Additional support to transform and create a more vibrant arts scene to be announced

SINGAPORE: Arts groups are expected to receive additional support to transform the sector and create a more vibrant arts scene. 

More details of the extra support will be announced next month.

So far, 40 organisations have signed up for an existing fund that gives up to S$200,000 (US$149,000) each to improve their prospects, according to the National Arts Council. 

One theatre group is using the fund to turn Pulau Ubin into a destination for sustainable art-lovers and tourists, while a Chinese opera troupe wants to go mainstream.

GIVING NEW LIFE TO TRADITIONAL ART FORMS

Lao Sai Tao Yuan Teochew Opera Troupe is a 160-year-old opera troupe looking to refresh itself.

“Our Chinese opera artists are also getting older, most of them are in their 70s and 80s, likewise for our musicians,” said Mr Nick Shen, its troupe leader. 

“So it's very difficult to find fresh blood. And our audiences are dwindling, so it actually affects the income of all our veterans. We definitely need to think of innovative ways to promote Chinese opera and also find different platforms for the veterans to perform.”

Mr Shen, who is also the founder and artistic director of Tok Tok Chiang Opera, added that it is “very challenging” to reach out and engage young people to ensure continuity in audience demand.

His troupe has taken a big bet to go digital with the help of government funding, including creating new products that appeal to a much younger crowd, such as a digital comic book about a warrior and other legends.

A mobile game is also being developed, where players can unlock characters to build their own opera troupe, and is “an innovative and fun way for the youth to discover and learn more about Chinese opera”, said Mr Shen. 

“This app will be in English and Chinese, and the Teochew dialect will no longer be a barrier to understanding.”

He wants to use these in workshops that the troupe conducts with two to three schools each month. 

He is hoping to double the current number of schools that it conducts workshops with, and also make Chinese opera a co-curricular activity in more schools.

“We hope to instil in the youth an interest and curiosity in Chinese opera, and values of this traditional art by allowing them to access Chinese opera in a format which they love,” said Mr Shen. 

“If we do not transform the Chinese opera sector now, any further delay may result in Singapore losing this precious cultural heritage for future generations.”

PROMOTING ART AND TOURISM

Meanwhile, Pulau Ubin is going to be part of a theatre group Drama Box's Project 12 plan to transform its business, with up to 60 per cent of that funded by the government.

For instance, there will be works of art across Pulau Ubin to create an open-air art gallery. 

“When people come and visit Ubin, they will not only be cycling, but they can encounter interesting artwork that maybe can make them think about ecological concerns and nature,” said Project 12 artistic director and theatre practitioner Kok Heng Leun. 

“I think this is a nice retreat place, it is also a nice place for people to reflect, for people to actually encounter artwork and to come together with their families to learn different things.”

A mobile application also will be built to create a digital and auditory experience. 

Mr Kok, a former Nominated Member of Parliament and Cultural Medallion recipient, said: “Once they scan the QR code, they will have information about the work that (the artist) has created, the visual installation, and at the same time there is an access into the audio. They will listen to this story about intertidal foraging.”

The audio stories are lived experiences from past and present residents of Pulau Ubin, recorded in their mother tongues.

The aim is to draw more visitors to the place to learn about art, sustainability, and history.

It is also to give a boost to shops run by locals on the island.

“Audiences who come here can also get a discount, by actually patronising the stores here,” said Mr Kok, a prominent figure in the Singapore arts scene. 

“So in a way, we want people to come. We also want people to actually help with the economy, the (food and beverage shops) and the tourism over here.”

To attract even more to come, when the sun sets, it is planning a new play using lights and sounds in the natural environment. The props will be made using recycled materials to keep with the green theme. 

The group had staged a one-off production on the island previously in 2022, which drew more than 400 visitors. 

This year, they are hoping that their hard work will pay off even more.