19 September 2003

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SPEECH BY MR HAWAZI DAIPI, PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & MINISTRY OF MANPOWER AT THEATREWORKS' LAUNCH OF COMPENDIUM OF NEW PLAYS: 5 UNDER 25 PLAYS FROM THE WRITERS' LAB & PRIZE PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF SINGAPORE YOUNG DRAMATISTS AWARD (SYDA) AND THE 24-HOUR PLAYWRITING COMPETITION ON FRIDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2003, AT 1700 HOURS AT THE BLACK BOX, FORT CANNING CENTRE

Tan Tarn How, Associate Artistic Director, TheatreWorks Singapore

Jeffrey Tan, Associate Artistic Director, Education & Outreach

Ms Irene Ngoo, Assistant Vice-president, Corporate Relations, Singapore Press Holdings

Distinguished guests

Ladies & gentlemen

Introduction

1. I am delighted to join you this evening at the launch of TheatreWorks' new compendium of plays and to celebrate the achievement of our talented young people who will receive the 2003 Singapore Young Dramatists Award (SYDA).

The Development of the Arts in Singapore

2. Over the past decade, Singapore's arts and cultural scene has become progressively vibrant, flourishing in quantity, variety as well as quality. Our audience base has also increased and the general attitude to the arts has also become more and more positive.

3. This development has come about notably because of the concerted efforts by both the government as well as arts groups to encourage the development of the Arts at home. This they did through funding, sponsoring, organising and promoting a myriad of Arts events to open our eyes to the place and significance of the Arts in our lives.

4. Theatre, one of the more exciting and visually captivating of the performing arts, has also developed by leaps and bounds over the years in Singapore. We have seen the growth in the number of theatre companies in the four major languages and the rise of skilled and highly talented dramatists and playwrights such as the late Kuo Pao Kun, Eleanor Wong and Tan Tarn How, directors such as Ong Keng Sen, and, of course, our talented actors and actresses who bring to life the works of the playwrights. And I have named only just a few of the many illustrious artistic talents in our community.

Developing the Young

5. Theatre companies such as TheatreWorks have contributed much to Singapore's arts scene. I am happy to note that TheatreWorks has taken on this role of helping our youth of today discover their creative potential in the arts through a variety of programmes. The Singapore Young Dramatists Award, for example, is one such platform for nurturing the raw energy and creative potential of our young playwrights aged between 13 and 21 years.

Arts Education in Schools

6. Such initiatives dovetail into efforts by the Ministry of Education to enhance arts education in schools. Arts education aims to provide our students with a broader and more balanced education that harnesses the full range of their talents. It fuels their imagination and develops their creativity. It enables students to see inter-relationships among ideas, adapt, generate and create new ideas and products. Arts education not only inculcates in our students innovativeness and creativity, but also builds up their self-esteem so that they have the confidence to freely challenge assumptions and take on challenges that come their way. Through Arts education in schools, the Ministry aims to develop the full range of our students' talents so that they can stretch beyond the frontiers of their own abilities and imagination.

7. Indeed, it is gratifying to note that many schools have given their students numerous opportunities to explore the different aspects of the Arts in the formal curriculum through the art and music syllabuses and co-curricular activities. Staging plays and musicals and holding art exhibitions, for instance, have become the norm in schools' calendar of events. Our schools have also learned to cultivate and foster collaborations and partnerships with artists, external arts organisations, community agencies and other schools so as to collectively plan and implement arts programmes that help them achieve the desired outcomes of Arts education.

Vibrant Arts Culture

8. This bodes well for the future of the Arts. TheatreWorks and other theatre companies can take heart that our schools are increasingly taking an active interest in creating a vibrant arts culture in the school environment. As Arts education is an integral part of holistic education, schools are keen to provide opportunities for recognising and grooming artistic talents among the talented students as well as encourage expression and contribute to the overall development of our students' social skills, such as valuing diversity in ideas and confidence building. In addition, they desire to foster in the younger generation the appreciation of our cultural heritage by strengthening their understanding of our national identity and ethnic culture. In turn, our students develop an appreciation for the arts and become our future arts audience base.

9. I encourage TheatreWorks and other arts organisations to continue to forge partnerships with schools to help enhance the arts education of our young people. Looking at the award winners and aspiring playwrights present today, I am positive that their efforts thus far have not gone to waste.

10. I congratulate our award winners and aspiring playwrights, and, wish TheatreWorks success in your future endeavours.

Thank you.