SG50 has been wonderful for the arts says Janice Koh

SINGAPORE — The resources poured into artistic endeavours for the Jubilee Year celebrations have been a boon for the arts scene, said actress and former Nominated Member of Parliament Janice Koh.

“SG50 has presented a great opportunity for the arts in Singapore because, more than ever before, significant resources have been channeled towards creating new work in celebration of our Jubilee year, whether it’s through theatre productions, song tributes, concerts or art exhibitions — it has encouraged a lot of commissions and provided work for artists. And while some of the work may border on propaganda, there have been sufficient platforms to be creative, to be reflective, and to present new ideas, which is always good for artists and art-making,” Koh told TODAY on the sidelines of the press conference launching the latest restaging of Beauty World on Monday. In the Michael Chiang-Dick Lee musical, she makes her musical theatre debut as night-club owner Mummy.

Despite the seeming torrent of many SG50-related events — including even those that are only tangentially so — Koh believes the positives outweigh everything. “Just like how anybody on the street can sell all manner of SG50 souvenirs, there will be an excess of events being created in the name of SG50. Nevertheless, amidst all that ‘noise’, you might get a couple of gems, like Hotel or 7 Letters,” she said, citing the recent Singapore International Festival of Arts-commissioned epic play from W!ld Rice and the film anthology featuring seven Singaporean film-makers, respectively. Both have been critically acclaimed and popularly received.

The creation of such works are not only beneficial to artists but the public as well. “The Jubilee celebrations have put the spotlight on the immense artistic talent we have in Singapore. It has made the work of our artists accessible to a broader public, and allowed us to collectively reflect on where we are as a society,” Koh said.

There have been some hiccups, along the way, this year as well, such as the saga involving the graphic novel The Art Of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, whose funding from the National Arts Council was pulled for reportedly undermining government authority.

But Koh said such incidents are not exclusive to SG50 and happens “now and again, year on year”. “Arts censorship is not new to artists here, and it’s necessary to raise it for debate each time that happens. SG50 or not, it is still vital for artists to challenge received ideas, to innovate and push the creative boundaries.”