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Singapore is gaining momentum in the area of the Arts, whether it is music, theatrics, paintings, sculpting or any other modern form of expression. However, something seems to be missing.
Rachel from HOOKED discusses the essential elements, in order to realise the Artsy Revolution of Singapore.
In view of the recent ruckus regarding the dramatic flop of an institution in the ‘E’ hub (for which I am sure you have all read one too many commentaries), I have decided to put forth my perspective regarding the viability of one other jigsaw piece that makes up the ‘Hub Master Plan’ our government officials hug to sleep every night.
‘A’ stands for…………Arts! A component of a nation’s culture that I personally feel puts the heart and soul into society.
What makes this particular hub unique is that it never really was high priority when our nation was being developed, hence when the government suddenly announced that in the distant future we would become a leading nation in this aspect, it was of no surprise that many did a double-take. Have these wet blanket-ers predicted the outcome of our ‘arts hub’ endeavor accurately? In my opinion, they really need to get the pessimism out of their system.
 I agree that we are far from being ‘a distinctive global city for the arts,’ which by the way is our National Arts Council’s vision, but it isn’t all that bad.
We are taking the first steps to making the arts become part and parcel of living in Singapore. In this way too, in the exciting past decade, the arts scene has grown both in prominence and calibre despite constant criticism from its detractors.
Think about it, you could shudder at the architecture of the Esplanade but on hindsight, without our spunky durian building you may not have had the chance to see many plays that have been staged since its opening. Hence instead of condemning our dream as visionary, we ought to rid aspects that would hinder its realisation.
I know this may sound like a terrible advertisement, but first and foremost the young will need to be instilled with the love for the arts. What can once a week art classes do? Close to nothing unless you were born Picasso. Commendably, we have established Art and Music Elective Programs in secondary institutes but this gratifies only the talented and overlooks those who could grow to appreciate various art forms if suitably educated.
I can hear people hollering about the curriculum being already overly stressful and how such time could be used for other ‘more important’ subjects. This is where I feel we are trapped in limbo, a place in which we cannot shake off our beliefs that the arts is second place to every subject, even though we have recently been enlightened to realize its true potential. These are what I truly believe to be teething problems, and if adequate initiatives and flexibility by the appropriate persons are put into use, we will tide over this problem with time.
Burgeoning vibrancy of the arts
The next taxing problem for the advancement of our arts scene is the abysmal ignorance of half the population regarding local talent. It is astounding that so many Singaporeans can be as snobbish as to view local talent to be less worthy than foreign ones. Sure, there may be some horrid sounding local bands but local talent reaches far and wide, ranging from theatre to sculpture.
It is essential for a city claiming to be a leader in arts to have a pool of geniuses, who are endowed with god-given talents to offer to the scene. Our disregard towards them only contributes to a cesspool of narrow-mindedness and would ultimately incapacitate our ambition.
This aspiration of ours may seem to have been around for a rather long period and thus begs the question if we are progressing. Faced with this query, it is important for us to remember that to ingrain arts into our culture would take a painstakingly long time, because its absence has been accommodated for too long a time. To become a global leader could possibly take an even longer time, as there is a need for us to establish our credibility and expertise in the critical world of the Arts.
There is however, no need to throw up our hands in despair because we are, in my opinion, veering in the right direction. With performing arts venues popping up like mushrooms after a rain, we are now blessed with greater variety and opportunities to expand our knowledge, by coming into contact with both newfangled and existing art forms.
Moreover, various arts-related festivals have become more intense in recent times, with greater fanfare being paid to local talents while still extending invitations to awesome foreign counterparts. These festivals now serve as an indispensable platform for our very own talents, as well as to foster appreciation amongst the masses.
Baybeats: An annual treat for music lovers all around!
While many amongst us today fervently wish they were in a more vibrant city, I want to stay put. Why? Places like Paris are breathtaking because of their rich arts culture and history but I had no hand in it, no ownership of what they exalt. We are living in the midst of a revolution of sorts, and though I am definitely not going to be a local talent to be proud of, I love living in the midst of change and feeling like I am constantly on the brink of realization.
Our support of the Arts scene in Singapore is the impetus for the success of a bigger dream. Let's however, not get too caught up in realizing our ideal but rather just have good fun throughout this exciting period of history. With the annual Baybeats coming up, it is a great time to treat your hedonistic nature to aurally delectable sounds from a wide range of bands, both local and international. Alternatively, if you aren’t too keen about the crowd and are a yuppie at heart, take some time off to pay the revamped Singapore Museum a visit and bask in its atmosphere.
Now is the best time for us to go crazy and claim ownership towards our arty farty revolution. Who’s complaining? HOOKED
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