SINGAPORE — While the National Arts Council (NAC) has set aside more money this year to support the arts in Singapore, some arts groups will still see their funding cut.

The NAC announced on Friday (March 31) that a total of S$16.34 million is available under the Major Company and Seed Grant schemes, up from S$16.2 million last year.

But the statement said, “in light of budget reduction across the Government and the growth in the number of deserving recipients over the years, the funding for some groups sees a less than 10 per cent dip compared to previous years.”

The NAC said the S$16.34 million committed will provide support for a record number of 48 new and existing Major Companies and 15 new and existing Seed Grant companies.

Among the art groups that will have their funding reduced this year are theatre companies Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) and The Necessary Stage (TNS).

Ms Charlotte Nors, executive director for SRT, revealed that in light of the cuts, the 24-year-old company will not be bringing back the popular Shakespeare in the Park productions this year.

“Our biggest challenge has been to keep the much-loved annual tradition of Shakespeare in the Park going. Given the funding cut, we definitely will not be able to do it this year,” added Ms Nors, who noted that SRT had an exciting 2016, which ended with its staging of Disgraced, lauded as thought-provoking and dramatic by netizens then.

“We will be appealing to NAC for support to bring (Shakespeare in the Park) back next year, perhaps as a biennial event,” she added.

She added that the company had “made a strong case appealing to NAC to increase government funding in order to help arts groups weather this very challenging economic climate, so it was a disappointing to see that our funding was cut”.

Ms Melissa Lim, spokesperson from TNS, the company led by theatre veterans Alvin Tan and Haresh Sharma, said that TNS will have “to rein in financial commitments, and it will have an adverse effect on our proposed productions, developmental platforms and community engagement activities”.

Neither would comment on exactly how much was cut from their funding.

However, TNS and SRT, both recipients of the Major Company Scheme, previously known as the Major Grant scheme, remain optimistic about working with NAC to increase funding in the coming years.

The NAC also announced that new tracks, known as Bridging and Intermediary, will be introduced to the Major Company Scheme, in addition to the current Artmaking track.

Artmaking is “the creation and presentation of high-quality art, (and) remains one of the Council’s priorities”, NAC said. This receives the bulk of Major Company funding.

The new Bridging track will “focus on programmes that promote arts accessibility, develop new audiences and build appreciation of the arts”.

The Intermediary work “supports the development of artists and the sector through advocacy, capability development or research”.

Singaporean artist Jason Wee, who runs a non-profit art space Grey Projects, welcomes the new tracks in the funding scheme. “I think the new tracks are necessary improvements on an important grant. I welcome the recognition these tracks give to the work that process-oriented organisations, including spaces like mine, do in Singapore,” he said.

TNS’ Ms Lim agreed. “It is heartening to know that NAC recognises that a one-size-fits-all funding scheme is not beneficial for the long-term development of the arts scene, as it forces arts companies to try to meet a gamut of funding criteria without focusing on work that is most in line with their artistic direction,” she said.

Ms Nors lauded the increase in the number of recipients, saying that funding for new players in the scene is “very important to stimulate a diverse ecology of groups”.