much about her but to be fair, I would delay judgement for the time being. It takes a year for the CEO to really be incorporated into the entire culture.”

He added, however, that he would like to see a sense of continuity. “What I would like to see is for her to continue Benson’s trajectory, which includes engaging dialogues with the arts community. He took (NAC) to a totally new direction from the predecessor and it would take at least 10 years for Benson’s plans to materalise. I hope she will come in to facilitate the process as opposed to taking us to a totally new direction all over again.”

Actress and educator Ms Noorlinah Mohamed welcomed the idea of a first female CEO heading the arts council.

“It is wonderful to have a woman helming it and with Yvonne Tham as her deputy, it makes for a good combination.”

Ms Tham took over Mr Puah’s duties during the interim period and will continue in her current role.

Arts Nominated Member of Parliament, actress Ms Janice Koh, meanwhile, hoped for less reliance on one leader. “I think we can afford to move away from this ‘one great man’ or ‘one great woman’ theory of leadership, even in the arts,” she said.

“The development of our arts scene is not reliant on just one individual. We should trust that we have capable and experienced arts leaders in Singapore’s various cultural organisations — from our museums and venues to the arts festival and our major arts groups. So long as NAC, as an institution, continues to build on these relationships and work closely and collaboratively with them, we should feel confident that the scene will flourish and move forward.”

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