The National Arts Council (NAC) has unveiled its arts and culture plan for the next five years.
Launched on 5 September, Our SG Arts Plan (2023 - 2027) encourages artists, stakeholders, and consumers of the arts in Singapore to come together to shape the local arts scene.
The plan, which was developed using learnings from engagement sessions with artists, creatives, and audiences conducted over a two-year period, consists of three key pillars — "A Connected Society", "A Distinctive City", and "A Creative Economy".
Falling under A Connected Society, which aims to strengthen communal bonds through arts and culture, is Catch, a new online platform for arts and culture content. A collaboration between NAC, National Heritage Board, Arts House Limited, National Gallery Singapore, and Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay, it will allow users to book programmes and activities and give arts groups opportunities to promote their initiatives without any cost.
As part of its efforts to build A Connected Society, NAC will also continue working with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to bring students closer to the arts through programmes at arts spaces such as museums and concert halls.
The plan also highlights NAC's efforts to turn Singapore into A Distinctive City, with one key initiative being the recent launch of Hear65's I Play SG Music campaign, a collaboration with SMRT Trains Ltd. An effort that comes as part of a Memorandum of Understanding between NAC and SMRT, the campaign will see made-in-Singapore music played at 125 MRT and LRT stations and bus interchanges islandwide.
Additionally, NAC will team up with the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Housing Development Board (HDB) to bring arts offerings to places such as Pasir Ris and Kampong Glam as part of the Lively Places Programme and develop virtual concerts, exhibitions, and festivals as part of Project Arts Metaverse.
To build A Creative Economy, the NAC will participate in the development of the careers of creatives who are "central to the arts sector" through its Skills Framework for Arts (Arts Education and Technical Theatre & Production). It will also team up with the Esplanade to help creatives explore ways of using technology to enhance their works through the Performing Arts x Tech Lab initiative.
Also part of Our SG Arts Plan (2023 - 2027) are a collaboration with Mediacorp to boost support for homegrown creations and creators across its platforms and a multi-year partnership with Marina Bay Sands to bring local and international guests closer to Singapore's arts scene. What's more, a partnership with Singapore Airlines to promote local arts content on platforms such as the KrisWorld in-flight magazine, the SilverKris website, and Singapore Airlines' in-flight entertainment platform, KrisWorld.
“Over the years, we have seen new possibilities and growth within the arts sector. Beyond investing resources in the industry and audience development, NAC remains committed to developing our artistic talents and will work with stakeholders across the public, private and people sectors through partnerships and technology, to enable artists, and arts organisations to drive artistic excellence and bring Singapore’s arts to local and international audiences," said NAC's Chief Executive Officer, Mr Low Eng Teong.
He continued: "Since July 2021, more than 16,500 stakeholders across various sectors and members of the public have been part of this Our SG Arts Plan (2023 - 2027) journey and shared their hopes and aspirations for Singapore’s arts scene. As we carry out the plans for the next five years, we are excited for more to join us in the making of Singapore’s vibrant and sustainable arts scene.”
