S$20 million arts top-up includes new grant for freelancers

Singapore

ARTS freelancers and businesses in Singapore will get more support as the government has pledged another S$20 million to help the sector tide over the coronavirus pandemic.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong announced a top-up to the Arts and Culture Resilience Package (ACRP), which will cover the cost of new grants for self-employed workers and business transformation, as well as the extensions of other support.

This brings the total package to S$75 million, he told Parliament on Monday during the debate on his ministry's spending plans for the new financial year.

One new scheme is the Business Transformation Fund, which aims to help arts and culture organisations become more efficient and sustainable.

"This will support the transformation of arts and culture organisations, as well as support their recovery and sustainability in a post-pandemic situation," said Mr Tong.

Groups can apply for a Business Transformation Grant (BTG), which will defray the cost of initiatives such as experimenting with new programmes or hiring consultants to develop ways of monetising digital content.

The grant will provide up to S$30,000 per project for an individual company's efforts to transform its business.

Up to S$200,000 per project will be available to initiatives involving collaboration between groups, or which have potential for industry spin-offs.

Aside from offering grants, the fund will support the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the National Arts Council's (NAC) efforts to commission projects and work with industry partners.

Also unveiled on Monday was the Self-Employed Person (SEP) Grant for local freelancers and arts and culture groups which collaborate with them.

Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling said up to S$50,000 will be awarded per project. She added that such projects could include live performances, digital presentations, or skills development.

NAC will prioritise projects that benefit a larger number of freelancers, are digital, or involve capability development. It plans to launch the SEP and BTG grants in June this year.

The S$20 million top-up will also fund extensions of existing support measures.

A second tranche of the ACRP Operating Grant will be given out in July to help groups defray their operating costs. Eligible organisations will receive S$35,000 each - down from S$50,000 or S$75,000.

Venue-hire subsidies at 80 per cent will also be extended for three more months until June. Subsidies will also cover more venues, and further extensions will be reviewed later.

During the debate, opposition Member of Parliament Sylvia Lim of the Workers' Party asked if the government could review Covid-19 rules around live arts performances, given the "arguably lower risk" these pose compared to some other activities.

"For instance, restaurants have customers at the same table at close proximity, chatting and laughing for hours without masks on. Restaurants can also move their chairs and tables around to maximise their capacity," she said.

"In contrast, theatres and concert halls have fixed seats. When social distancing measures are applied, some are down to 25 per cent capacity, but their audiences are required to sit silently, with masks on during the entire performance."

Ms Low replied that the government acknowledges the arts community is keen to have larger audiences in their performing arts spaces, but "we cannot afford to let our guard down".

"Comprehensive vaccination coverage will enable us to reopen further, while safe management measures (SMMs), testing and contract tracing will continue to be necessary. While applications can be made for outdoor performances, live performances that involve unmasked performers carry some risk," she said.

In his speech, Mr Tong added that the Cultural Matching Fund, which matches donations to eligible arts and heritage charities dollar for dollar, will undergo a review with the aim of a top-up next year.

The fund, set up by MCCY in 2013, provides dollar-for-dollar matching of private cash donations to eligible arts and heritage charities in order to encourage private giving to the sector.

Between 2014 and 2019, it matched more than S$265 million worth of donations raised by over 100 groups. It was topped up by S$150 million in 2017. More details will be announced next year. THE STRAITS TIMES