Should more government policies be implemented to further strengthen social cohesion?
Society
Pictures of our people were taken by Tan Hong Kai
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How can Singapore grow her arts scene organically?
As a concept, social cohesion encompasses many dimensions such as racial and religious harmony, harmony across different socio-economic classes, and harmony between new immigrants and Singaporeans.
Since her independence, Singapore had set out to build a multicultural society where all could feel welcome, regardless of race, language or religion. This was done through a series of policies such as the promotion of policies such as the Ethnic Integration Policy.
In recent years, as Singapore transitions into a global wealth management hub, socio-economic diversity has emerged as a growing concern due to the increased affluence of some individuals. Many Singaporeans are increasingly aware of the divide between the wealth classes of society, and are calling on the government to reduce this divide. (Representatives are reminded that focus should be placed on reducing the social impacts of economic inequality, and not reducing economic inequality directly).
Similarly, there has also been rising tensions between Singaporeans and our new immigrants. These issues are compounded by the perceived large-scale immigration of foreign talent to replace our local Professionals, Managers, Engineers and Technicians.
Some have argued that our current social policies are adequate as Singapore continues to be socially cohesive. Others claim that more needs to be done given the nature of the changing world today. They argue that current trends such as the rise of extremism and de-globalisation may threaten social cohesion. This is especially significant for a highly globalised country like Singapore. In addition, others assert that the amplifying effects of social media can either strengthen social cohesion or exacerbate tensions, a double-edged sword that the government should address. Hence, representatives will have to discuss if current solutions are adequate, and if not, what policies should be implemented and how they should be done to foster a stronger sense of social cohesion across Singaporean society.
Image created with the help of OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Image created with the help of OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Today, there appears more can be done to not only further develop the local arts scene but also to engage the Singapore citizenry in the arts. The 2023 National Arts Council Population Survey on the Arts has shown that only 3 in 10 Singaporeans have participated in a local art event. As such, questions must be raised on how Singapore should grow her arts scene organically.
It is important to note that while our local arts scene suffers from disinterest, foreign art forms have been extremely well-received by the general audience. Foreign productions such as Hamilton have been described as ‘months of hype’ by the Straits Times. As such, it can be inferred that the underdeveloped arts scene in Singapore is not due to a general disinterest in the art. In view of this, representatives are encouraged to look towards other stakeholders such as the government and arts organisations to see what can be done to help promote greater interest in the local arts scene.
There are two leading schools of thought on how Singapore should grow her arts scene organically with the difference being the extent of government intervention. One school of thought argues for indirect government intervention, a more laissez-faire approach, where the government only provides funding to organisations. Supporters of this view claim that such an approach would allow the government to support the organic growth of the local arts scene without excessively interfering with the artists’ visions and works. The other school of thought is that the government should directly curate and grow the arts scene and one possible way would be commissioning particular art pieces. Proponents of this argue that such direct intervention allows for the creation of art pieces that directly resonate with the general population, as opposed to art works that are too esoteric. The government can thus act as the bridge for organic growth.
In this cabinet, representatives will first have to discuss existing measures, their successes and failures and what lessons can be learnt. Aside from the key takeaways from existing measures, representatives can also reference measures taken by other countries with more vibrant art scenes to suggest methods of growing the local arts scene.
