| National Arts Council | |
|---|---|
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | October 15, 1991 |
| Preceding agencies | Singapore Cultural Foundation Cultural Division of Ministry of Community Development Festival of Arts Secretariat National Theatre Trust |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Singapore |
| Headquarters | 90 Goodman Road, Goodman Arts Centre, Blk A #01-01, Singapore 439053 |
| Agency executives | Edmund Cheng Wai Wing, Chairman Benson Puah, Chief Executive Officer |
| Parent agency | Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts |
| Website | |
| www.nac.gov.sg | |
The National Arts Council of Singapore (Abbreviation: NAC; Chinese: 国家艺术理事会; Malay: Majlis Kebudayaan Kebangsaan Singapura) was established in September 1991 "to nurture the arts and make it an integral part of life in Singapore.
Contents |
The National Arts Council (NAC) was formed from the amalgamation of the Singapore Cultural Foundation, Cultural Division of Ministry of Community Development, Festival of Arts Secretariat and the National Theatre Trust in 1991.
The NAC is made up of the following departments: Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Arts Engagement, Capability Development, Strategic Planning, Precinct Development and the Singapore Arts Festival team. They are supported by the Human Resource department, Corporate Communications and Marketing Services team, as well as the Finance department to implement strategies and programmes to better the art scene in Singapore.
The NAC adopted an arts cluster development approach starting from 15 April 2004. This project was led by a dedicated team of officers championing the performing, visual and literary art forms. This new approach enabled the Council to develop all its various art forms in a holistic manner by working through the entire value chain, nurturing and developing artists, arts groups and arts businesses, to providing international stages for Singaporean artists to showcase their talents. This new plan also helps enhance the relationship within the arts community, where artists and arts groups become partners, implementing the cluster development plan.
In line with the NAC’s goal of developing life-long arts participation, the Council works closely with other agencies to bring arts to the wider public using community platforms, such as the community centres, public libraries and communal spaces found in the heartlands. One of the key initiatives was the development of the District Arts Festivals across all five Community Development Councils (CDCs) to showcase community talents and to raise the level of arts engagement amongst the general public.
In order to help develop Singapore's young art talents and organisations, the NAC has set up schemes to provide them with financial and non-financial assistance at all levels of participation. These schemes include 2-year and as well as annual grant to provide funding to major arts companies as well as various project grants, which also assist in the production and presentation of artistic work and activities. In order for the council to promote Singapore arts overseas, International Development Grants' are available to artists and arts companies for touring, collaboration and marketing.
In order to create more demand for the arts in Singapore, the NAC has supported a range of programmes that cut across various art forms, as well as reaching out to the community. Some of these programmes are:
To further develop and identify potential artistic talents, the NAC also organises competitions to enable artists in Singapore to enhance their performing, literary and musical skills. Some of these competitions include:
The NAC also organises several flagship art events in Singapore. They are: