The Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (Abbreviation: SIFAS) is an organisation that teaches Indian classical arts, including Indian classical music, in Singapore.
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Founded in 1949 with a small group of dedicated music lovers from India, Malaysia and Singapore, SIFAS has now grown into an internationally recognised institution of Indian classical music and dance employing renowned music and dance exponents from India to conduct and facilitate courses ranging from classical dance, instrumental music and vocal music in both Hindustani and Carnatic music categories. It also conducts drawing and painting classes for both enthusiasts and serious students regardless of age.
The society itself is divided into three schools of instruction, The Academy, The Performing Arts Co and the Visual Arts School. The highly skilled staff employed in the organisation not only teach but perform regularly in Singapore and abroad to keep their performing standards and passing the fresh experience to their students. Most of such concerts performed by the staff and are supported by the public. As the emphasis on the standard and quality of music is given prime importance in the method of instruction, dedicated students of SIFAS ace in performing arts locally and internationally. The eighth-year music diploma issued by the Academy is accredited by the University of Madras as an entry qualification for its Master's in Music degree.
The institution itself is a non-profit organisation, and which is run by private funding from public and is a member of the National Arts Council in Singapore. Currently at the helm of the institution is Mr Shankar Rajan who has been appointed as Principal from February 2008, after having served as Academy Registrar for two years. Shankar is a traditionally trained carnatic vocalist and mridangist and had his mridanga debut concert at the age of eleven. Over the last 33 years he has enthusiastically contributed to the arts scene in Singapore.Under his leadership the institution has grown tremendously with a student enrolment exceeding 1800. The faculty of twenty-two and the management committee actively review and improvise learning techniques methods as well as organising cultural activities in Singapore.
The organisation also believes in promoting the Indian arts beyond the Indian student and the institution itself has created fine non-Indian exponents of classical Indian music. Working actively with national arts programmes, the institution hosts the prestigious annual event; Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance. With the government's recognition of the event as a national cultural event, the festival itself brings the best talents as well as budding artistes from all over the world especially India to showcase their abilities. Internationally reputed artistes perform in the world famous Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay.
The National Arts Council Indian Music Competition is another major annual event, where classical Indian music schools in Singapore showcase their talents and SIFAS has always clinched the top spots with talents exhibited by its students.
SIFAS has five bharatanatyam teachers, 1 kathak teacher, and 4 vocal teachers, with many instrumental teachers who all teach the best form of art education anyone can ever dream of.
Students of all races come and study in the institution and the bulk of them are of Indian origin. Some of them, being already artistes enrol themselves in the institution to acquire advanced schooling in music and dance. Age is no barrier to learning the arts and SIFAS has not restricted anybody regardless of age as long as they sincerely put interest for the arts. The Society's philosophy is described in Sanskrit in its logo which reads: Kala Samskrithi Lakshanam --Art Characterises Civilisation.