The arts allow people to express, to learn, and to live. It broadens perspectives and fosters understanding among different and diverse groups of people, which is especially essential in today’s society. Government-funded programmes and initiatives provide the youth in Singapore with a more holistic education, creating more opportunities. Additionally, to allow for easier and more affordable appreciation of the Arts, subsidies have been implemented to increase cultural awareness in this modern society. Furthermore, not only is the funding to support the Arts, not a waste, it may also be an investment for the country. Therefore, to improve this society we live in, the use of public money for supporting the Arts should be encouraged.
Some sceptics may argue that the Arts industry is very competitive, and only a handful of particularly talented individuals would have the ability to succeed in the Arts, hence many would not support the money being invested in a field whereby only a minority would benefit. For example, there are few local singers who have managed to break into the global market, such as The Sam Willows and Gentle Bones, out of the many who have been in the industry. The small percentage of those who are successful reinforces the stereotype that the Arts is not practical and only talented individuals should have an interest in the Arts. Hence public money should probably be invested in the facilities that benefit the larger majority, such as transport which has been so often complained about. However, in today’s modern society, to ensure that students are all-round and provided with ample opportunities to find their interests, the Government has introduced programmes to create a more holistic education, as opposed to a very rigid curriculum. For example, in publicly funded schools, there is the Arts and Music Elective Programme, which would allow students to have more options in the subjects they can take. In addition, there is the Singapore Youth Festival, organised every two years to take part and compete in. Since these are initiated from a young age, and it is compulsory for all children to attend Primary and Secondary school, approximately 10 years of formal education, creativity is encouraged by young and instilled. These programmes create a more holistic education and encourage youths to dare to pursue their interests, creating a larger talent pool for the Arts. In addition, recently, Nathan Hartono has achieved success in entering Sing! China, a singing competition held in China. He is one of the many local singers going global to pursue their dreams, proving that given the right support, it is possible for Singaporeans to break into the international market. Therefore, public money should continue to be used in supporting the Arts, to allow Singaporeans a chance to realise their aspirations.
In addition, the Arts can be used to increase cultural awareness, foster understanding in today’s society. For example, to allow Singaporeans easier access to the Arts, the government has subsided visits to the National Gallery of Singapore, where Singaporeans are able to enter for free. This would encourage more Singaporeans of all ages to try to appreciate and understand the Arts. There is emphasis placed on the importance of cultural awareness as the Arts helps to broaden perspectives and foster understanding. A single work of art can evoke different emotions and alternative viewpoints, and the Arts is a viable platform for people to interact and understand differences. In today’s world, it is even more essential to rid the tunnel-vision many of us possess, especially with all the controversial issues happening around the world. To ensure that the racial harmony and social cohesion in Singapore is not compromised, but strengthened instead when such controversial issues on discrimination and equality are brought up, the government has very rightfully used money to support the Arts as in the long-run, Singapore would be a more compassionate and graceful society with people who encompass empathy, which is key in the strengthening of a county which has so many different cultures and religions.
Furthermore, today, Singapore is a fast advancing society and with the influx of foreigners, the Arts industry is a viable job sector. Though in the past, when there was a lack of support for the Arts industry, many believed that a job in the Arts scene would not be practical nor sustainable. However, now, with increased competition, the Arts industry can be a considerable option with increased public funding, and the skills picked up in learning the Arts in schools, such as being detailed and precise, freedom of expression and so on, can be applied to many job sectors. For example, doing mass communication and design. Many forget that the Arts can come in many forms, such as photograph, literature, theatre, singing and the list goes on. With public money invested to support the Arts, many Singaporeans are given the opportunity to find their passion and have a sustainable job. With more people being able to find a job, there is less burden on the government to provide financial aid for the unemployed. Hence, though at the beginning, using public money to find the supporting of the Arts may seem to be a waste, in the long-run, the benefits of having a stronger economy and less people having to depend on the government, and hence money originally meant for aid, can be used in other sectors such as healthcare, therefore the government should support the Arts to see the potential benefits the Arts can bring for the people, and the economy. In addition, the government encourages the elderly in society to stay relevant when they take part in free activities such as arts and craft, and Zumba at community centres nationwide.
To conclude, in today’s society, mindsets are changing, and the Arts creates a bridge between the people and the Government’s ideals, such as fostering social harmony. In this competitive we live in, there is still a need to learn new skills to remain relevant, and the Arts functions to do that. Therefore, not only should public money be used to support the Arts, it should be continued, and even more could be put in for a brighter future.