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More Singaporeans supported the arts last year: Survey

SINGAPORE — Thanks to Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, attendance and participation in arts events last year reached their highest point in over a decade, according to a biannual survey to study Singaporeans’ consumption of and engagement with the arts.

The opening of the National Gallery Singapore and the many SG50 arts events happening last year are some of the reasons why there was a spike in attendance and participation in the arts last year. Photo: Robin Choo

The opening of the National Gallery Singapore and the many SG50 arts events happening last year are some of the reasons why there was a spike in attendance and participation in the arts last year. Photo: Robin Choo

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SINGAPORE — Thanks to Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, attendance and participation in arts events last year reached their highest point in over a decade, according to a biannual survey to study Singaporeans’ consumption of and engagement with the arts.

The 2015 National Population Survey on the Arts, which is now in its ninth edition and interviewed 2,041 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents between January and March this year, found that 78 per cent of respondents turned up for arts and cultural events or activities last year, compared with 40 per cent in 2013, while 28 per cent participated in arts and cultural events or activities, up from 13 per cent in 2013.

The National Arts Council (NAC), which released the survey results on Wednesday (Sept 28), attributed the increase to “the plethora of SG50 arts events and the opening of national institutions such as the National Gallery”.

It pointed out that across the various arts and culture forms, heritage-related events and activities enjoyed the highest attendance rate of 60 per cent, and registered the strongest increase from 2013.

Speaking at a media session, NAC’s chief executive officer Kathy Lai said the rise in engagement was consistent across segments of the population such as students, young working professionals, families with young children and seniors.

Seniors, in particular, saw a sharp increase in attendance and participation, from 29 per cent and 5 per cent in 2013, to 75 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.

“Even non-NAC organisations got into the act of organising activities last year so we are not expecting to keep these figures up.

“But we did ask people who took the survey what motivated (them) to attend arts and cultural events and activities, and we note that those who said they just happened to pass by is only the third most cited reason, with the most cited reason being ‘I find arts and cultural events and activities enjoyable’,” Ms Lai added. 

In fact, most Singaporeans surveyed recognise the benefits of the arts scene and the progress made in the arts and culture landscape in the past five years, with 78 per cent of Singaporeans agreeing in the affirmative — a rise in 15 percentage points from 2013.

The overall level of interest in arts and culture has also risen — 41 per cent of respondents said they are interested in arts and culture, the highest in a decade, compared with 28 per cent in 2013.

The council on Wednesday also announced changes to its Major Grant scheme.

The scheme, which supports the artistic and professional development of registered non-profit arts organisations, will soon adopt three tracks for application under the revamped initiative based on the following focuses: Art-making, intermediary work, and bridging.

Mr Kenneth Kwok, NAC’s director for strategic planning and arts and youth, explained: “The arts scene has evolved and we don’t think a single framework can accommodate everyone.

“We do feel that there are arts groups that want to focus more on bridging work like audience development and audience outreach, targeting specific communities like the disabled and seniors.

“There are also art groups like the Intercultural Theatre Institute that do intermediary work, really helping the industry to grow.

“We are hoping that by having these customised tracks, we can encourage more people to say this is what they want to specialise in, this is what they want to do, and get NAC to help them to do it well,” he added.

More details will be revealed next week on the new funding parameters and assessment criteria specific to these three tracks, including changes to the language of the grant.

Writer Steven Wu, 61, who frequently visits museums and cultural events, said he goes because he feels that “art opens your mind to different perspectives”.

“For seniors, arts and heritage are good ways to engage them. If you ask them to get engaged with science and technology, these are very difficult and a lot more costly...

“There is an increasing recognition of the importance of right-brain thinking and skills, and how they are going to be more relevant and crucial in our future.”

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