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Last updated on 26 September 2026

Arts funding for schools: Enabling artist-led learning

The National Arts Council supports quality artist-led learning experiences that nurture creativity, deepen arts appreciation and support holistic development for children and young people.

Schools can access arts experiences through two key schemes:

1) National Arts Council-Arts Education Programme (NAC-AEP)

2) Artist-In-School Scheme (AISS)

The grants can be used in combination to support a wide range of arts activities.

NAC-AEP and AISS/Enhanced AISS

	NAC-AEP	AISS/ Enhanced AISS
Type of arts experience	Curated, ready-to-book arts programmes	Sustained, customised artist-school partnerships
Who can participate	Opted-in Primary and Secondary Schools, Special Education (SPED) schools, ITE and Preschools	Mainstream and Special Education (SPED) schools
How it works	Select from approved programmes on the NAC-AEP Directory Eligible programmes may be supported by the Tote Board Arts Grant	School and artist co-design a project based on students’ learning needs

NAC-AEP

AISS/ Enhanced AISS

Type of arts experience

Curated, ready-to-book arts programmes

Sustained, customised artist-school partnerships

Who can participate

Opted-in Primary and Secondary Schools, Special Education (SPED) schools, ITE and Preschools

Mainstream and Special Education (SPED) schools

How it works

Select from approved programmes on the NAC-AEP Directory

Eligible programmes may be supported by the Tote Board Arts Grant

School and artist co-design a project based on students’ learning needs

1. National Arts Council–Arts Education Programme (NAC-AEP)

NAC-AEP provides access to quality arts education programmes across six art forms:

Dance	Music	Theatre
Visual Arts	Digital Media	Literary Arts

Programmes support a range of learning objectives and age groups. All programmes listed in the NAC-AEP Directory are assessed by NAC in consultation with an expert panel and undergo periodic review to ensure quality and relevance. Programme curation is guided by the NAC Arts Education Framework and informed by Ministry of Education (MOE) curriculum goals and holistic development outcomes, catering to the diverse interests and needs of students.

Purchase NAC-AEP Programmes

NAC-AEP Programme types

Image of preschoolers enjoying The Scaly Tale drama and art workshop by The Foolish Tribe at Skool4Kidz Preschool (Woodlands).

Workshops

Hands-on learning experiences that develop artistic skills through guided practice and creative exploration.

_{Image of preschoolers enjoying}_{The Scaly Tale}_{drama and art workshop by The Foolish Tribe at Skool4Kidz Preschool (Woodlands).}

Image of students from Canossa Catholic Primary School being engaged in a Wayang Kulit and Gamelan session by Sri Warisan.

Performances

Live arts experiences that introduce students to artistic works, ideas and practices.

_{Image of students from Canossa Catholic Primary School being engaged in a}_{Wayang Kulit}_and_Gamelan_{session by Sri Warisan.}

Image of artist sharing session at a school

Talks

Artist sharing sessions that provide insights into artistic practice, creative processes and careers in the arts.

_{Students from Clementi Primary School in an immersive arts and music artist talk by Seraphiel Studios during their school assembly}

Excursions

Facilitated learning experiences conducted at arts venues such as theatres, museums, galleries and artist studios.

_{Students from Kranji Primary School visited National Gallery Singapore for an arts learning excursion.}

i) For mainstream and Special Education (SPED) schools

Schools may purchase programmes directly from artists or arts organisations listed in the NAC-AEP Directory. (opens in new tab)

Eligible schools that have opted-in the Tote Board Arts Grant may use the grant to subsidise approved programmes in accordance with the prevailing Grant Guidelines.

Tote Board Arts Grant

From 2026, access to the Tote Board Arts Grant will be on an auto opt-in basis. All schools which have opted in for the 2025 Tote Board Arts Grant will be automatically opted-in for 2026 and 2027. Schools that have opted-out in 2026 and would like to opt-in for the subsequent years can indicate via email when the confirmation period opens in Q4 2026.

Tote Board Arts Grant for mainstream and Special Education (SPED) schools

Type of School	Annual Grant Quantum	Percentage Cap
Primary and Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges and Centralised Institutes	$15,000	Up to 50% of programme cost
ITE Regional Campuses	$70,000	Up to 50% of programme cost
Special Education Schools	$9,000	Up to 70% of programme cost

More information on the Tote Board Arts Grant Guidelines is available here [PDF, 183 KB] (opens in new tab)

ii) For Preschools

The National Arts Council partners and supports selected Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), Anchor Operators (AOPs) and Partner Operators (POPs) in accessing quality arts education programmes.

A dedicated selection of NAC-AEP is available for preschool children (N1–K2), designed to support creativity, imagination and self-expression through developmentally appropriate arts experiences.

Participating centres should contact their operator headquarters (HQ) regarding funding and bookings.

