Art in Singapore in 2007

SPEECH BY DR LEE BOON YANG,MINISTER FOR INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS, AT THE THANK-YOU DINNER FOR MICA COMMITTEES, 13 FEBRUARY 2007, 7.30 PM AT DRAMA CENTRE FOYER







Members of MICA Committees,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening.



It is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all members of MICA Committees. This reception has been specially organised for you, in appreciation of your contributions to MICA and its agencies over the last year.



MICA Committees

2 Currently, MICA has 745 members serving on 40 committees. Last year we added one more new committee. This was the President’s Design Award Steering Committee. This latest MICA Committee advises on continued directions for the Award and nominates the Jury for the Award. The President’s Design Award is Singapore’s highest honour for our designers and designs. The first Awards were presented by the President in Nov last year.



3 Each and every Committee Member plays a crucial role in advising and guiding MICA in formulating policies, developing and refining our many guidelines and assisting MICA to fulfil our mission and discharge our responsibilities. Your support and advice have helped to ensure that policies and decisions are decided carefully and only after many different points of views, especially from the members of the public whom you represent, were considered. We value your contributions in helping us to develop, nurture and promote the arts, culture and heritage as well as the media and infocomm sectors. As members of MICA committees, you are an integral part of our public consultation process and we are most grateful to you for your invaluable contribution.



MICA Projects

4 This year, MICA has many more exciting initiatives lined up. Let me first update you on some of our major projects.



The School of the Arts

5 One such project is the School of the Arts (SOTA). The School of the Arts is Singapore’s first independent, pre-tertiary arts school to provide a six-year integrated academic and arts curriculum for youths aged 13 – 18. SOTA will begin to take in students for the academic year 2008 at temporary premises pending the construction of its own school at Kirk Terrace.



6 It has received overwhelming response from students who wish to be considered as the first batch of Year 1 and 2 students. 406 students auditioned last Nov at the Talent Academy for entry into Year 2, out of which SOTA offered 101 places. 87 pupils have responded positively to the offer. This is an encouraging start.



7 At this evening’s programme, we have two young performers who epitomize the young creative talent in Singapore. Lee Yun Cai, who is ten years old, played the harp for us earlier. He has participated in several competitions including the Soka International Harp Competition in Japan where he emerged third in the Junior Section (7-16 years). I believe he is a potential student for our School.



8 Ming Bridges who will also perform for us later had won the Teenage Icon competition last year. She is taking her career commercially while at the same time supporting youth-related charities which is a laudable effort.



9 We encourage parents whose children are artistically talented to consider enrolling their children in the SOTA. This year, the school will audition in March and June 2007. We will be prepared to offer scholarships and bursaries to deserving students.



National Art Gallery

10 Another major project is the National Art Gallery of Singapore to be housed in the City Hall and adjacent former Supreme Court Building. When completed by about 2012, it will contribute to enhancing Singapore’s position as a regional and international hub for visual arts.



11 The Steering Committee chaired by Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, Dr. Balaji Sadasivan, is working very hard on this project. The Committee comprises representatives from MICA, various government agencies and other prominent stakeholders from the private and public sectors. It is supported by a Project Management Subcommittee and four Advisory Groups which in turn involve other stakeholders including academics and members from the arts community. Members of these Committees and Sub-committees are all passionate individuals who have brought with them invaluable experiences from their respective fields and are making critical contributions to the project.



12 The Steering Committee is preparing for the next milestone of the project which is the launch of the Architectural Design Competition for the National Art Gallery this month. This Competition will identify the best architectural team to convert and conserve these two historic monuments in our Civic and Cultural District. Details of the Competition will be available online soon. We welcome architects from Singapore and overseas to participate in this landmark project of special significance.



Next Generation NBN

13 On the ICT front, we will strengthen Singapore’s infocomm foundation by establishing a nationwide seamless, trusted and intelligent infocomm infrastructure. At the core of this infrastructure is an ultra high-speed wired and wireless broadband network. The first phase of the Request for Proposal for the NBN project was put out in Dec 2006 and closed on 9 Feb 07. IDA is now assessing the responses from interested companies and consortiums, and will shortlist pre-qualified bidders for the next phase of the RFP process.



Interactive and Digital Media

14 To position Singapore to capture new global IDM opportunities, the National Research Foundation has allocated $500 million for IDM R & D activities. The IDM office under the Media Development Authority has formulated a comprehensive strategy to anchor and jumpstart the demand for IDM services by attracting companies to invest in R & D opportunities in this sector. The programmes will also grow a network of local and international research organisations to augment the capabilities of the local IDM sector and encourage the generation of innovative ideas and projects from the public for research and development.



Significant Events in 2007

15 Let me now outline some of the significant events for 2007.



Singapore Season

16 In line with our support for the promotion of Singapore’s creative and arts community, I am pleased to announce that we will be staging the next Singapore Season in China from 12 Oct to 12 Nov 2007 in Beijing and Shanghai. It is a multi-agency effort to showcase Singapore’s artistic and cultural achievements in key global cities. We aim to present the artistic side of Singapore to raise awareness of Singapore as a multi-cultural global city. The Season in China will also offer networking opportunities for businesses. Singapore companies operating in China, their partners and Chinese companies in Singapore will find the Season an excellent platform for generating higher brand profile and awareness especially in Beijing and Shanghai.



Singapore Art Show (August – September 2007)

17 In August, we will be organising the Singapore Art Show (SAS) which is a national platform for both established as well as up-and-coming local visual artists to showcase their latest artworks. It is a celebration of local visual art by homegrown artists. As a two month long festival, it will showcase artworks from various genres and media by Singapore artists.

18 The SAS is one part of the exciting biennial visual arts platforms developed to provide expanded and diverse visual arts showcases in Singapore. The other is the Singapore Biennale which focuses on the development and presentation of Southeast Asian and Asian contemporary art in the international scene. Last year, the Singapore Biennale which was held in conjunction with the IMF/WB meetings, featured 95 international artists and attracted more than 800,000 visitors.



Singapore Writers’ Festival 2007

19 In December, the biennial Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) will celebrate and inspire great writing and promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the literary arts. It will be a platform for the international and Singapore writers to present and discuss their works with the wider public.



Singapore Arts Festival 2007 (25 May - 24 June 2007)

20 The annual Singapore Arts Festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year. As a premier event in the Singapore cultural calendar and one of Asia’s leading arts festivals, the Festival will continue to build on its reputation as an innovative international arts festival.



Conclusion

21 These are just a few of our exciting initiatives but there are many other annual events which will be rolled out over the year such as the InfoComm Media Business Exchange (imbX) in June, the Singapore Heritage Festival in July and the bi-annual Singapore Design Festival in November.



22 To ensure the success of our various projects and events, we are indeed happy to have the support of so many committees.



23 On behalf of MICA, I would like to thank each and every committee member for your valuable time, effort and guidance rendered to MICA. MICA has certainly benefited from your diverse and rich experiences.



24 Finally, I wish all of you a pleasant evening and I look forward to your continued support in the year ahead.

Thank you.