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Govt planning first national blueprint for heritage in Singapore

SINGAPORE — The arts and heritage sectors will see a boost with a new Heritage Plan for Singapore in the pipeline, along with a S$150 million top-up to the Cultural Matching Fund (CMF), Minister Grace Fu announced yesterday (March 9) in Parliament.

The inaugural Heritage Plan will encompass archaeology in Singapore, said Parliamentary Secretary for MCCY, Baey Yam Keng. He cited the Empress Place dig of 2015 as an example of an invaluable event that gave us insight into a time when Singapore was Temasek. Photo: MCCY

The inaugural Heritage Plan will encompass archaeology in Singapore, said Parliamentary Secretary for MCCY, Baey Yam Keng. He cited the Empress Place dig of 2015 as an example of an invaluable event that gave us insight into a time when Singapore was Temasek. Photo: MCCY

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SINGAPORE — The arts and heritage sectors will see a boost with a new Heritage Plan for Singapore in the pipeline, along with a S$150 million top-up to the Cultural Matching Fund (CMF), Minister Grace Fu announced yesterday (March 9) in Parliament.

Ms Fu, speaking at the Committee of Supply debates in Parliament for the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), said that the inaugural Heritage Plan would be a comprehensive national blueprint “to safeguard our heritage”.

The National Heritage Board, which is spearheading the initiative, conducted nation-wide surveys on “our tangible and intangible heritage” over the past two years, and the goal of the Heritage Plan is “to preserve and celebrate our shared heritage as Singaporeans”, Ms Fu shared.

“Historical buildings, our urban landscape, our food and festive celebrations, all tell stories of where we come from, who we are, and our legacy for the future,” she said.

The government will also make legislative changes so as to implement the Plan in the coming years, added Ms Fu.

Elaborating on the plan, Parliamentary Secretary for MCCY Baey Yam Keng said the first edition of the Plan will be published early next year, with an update every five years.

One aspect of the Plan will encompass archaeology in Singapore, and “contribute towards a fuller picture of Singapore’s history, going much further back than our half a century of independence,” he said.

Singapore’s largest archaeological excavation to date took place at Empress Place in 2015, and uncovered some 3.5 tonnes of artefacts from 14th century Singapore, when Singapore was Temasek. As no written records from the Temasek period has survived, Mr Baey noted that these archaeological cultural materials are crucial to understanding what life may have been like in 14th century Temasek,

NHB will, over the next few months, hold engagement sessions with heritage stakeholders such as academics, community and heritage groups, youths, volunteers and educators. Later in the year, the public will be invited to give feedback on their views on the plan at roadshows, online platforms and other channels.

This effort builds on the heritage survey launched by NHB on intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in July 2016 to identify, document and share information about these cultural intangibles from Singapore’s multicultural communities.

“Through the Heritage Plan, we hope to engage with Singaporeans to discuss how we can together preserve and celebrate our heritage in a comprehensive way for future generations,” NHB said in a statement.

On the S$150 million CMF top-up, Ms Fu noted that as of Dec 2016, over 80 organisations under the cultural sector have benefited from the CMF.

Implemented in 2014, the CMF matches dollar-for-dollar grants for private cash donations to encourage more private giving to the culture sector.

Ms Fu said: “We hope that this top-up will encourage more philanthropy to the sector, and provide Singaporeans another avenue to support a cause they care about.”

According to the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, CMF has committed about S$152 million of donations in the past three years. Donations to the arts and heritage sector has increased from S$30 million in 2013, to S$150 million in 2015. About six in 10 eligible arts and heritage groups have applied for and received funding from the CMF, according to MCCY statistics.

These recipients are primarily arts and heritage charities and Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs), and hail from diverse sectors such as traditional arts, performing arts, and heritage.

One of the organisations that benefited from the CMF scheme is Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI), an independent theatre school.

Formerly the Theatre Training & Research, it was founded in April 2000 by Cultural Medallion recipient T. Sasitharan and the renowned late playwright Kuo Pao Kun.

With support from CMF, ITI was able to increase its number of studios from two to four, and install more suitable flooring for its training rooms. The increase in training space also provided opportunities for more students to enrol at ITI, and even host visiting students from overseas on immersion programmes.

Goh Su Lin, general manager at the institute, said: “For us, with support from CMF, ITI was able to plan for more long-term goals and deliverables. Donations and their match have enabled us to create scholarships for Singapore students. The larger training spaces have provided opportunities for more students to enrol at ITI, and also host visiting students from overseas on immersion programmes. This (has helped) amplify ITI’s work.”

Donors to ITI have included lawyer and novelist Philip Jeyaretnam, co-founder of AL Wealth Partners Leonardo Drago, and private bank EFG Bank Singapore.

Regarding the top-up to the CMF, Goh said it can only be a positive sign.

“CMF has not just attracted, but deepened donors’ commitment, not just for ITI, but for other arts charities as well. To that end, we hope that CMF will not be a short-term initiative, but will become an integral part of the cultural philanthropy landscape in Singapore,” she said.

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