His Excellency J Arturo Montoya, Ambassador of Peru to Singapore

Chairman, NAFA Council, Professor Cham Tao Soon

President, NAFA, Mr Choo Thiam Siew

Academic staff from NAFA and its partner universities

Graduands of NAFA, Class of 2009

Parents and guests

 

Good morning. 

 

2 It gives me great pleasure to join you at the first session of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) Convocation Ceremony 2009.  Today marks an important milestone for you graduands as we celebrate your achievements in your pursuit of artistic excellence at NAFA.  At the same time we also acknowledge the part played by your lecturers and loved ones in guiding and supporting you throughout your studies.

 

3 I understand that a total of 689 students will be graduating today - 567 with a diploma and 122 with a degree.  At this morning’s session we shall see over 250 students graduating in the areas of Theatre, Music, Arts Management & Education, Fashion Studies and 3D Design.

 

The Uniqueness of NAFA Education

 

4 NAFA has a special place in Singapore’s arts landscape.  Its establishment in 1938 marked the formal introduction of arts education in Singapore.  Many prominent local artists taught at the academy, fusing western modernist concepts with eastern traditional techniques to create the uniquely local “Nanyang” style of painting. Many have become household names: Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Chong Swee, Georgette Chen and Chen Wen Hsi.  It is to NAFA’s credit that it has retained and built on this unique heritage, to develop a strong niche in Southeast Asian arts.  For example, NAFA has set up the Tanoto Centre of Southeast Asian (SEA) Arts Studies, which aims to be a regional resource centre for NAFA students and staff, as well as regional artists, performers and designers.  The Centre houses almost 10,000 catalogue items that are currently being digitized to create a rich, web-based resource which can be conveniently accessed.

 

5 At the same time, NAFA has adopted a dynamic and cross-disciplinary approach to keep pace with an evolving arts education.  Students have the opportunity to undergo compulsory modules on the Singapore art scene and its history in the visual and performing arts, alongside research-oriented modules which encourage a deeper process of artistic enquiry in the fields of dance, music, fine art and fashion design.  Digital and new media are also employed as complementary design tools across the different disciplines.  These are how NAFA has successfully preserved its unique regional heritage while assimilating contemporary trends and tapping on evolving technologies.  This is a winning strategy and I encourage NAFA to continue doing so to ensure its growth and relevance to Singapore’s growing arts and cultural scene – as well as our creative industries. 

 

6 NAFA has strengthened its base in tertiary arts education, beginning with continually refining its core business in foundational Diploma training through the delivery of 11 full-time diploma courses – diplomas that cover the areas of Design, Arts Management & Education, Dance, Fashion Studies, Fine Art, Music and Theatre.  The diplomas are subsidised by MOE as they are geared to prepare our youth for careers in the creative industries.  I would encourage NAFA to continue to adapt these courses through closer collaboration with industry to ensure they maintain their relevance as new challenges arise.

 

7 NAFA also offers Degree training in both performing and visual arts, as well as Post-graduate training in the Fine and Applied arts, through programmes in collaboration with and validated by overseas partner universities.  I understand that with the recently completed validation by Loughborough University, two additional degree courses, namely the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in 3D Design (New Practice) and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Fine Art, will be offered from the next academic year onwards. 

 

Growing Singapore’s Creative Industries

 

8 Graduates like you have a role to play in shaping Singapore into a vibrant global arts city.  The distinctive body of creative work Singapore artists produces – in terms of our novels, plays, music, dance, design and art – is vital in defining our unique aspirations, values and identity to the world.  The arts stir our collective imagination, offer an important platform for us to reflect critically on our hopes and beliefs and instill in us a greater sense of national pride and belonging.

9 The arts scene in Singapore has grown rapidly over the last ten years, thriving today with more than 5,000 ticketed performances annually.  The creative industries presently contribute to an estimated 3.6% of Singapore’s GDP and 3.9% of employment, or about 115,000 jobs.  Today there are nearly 800 arts companies and societies in Singapore, comprising nearly 400 each in the visual and performing arts; figures which have doubled from almost a decade ago. 

