What is the meaning of life without the arts?
Good question. Well, the arts is inextricably linked to culture and without it, we would have forgotten our cultural heritage; we would not know who we are or where we are. And neither would we know our purpose in life.
To ensure Singapore does not lose its cultural heritage, the National Arts Council (NAC) introduced the “I Never Imagined” campaign in 2011 to heighten public awareness about the value and importance of the arts.
The public awareness campaign is back this year.
The second phase of the campaign is entitled “ArtsForLife”. NAC hopes to instil greater public awareness about the importance of the arts in everyday life. It order to reach out to as many people as possible, it was launched on popular social media site Facebook. “ArtsForLife” focuses on how the arts has transformed the lives of ordinary Singaporeans in more ways than one.
One of the many Arts For Life campaign banners you can see around Singapore
The campaign also seeks to reinforce the message that the arts is “life-giving”; it permeates all aspects of our lives, and can be enjoyed at any stage of our lives. This is a considerable step compared to a decade ago when little is known about Singapore’s arts and culture scene, or what its role in Singapore society is.
This in turn encourages the many committed arts groups and artists to continually contribute to the enhancement of Singapore’s arts and culture scene, as well as the tightening of social bonds. A supportive and sustainable environment is crucial for the arts in Singapore to continue to thrive. While the government has increased its funding for the arts, it is finite and will never be able to address all the financial and operational needs of the artists and arts groups. A diverse arts scene needs diverse sources of support and the role of government should increasingly be more of an enabler than funder. Support from the private sector and the community is necessary for the arts ecosystem to grow and be self-sustainable.
This effectively brings to point the notion of philanthropy. Since monetary support is crucial for the survival of the arts, the give2Arts.sg portal was created with philanthropy in mind. The portal is designed to encourage Singaporeans to come forward and make a donation to help preserve the arts.
Giving to the Arts – How to Donate:
To make a donation, simply log on to www.give2arts.sg and click on the‘Donate Now’ tab. This should direct you to the mentioned page.
Once you are on the ‘Donate Now’ page, you can choose to either make a donation to the General Arts and Development Fund, or a preferred beneficiary. Click on the ‘Proceed’ button to fill in the e-donation form.
Learn more on the value and importance of the arts in your daily life at www.facebook.com/ArtsForLife
