Ladies and gentlemen
Good evening and a very warm welcome to MICA’s Annual Press Cocktail.
2 This evening, we have the pleasure of hosting the reception here at Lasalle College of the Arts. I hope that you had a chance to take a tour around LaSalle. This is an outstanding building and recently it received one of the 2008 President’s Design of the Year Awards. The artworks which you would have seen are LaSalle students’ interpretations of the complex relationships between spaces, deep-rooted cultures and traditions. It is also a glimpse into what inspire and engage this growing group of young and creative Singaporeans.
Riding the challenges ahead
3 This year’s reception is held under very challenging circumstances. The world is reeling from the impact of the financial tsunami and resultant economic recession. This had been described as the worst crisis since the Great Depression and it may get worse.
4 Singapore is plugged into the global economy and we cannot avoid the adverse impact. Our 2008 growth forecast has been revised downwards to 2.5 per cent. Next year could be more difficult, and the projected growth is expected to be -1.0 to 2.0 per cent.
5 In November, the Government announced an additional $2.3 billion in loans to help local companies gain access to credit during the current economic slowdown. A Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience, or SPUR, was also announced with up to $600 million to help companies save jobs by sending workers for skill upgrading or retraining to prepare them for alternative jobs.
6 Government will also implement counter-cyclical measures such as advancing planned projects and recruiting for the public sector such as teachers, school counselors and police officers.
7 We are also committed to helping Singaporeans cope with the downturn. The Second Payment of the Growth Dividend and Utilities Save in Oct 2008 had already been increased by 50 per cent. Lower income families with young children can look forward to increased childcare subsidies. More financial assistance is being provided through the ComCare programme and also local community funds.
MICA’s challenges
8 MICA’s two major challenges next year would be to sustain the emerging creative industries and nurture the arts during this downturn.
9 We have already introduced support programmes within our available resources. For example, MDA had made available a $10 million fund to support the development of 3D content, 3D infrastructure such as production and post-production facilities and training for 3D film-makers. The fund will help local firms make 3D films and build expertise in this exciting new film technology.
10 We had also launched two initiatives to assist the design sector. The first is the Design for Enterprises initiative. It is a $12 million collaboration between International Enterprise Singapore and SPRING Singapore under MTI and MICA’s DesignSingapore Council. This programme will help Singapore enterprises to tap the creativity and design expertise of top designers and assist more enterprises to come up with successful products and services.
11 The second initiative is the “Design Capability Development Programme” by the DesignSingapore Council. It aims to assist designers, design practices and design industry associations to enhance their capabilities. DesignSingapore has earmarked $10 million to provide grants and co-funding for mentorship, overseas promotion, participation in competitions and awards, scholarship and other capability development schemes.
12 For the arts groups, trying to sustain their level of activities next year would be very challenging. MICA’s Phase Three of the Renaissance City Plan, launched this year, will provide some $115 million over the next five years to nurture the arts. But we expect the corporate sponsorship to fall significantly and this is bound to have an impact on the vibrancy of the art scene. Arts groups cannot be fully insulated from financial tsunami. They will have to make special effort to gain support from their sponsors. They will have to work harder to look for new sponsors. With declining sponsorship, arts group will have to remap their plans and consider deferring the higher cost productions. They will have to be more creative in introducing events and productions with greater mass appeal which can be mounted at lower cost.
13 MICA will explore measures to assist our arts groups and help them weather the storm. We hope to maintain the momentum in the arts despite this downturn. It will not be easy. We will work closely with the arts community to keep up as much as possible, the spirit as well as the dynamism of the arts scene.
Media play a crucial role in the community
14 The media also has to face new challenges. Last month an article in The Independent (17 November 2008) headlined “Is the media to blame for the credit crisis?” sounded rather provocative. According to the article, critics have panned the media for being “too fast, too slow, too ignorant, too influential” in reporting on business information. I do not want to take sides on this issue. That is for the media to debate. But what is clear from the headline and the article is that the media have huge influence.
15 The media’s ability to influence is amplified during any crisis when people are eagerly or even desperately looking out for advice and information to guide them. You can calm nerves, boost confidence and rally communities across the globe.
16 I have noted a number of features in the local media, providing practical tips on surviving the economic downturn and inspiring reports on how some Singaporeans have overcome personal setbacks such as retrenchments. One such story in the Straits Times (22 November 2008) was particularly uplifting. It recounted the plight of Madam Maria Rahmat. She was unemployed. Without savings she was quite lost despite her dream of becoming a baker. When she was told about SPUR, she was naturally delighted with the 90 per cent subsidy of the course fees when she signs up for Workforce Skills Qualification and other certified courses. I hope she had signed up and will in due course succeed to realise her dream of becoming a baker. Maybe in the not too distant future, she would be able to open her own bakery.
17 I also hope that the media will bear in mind the difficulties faced by the arts groups in the year ahead. You can lend a helping hand by publicising their works, exhibitions and performances through reviews and reports to raise audience awareness. You can stimulate interest and support of the arts groups who are working very hard to ride this stormy and difficult period.
18 The media has an influential role in society. During crisis and difficult periods, your role becomes even more critical. At such times, people look to the media for reliable and accurate information to guide them. You can help people to choose a wise course of action and tap the opportunities which are still available. You can help people to better understand the issues and underlying reasons for the changes which are affecting us and give them hope for overcoming the difficulties.
Conclusion
19 On this note, I wish to thank you for joining us this evening and wish all of you a pleasant evening.
Thank you
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