SINGAPORE: Information, Communication and the Arts Minister Lee Boon Yang has defended the performance of the Singapore Arts Festival this year, stating that 74 per cent of available tickets were sold, close to the average of the past 10 years.

The average proportion of tickets sold in the last decade ranged from 75 per cent to 80 per cent.

There were only 30,000 tickets this year compared to the 37,000 tickets for last year's festival, so it seemed as if fewer tickets had been sold this year.

In fact, 18 of the 50 ticketed performances were sold out, as compared to 16 out of 48 in the previous year.

Dr Lee said that while some were of the opinion that this year's Festival had failed, critics in Singapore and abroad have been predominantly positive - with 50 positive reviews in the key local media alone.

The minister was responding to questions filed in Parliament on Monday by Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Penny Low and Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng, in written answers released on Tuesday.

Dr Lee added that there were some 580 outreach events in the heartlands that attracted a total attendance of about 570,000.

He also pledged that the National Arts Council will continue to review various aspects of the Festival to improve its programming and delivery.

- CNA/yb