RECOGNISING ARTS PATRONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT TO SINGAPORE’S ARTS SCENE
· 104 organisations and 198 individuals honoured for giving to the arts in 2017
· Awards welcomed over 80 first-time award recipients
SINGAPORE, 4 July 2018 – This evening’s Patron of the Arts Awards ceremony and dinner honoured a total of 302 patrons who gave to the arts in 2017. Held at the Marina Mandarin Singapore, the annual event organised by the National Arts Council (NAC) saw Minister for Culture, Community & Youth, Ms Grace Fu, conferring awards to 104 organisations and 198 individuals altogether.
2 A total of $51.6 million in contributions from arts patrons were celebrated this evening, comprising $37.1 million in cash and $14.5 million in-kind to boost Singapore’s arts scene. This year’s Awards also welcomed over 80 new patrons from across the board. Patron support has enhanced opportunities for everyone to appreciate and engage with the arts, contributing to a vibrant and accessible arts sector for all.
3 “Private arts patronage plays an important role in enriching lives and connecting communities, adding immense value to our society. Every donation is much appreciated as it adds towards realising a world filled with the arts. We continue to be committed to bolstering arts philanthropy efforts to cultivate a culture of giving to the arts. This is part of the larger strategic plan for the arts industry to realise NAC’s vision for the next five years in building a more sustainable arts ecosystem in Singapore.” said Mrs Rosa Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of NAC.
4 Ms Goh Su Lin, General Manager of Intercultural Theatre Institute, said, “We truly appreciate the support given to ITI’s ongoing pursuit of our intercultural work and artistic vision. Thanks to our donors and supporters, with the impact doubled by the Cultural Matching Fund, ITI is able to continue in its work of training excellent actors in contemporary theatre, who are able to contribute meaningfully to theatre and culture in their own communities. We hope our patrons will inspire more people to contribute to the arts, to nurture future generations.”
Honouring New and Repeat Supporters of the Arts
5 This year’s Patron of the Arts Awards welcomed over 80 first-time award recipients, including Ms Goh Swee Chen who supported The Teng Ensemble; Mr Rin Nan Yoong who supported The Singapore Repertory Theatre; event management company Milton Exhibits (Singapore) Pte Ltd which supported National Gallery Singapore and real estate developer Yunnan Realty Pte Ltd who gave to Singapore Chinese Dance Theatre. Existing patrons were also celebrated for their continued support of the arts over the years. These included City Developments Limited for its generous support of various arts ventures for over 10 years; The Hokkien Foundation, an unwavering advocate of traditional Chinese music and culture; United Overseas Bank Limited, which has supported visual arts, music and arts education initiatives of various local arts groups and schools over the years; and Mr Patrick Lee, who has been a long-time supporter of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.
Broad-based Patron Support Aimed at Enhancing Arts Appreciation and Accessibility
6 Arts philanthropy in 2017 saw patrons supporting initiatives to cultivate young audience appreciation and increase accessibility to the arts, reaffirming a collective awareness in the community of the need to develop Singapore’s arts ecosystem holistically.
7 Through broadening the exposure of artworks to wider audiences, arts patronage helps to foster a continued appreciation of different art forms, safeguarding their longevity in Singapore’s arts scene. This has been exemplified by long-time donor and Distinguished Patron Keppel Corporation. “Keppel seeks to make a positive contribution to the community, wherever we operate. Through supporting the arts, especially making art accessible to the young, we aim to inspire creative and critical thinkers - enriching their lives and shaping the future.” shared Mr Loh Chin Hua, CEO of Keppel Corporation.
Greater Diversity in Corporate Patronage
8 Patrons from the corporate sector have grown increasingly diverse, with this year’s pool of corporate awardees including the likes of funeral services, electronics, and automotive companies across multinational corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). One such example is first-time Friend Of The Arts (FOA) recipient Direct Funeral Services, a local SME in the funeral services business, which donated to Pangdemonium in support of their production Fun Home. The evolution in corporate arts patrons signals a common understanding of the value that the arts brings to the community, paving the way for organisations across businesses of different scales to recognise a collective stake in the local arts scene.
9 Instituted in 1983, the Patron of the Arts Awards aims to celebrate the generous contributions of arts patrons who leave their mark on Singapore’s local arts scene in their own way. The 2018 Awards is the 35th edition and recognises contributions made between 1 January and 31 December 2017.
10 For the list of 2018 Patron of the Arts Awards recipients, refer to Annex A. For more information on the Patron of the Arts Awards, refer to Annex B
11 Building a greater understanding of the value of the arts through advocacy efforts can go a long way in fostering and sustaining a giving culture. NAC has focused on raising the profile of arts philanthropy and inspiring a wider pool of patrons to boost contributions to the arts. To this end, NAC recently launched the arts advocacy campaign A World Filled with the Arts. The campaign seeks to increase awareness of the need for strong patronage and encourage giving by highlighting the value of the arts on people’s lives and our collective stake in sustaining a vibrant arts landscape in Singapore. For more information on A World Filled with the Arts