View participating centres [PDF, 237.49 KB] (opens in new tab)

Public Arts programmes

Aside from the NAC-AEP Directory programmes, schools that receive Tote Board Arts Grant funding can source and purchase suitable public arts programmes from public event platforms such as Catch, The Esplanade, or SISTIC, or directly from arts companies, and then claim for the purchase of tickets. Letters of Endorsement (LOEs) are no longer required for public arts programmes.

Important

For mainstream schools, refer to the Tote Board Arts Grant Guidelines for Schools for more information on the eligibility criteria for public arts programmes and claims process.

For preschool centres, please check with NAC on programme suitability before purchasing tickets.

View Tote Board Arts Grant Guidelines [PDF, 183.37 KB] (opens in new tab) for Schools

2. Artist-In-School-Scheme (AISS)

The AISS supports sustained partnerships between Singapore arts professionals* and mainstream and Special Education (SPED) schools to co-design customised arts learning experiences that deepen students’ engagement in and through the arts. Projects should feature at least 12 interaction hours with the artist for the same group/ cohort of students.

[New] Under the Enhanced AISS, schools can access additional funding dedicated to Traditional Arts and Multicultural Arts programmes, on top of existing AISS support.

^*^{Arts professionals refer to artists (e.g. musicians, dancers, writers, sculptors, etc.) and other professionals (e.g. art critics, light/sound designers, etc.) with a practice in the arts industry.}

AISS project objectives

AISS projects need to meet at least one of the following objectives:

	AISS	[New] Enhanced AISS
Mainstream Schools	Project co-designed by artist and school to: Deepen students’ understanding and appreciation of various art forms Develop students’ awareness, skills and understanding of the non-performative aspects of the arts (e.g. choreography, lighting and sound design, arts criticism etc) Support broader educational outcomes through the arts e.g. addressing the needs of at-risk students, teaching CCE through the Arts).	Project co-designed by artist and school to: (Traditional Arts) Deepen students' appreciation of the practices, techniques and cultural knowledge of the arts rooted in Singapore's major ethnic groups (Multicultural Arts) Deepen students' rootedness in Singapore's multicultural identity and foster an appreciation of diverse cultural traditions through participation in the arts
SPED Schools	Project co-designed by artist and school to: Deepen students’ understanding and appreciation of various art forms in alignment with curriculum Support broader educational outcomes through the arts Deepen SPED teachers’ knowledge and enhance their skills in developing or delivering arts-based lessons (e.g. through learning specific arts skills and/or pedagogy), so as to cater to students’ needs.	Project co-designed by artist and school to: (Traditional Arts) Deepen students' appreciation of the practices, techniques and cultural knowledge of the arts rooted in Singapore's major ethnic groups (Multicultural Arts) Deepen students' rootedness in Singapore's multicultural identity and foster an appreciation of diverse cultural traditions through participation in the arts

AISS

[New] Enhanced AISS

Mainstream Schools

Project co-designed by artist and school to:

Deepen students’ understanding and appreciation of various art forms

Develop students’ awareness, skills and understanding of the non-performative aspects of the arts (e.g. choreography, lighting and sound design, arts criticism etc)

Support broader educational outcomes through the arts e.g. addressing the needs of at-risk students, teaching CCE through the Arts).

Project co-designed by artist and school to:

(Traditional Arts) Deepen students' appreciation of the practices, techniques and cultural knowledge of the arts rooted in Singapore's major ethnic groups

(Multicultural Arts) Deepen students' rootedness in Singapore's multicultural identity and foster an appreciation of diverse cultural traditions through participation in the arts

SPED Schools

Project co-designed by artist and school to:

Deepen students’ understanding and appreciation of various art forms in alignment with curriculum

Support broader educational outcomes through the arts

Deepen SPED teachers’ knowledge and enhance their skills in developing or delivering arts-based lessons (e.g. through learning specific arts skills and/or pedagogy), so as to cater to students’ needs.

Project co-designed by artist and school to:

(Traditional Arts) Deepen students' appreciation of the practices, techniques and cultural knowledge of the arts rooted in Singapore's major ethnic groups

(Multicultural Arts) Deepen students' rootedness in Singapore's multicultural identity and foster an appreciation of diverse cultural traditions through participation in the arts

AISS application cycle

Application window opens from 10 August 2026

For projects that start from Term 1, 11 January 2027: apply by 12 October 2026
For projects that start from Term 2, 22 March 2027: apply by 20 November 2026

Schools will be notified of results in batches from October 2026 to February 2027.

Apply for Artist-In-School-Scheme

Flowchart titled AISS Application with 5 steps: project focus, shortlist artists, complete ITQ, apply, outcome notice.

2027 Relevant Documents and Links

[For 2025 and 2026 Projects only] Reporting Templates

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Arts funding for schools: Enabling artist-led learning

1. National Arts Council–Arts Education Programme (NAC-AEP)

NAC-AEP Programme types

Workshops

Performances

Talks

Excursions

i) For mainstream and Special Education (SPED) schools

ii) For Preschools

Public Arts programmes

2. Artist-In-School-Scheme (AISS)

AISS project objectives

AISS application cycle

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