Art and Design Commons^™

Arts For Community Development In Singapore, Kar Yee Lim

Social Space

In the National Arts Council’s Report on the Arts and Culture Strategic Review,4 it emphasised the importance of promoting social cohesion across population segments via arts and cultural initiatives. It further stated its objective to bring the arts to everyone, everywhere and every day; and to build capabilities to achieve excellence.

Why Performing Arts Belongs In The School Of Life, Paul Adams

Social Space

I’ve been involved in the performing arts almost all my life—whether I was playing a rock- and-roll shepherd in my primary school’s Nativity production, or in my current role as the Learning and Engagement Manager for the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT).

The Role Of The Arts In Placemaking Singapore, Su Fern Hoe

Social Space

Singapore is no exception. This is palpably evident in the recent disappearance of cherished spaces such as Rochor Centre, Sungei Road Flea Market and Pearl Bank Apartments. As Janadas Devan once aptly stated, “forgetting is the condition of Singapore.”

This leads one to wonder: in a cityscape where the only constant is change, how can we foster a sense of place and belonging? How and where do we develop social relations beyond our own homes? Are we still able to form meaningful experiences with others as well as our surroundings?

Art Works: Ang Kay Sing, Ishan Singh

Social Space

Meet Ang Kay Sing, Senior Occupational Therapist and Art Therapist at the Institute of Mental Health. The 34-year-old runs inpatient art therapy groups with children and adolescents, as well as for individual outpatients. Over a session involving some sketching pencils and paints,ISHAN SINGH chatted with Kay Sing about how art can be used to express thoughts and feelings when words fail us.

Heart Faculty: Jacelyn Lim, Ishan Singh

Social Space

Meet Jacelyn Lim, 46, Deputy Executive Director of the Autism Resource Centre,1 a Singapore-based NPO that serves children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. Through advocacy and provision of services spanning education, employment and training, it hopes to empower individuals with ASD to lead meaningful and independent lives. ARC also manages The Art Faculty,2 whosemerchandise features the works of artists with special needs. For every product you purchase at TAF, differently-abled artists receive royalties and learn the value of work and financial independence. ISHAN SINGH catches up with Jacelyn to find out more about what she does and how art …

Pièce De Résistance: Art Movements And Their Power To Change The World, Stephanie Tran Rojas

Social Space

The Harlem Renaissance was highly intertwined with the growing social consciousness of Black American communities. The goal of many artworks was to present a realistic depiction of Black Americans and challenge common stereotypical depictions of Blacks as inferiorto Whites.

Cooking Up The Kampung Spirit: Ngiam Su-Lin, Ishan Singh

Social Space

Meet Ngiam Su-Lin, 44, Co-founder and Executive Director of ArtsWok Collaborative, an arts- based NPO that engages the general public via community-based arts projects, research and advocacy. The ArtsWok team partners with organisations and groups to put up participatory performances and public art installations examining various social issues, presents plays by young people on social issues in an annual theatre festival, and trains and mentors practitioners in arts and community work. Su-Lin herself is no stranger to the local arts scene—she’s worked in this space for almost two decades, producing community theatre and festivals—but she’s also a trained counsellor and …

Plan D: Design And Social Responsibility, Harah Chon

Social Space

Most are familiar withthe use of this term as a noun, in which design refers to finished objects, forms, services and solutions. Design is often used as an adjective to describeaesthetic qualities or the utility and function of things. As a pronoun, however, design emphasises the networks or systems involved in the industry as a whole. But what sets design apart from all other human activities is in its useas a verb, denoting its many approaches, perspectives, actions, processes, ideations, interpretations and implementations.

Now You Seaweed, Now You Don't: Photographing Rongcheng's Disappearing Seaweed Houses, Yanjing Liu

Social Space

This county-level city is known not only for its picturesque beauty, but also for being the site of seaweed houses— traditional homes built from natural seaweed and stones. Inhabited mainly by local fishermen, these structures are a reflection of northern Chinese marine culture and fishery customs.

Arts And Society: A Symbiosis, Mayur Singh

Social Space

Looking back in history, it is hard to pinpoint exactly when and why people engaged in the arts. We know that cavemen used it to record and represent objects around them, but also that over time the arts came to be appreciated as a reflection of the skills and creative genius of their creators. The arts has also been used by governments to reflect the views of the state.