 

10 With the fast approaching completion of the two IRs in Marina Bay and Sentosa by 2011, graduates can look forward to further career opportunities in the arts and entertainment industries, especially at Universal Studios which requires dancers, musicians and actors for their various show productions; event managers and executives for managing shows and events; technical arts personnel for their technical support work; and graphic designers for the packaging design of products and promotional collaterals. 

 

11 In 2013, we shall see the opening of the National Art Gallery (NAG) at the former Supreme Court and City Hall buildings, right in the heart of our city.  The NAG, with a gross-floor area of 48,000 square metres, will feature Southeast Asian modern art from Singapore’s national collection as well as high-profile art exhibitions from Asia and around the world, establishing itself as a major authority in SEA and increasing the diversity of cultural offerings to Singaporeans and overseas visitors. Graduates in Fine Art and Arts Management (Visual Arts) can look forward to wider career options and learning opportunities ahead once the NAG is completed.

 

“Different Talents, Unique Individuals”

 

12 Over the years, NAFA has nurtured recipients of the highest National awards for the arts and culture conferred by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, producing 10 Cultural Medallion recipients and 10 Young Artist Award winners to date amongst its staff and alumni.  Two of your lecturers Yeo Chee Kiong and Zechariah Goh from the Departments of Fine Art and Music respectively have been conferred the Young Artist Award in recent years.  In addition, recent Cultural Medallion recipients from NAFA alumni include Tan Choh Tee, an oil painter who has honed his craft for over 30 years, and Chng Seok Tin, a renowned printmaker who - despite being visually impaired for the past 20 years - produces quality work by working from her inner feelings and memories.  Chng, as some of you may know, was also the President of the Printmaking Society (Singapore) from 1997 to 2001 and has been an inspiring example to young people with her courage and contribution to the arts.

 

13 With each graduating cohort, NAFA also produces a host of budding talents who contribute to, and are recognised by, industry.  Let me highlight a recent graduate who exemplifies the spirit of passion and dedication in pursuing success.

 

14 Abbie Lim graduated in 2007 from NAFA with a Diploma in Interior Design, majoring in Furniture Design.  Abbie’s passion for designing furniture led her to participate in PLATFORM -International Furniture Fair Singapore 2008, organized by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council.  This fair gives young budding designers the opportunity to showcase their work to international furniture manufacturers for potential partnerships.  As she lacked project funding for her showcase, Abbie took on part-time work, on top of her full-time job, to help subsidise her project.  Abbie’s persistence finally paid off in March this year as she presented her first 1-man show at the PLATFORM Furniture Design Show and was awarded the Best Product Award for her ‘Sponge’ Collection.  Not only did she manage to showcase her ideas, Abbie received useful feedback from the industry which helped to enlarge her perspectives.  Having received the prestigious 2009 Takashimya-NAC Scholarship, Abbie is now pursuing further studies in Japan.

 

15 I hope that the journeys and achievements of your predecessors and peers will inspire you to pursue your artistic passions and develop your unique talents as you contribute to Singapore’s creative industries.

 

Conclusion

16 Finally, I am pleased to highlight that NAFA has maintained high standards in its operations and programme delivery, both in maintaining academic standards and administrative procedures, while demonstrating robust financial health and accountability.  In 2008, NAFA underwent its first MOE Arts Quality Assurance Framework (AQAF) external validation to ensure that its Diploma programmes meet the needs of the economy and develop student potential, in ways similar to how the polytechnics have done.  The findings of the External Review Panel (ERP) revealed how NAFA has strengthened the quality of its education, and suggested ideas to further enhance this.  The introduction of a new Private Education Act later this year will also offer NAFA the opportunity to further assert its quality by attaining the EduTrust certification.  This would allow NAFA to position itself as a leading private education institution, and help to attract talented faculty and students from around the region to Singapore.  NAFA’s role in the arts education sector remains significant and I am confident that NAFA will be a fine exemplar to other like-institutions. 

 

17 Once again, congratulations to the NAFA Class of 2009.  May your explorations in your chosen field lead you to new horizons of discovery, as you make your mark in our community and on the global stage a distinctive one.  Be diligent, be inventive and keep the spirit of NAFA alive.

 

Thank you.