National Arts Council, Singapore, 20 November 2009 - A total of 187 Arts Supporters contributed $3.7 million to the arts in 2008, 9% more than in the previous year. The arts scene received the generous support from 41 individuals and 146 corporations against the backdrop of the economic recession. These sponsors will receive the Arts Supporter Award from their beneficiaries at a ceremony on 20 November.

The Arts Supporter Award was incepted in 2000 by the National Arts Council to recognise patrons who contribute up to $50,000 in a year to the promotion and development of the arts. The award aims to encourage a wider section of the community, particularly local businesses, small-medium enterprises, grassroots organisations and community groups to support the arts.

Since then, both contributions and number of sponsors have seen a steady increase. Total sponsorship from Arts Supporters has risen by more than a third (37%) from $2.7 million in 2000. The number of Arts Supporters has also seen a similar increase (39%) since the first cohort of 135 received awards for their contributions in 2000.

Continuous support from Arts Supporters contributed to the buoyancy of Singapore’s arts scene in 2008, which had 29,000 arts activities in spite of the economic downturn. In addition to festivals and arts productions,Arts Supporters funded arts groups of all sizes and genres, such as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Dance Theatre,

Siong Leng Musical Association, Performing Practice Arts Centre and T’ang Quartet.

There are eighty-two new donors this year, comprising 21 individuals and 61 corporations. These sponsors hailed from various industries, ranging from engineering firms, property developers to food and healthcare companies. Some examples include: Meiban Group Ltd and SC Global Developments Ltd, which supported Singapore

Chinese Orchestra; Pacific Healthcare Holdings, which sponsored theatre company Wild Rice Ltd; and Trailblazer Foundation, which lent support to the Winds Bands Association of Singapore. EFG Bank, Energizer Singapore Pte Ltd, Andersen’s of Denmark (Asia) Pte Ltd, gave their support to The Esplanade, Odyssey Dance Theatre and Singapore Biennale 2008 respectively.

Increasingly, patrons, including local small-medium enterprises, are supporting the arts for the messages that they seek to promote to the community. In 2008, Old Chang Kee and RJ Paper Pte Ltd did their part for Drama Box’s Project Mending Sky: ME, and The Arts Fission Company’s Imagine Trees, which advocated the importance of the Green Movement. Credit Suisse, Zicom and United Premas donated to Very Special Arts, a charity which uses arts for the rehabilitation and social integration of people with disabilities.

Arts Supporters played a significant role in nurturing artistic talent through donations to institutions. Deluge Fire Protection (SEA) Pte Ltd supported the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts while Sony Singapore sponsored

programmes run by The Little Arts Academy for children 12 years and below. Opportunities for artists to develop their capabilities were made possible by BMW Asia through its Young Asian Artists Series which offered a two-week art residency programme at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute. m