EMBARGOED UNTIL 4 SEPTEMBER 2017 2.00PM
31 August 2017
JOINT MEDIA INVITATION
“Making Arts Inclusive & Making Friends”
for Vulnerable in the Social Service Sector:
NAC and CDCs extend partnership
$1 Million WeCare Arts Fund for 2 years
Singapore, 4 September 2017 - The National Arts Council (NAC) and the Community Development Councils (CDCs) will renew their partnership by setting aside $1 million for the WeCare Arts Fund over the next two years, for programmes that make arts inclusive, use arts to make friends and promote self-confidence among the less advantaged and underserved communities.
2 Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth will be the Guest-of-Honour. She will witness the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing by the Chairman of Mayors’ Committee, Ms Low Yen Ling, and NAC Chief Executive Officer Mrs Rosa Daniel. She will also officiate the opening of the WeCare Arts Exhibition, which runs from 3 to 14 September 2017 at Our Tampines Hub. Hosted by the five District Mayors, the event is a milestone for the WeCare Arts Fund, first launched in 2014. The exhibition features unique artworks created by seniors from five participating social service organisations, who were guided by artists as they weaved in their personal stories in their works.
3 The WeCare Arts Fund is funded through the NAC’s ArtReach initiative to promote arts access to the social service sectors for wellness, intervention and rehabilitation.
4 As part of SG Cares @CDC, the CDCs administer the WeCare Arts Fund programme so that the less advantaged and the vulnerable can enjoy arts, make new friends through the process, and inculcate the mindset of lifelong learning to learn new skills.
5 "The CDCs are happy to continue this collaboration with NAC. Since it started in 2014, the Fund has enabled many Social Service Organisations to integrate the arts into their programmes to promote self-confidence among the vulnerable in society, particularly our youths and elderly. It is heartening to see the joy that the programme has brought to the lives of our people, allowing them to express freely and creatively, learn new skills and make new friends. I thank NAC for its continued support in this meaningful programme”, said Ms Low Yen Ling, Chairman of Mayors’ Committee and Mayor of South West District.
6 Mrs Rosa Daniel, CEO, NAC, said, “The arts can help to foster inclusivity among our communities, and the WeCare Arts Fund is a meaningful scheme that enables artists and groups to impact lives among the underserved. We encourage more organisations in the social sector to recognise the value of the arts in enhancing the well-being and personal growth of their beneficiaries. We are confident that artists and groups looking to engage with the social sector through the arts will find the support offered by the Fund useful.”
7 Members of the media are invited to the MOU Signing and Launch of WeCare Arts Exhibition. Door stop can be arranged. The programme is in Annex A. This media invite is jointly issued by CDCs and NAC. Please confirm your attendance and RSVP by 2 September 2017. For media enquiries, please contact the contact persons below.
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Lim Ting Ji Media Liaison CDC Planning and Development HP: 9839 2300 Email: Lim_Ting_Ji@pa.gov.sg
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Binjin Ho (Ms) Manager Communications & Marketing National Arts Council HP: 8127 6898 Email: Ho_Binjin@nac.gov.sg
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ABOUT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS (CDCs)
Established in 1997, the Community Development Councils (CDCs) celebrate their 20th Anniversary of Community Development this year.
There are five CDCs, namely, Central Singapore, North East, North West, South East and South West CDCs. Mayors of the Districts are Chairman of the respective CDCs. The CDCs’ ABC mission is to Assist the Needy, Bond the People and Connect the Community.
The Office of the Mayors are:
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Ms Low Yen Ling |
Chairman of Mayors’ Committee & Mayor of South West District |
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Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman |
Mayor of South East District |
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Dr Teo Ho Pin |
Mayor of North West District |
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Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng |
Mayor of Central Singapore District |
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Mr Desmond Choo |
Mayor of North East District |
For more information, please visit www.cdc.org.sg, www.pa.gov.sg and OurCommunity.sg
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL
The National Arts Council champions the arts in Singapore. By nurturing creative excellence and supporting broad audience engagement, we want to develop Singapore as a distinctive global city where the arts inspire our people and connect our communities. We preserve our rich, cultural traditions while we cultivate accomplished artists and vibrant companies for the future. Our support for the arts is comprehensive – from grants and partnerships to industry facilitation and arts housing. The Council welcomes greater private and corporate giving to and through the arts so that together we can make the arts an integral part of everyone's lives. For more information on the Council's mission and plans, visit www.nac.gov.sg.
About ArtReach
ArtReach is an initiative of the National Arts Council to promote arts access to the social service sector for wellness, intervention and rehabilitation. It supports artists and voluntary welfare organisations to collaborate on projects that use the arts to achieve social outcomes, and initiates conversations through workshops and seminars. ArtReach also develops resources to help social care workers, healthcare workers and volunteers start and lead their own arts programmes. For more information on ArtReach, visit www.nac.gov.sg/arts-you/for-everyone/social-sector.