BT BAF paintings grace Citi's calendar

Singapore

KIDS from The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF) expressed their visions of a brand new world emerging from the Covid-19 crisis. They include paintings of families maintaining close ties through virtual meet-ups, and banks helping their clients carry out all their banking transactions virtually.

These paintings have now found "homes" in Citi's annual calendar distributed to its staff. Not only do they grace the pages of the calendar, their accompanying QR codes also allow the viewer to transform the 2-dimensional image into immersive 360-degree environments. The viewer feels as if stepping into the painting, and the AR technology even allows one to photograph oneself within the painting.

Ms Hsiu-Yi Lin, Asean and Singapore Head of Citi Commercial Bank, which spearheads the calendar project, says: "Even under challenging circumstances of the unprecedented global health crisis, we are extremely heartened to see the resilience and optimism for the future of the young artists, which are reflected through their artworks which form the design of Citi's 2021 calendar fittingly themed World Reimagined - What's Next."

Citi has been a stalwart supporter of the BT BAF since its inception 16 years ago. The fund helps financially-disadvantaged children pursue various art forms, such as dance, music and visual arts. The Business Times firmly believes that the arts play a significant role in helping these children to cultivate their self-confidence and express themselves effectively.

Many of these children, aged between six and 19, have been singled out by their school teachers for their artistic talents. But they are unable to pursue their interests beyond the occasional class or club activity due to their family's financial situation.

BT BAF, managed by The RICE Company Ltd (a not-for-profit organisation with IPC status), reaches out to these children and invites them to arts training programmes. Over the years, more than 18,000 kids have benefited from the programmes.

Mr Amol Gupte, Asean Head and Citi Country Officer for Singapore, says: "The Covid-19 pandemic had made it much more challenging for the children to pursue their artistic passion. For those who do not have computers and Internet at home, they headed down to specialised centres to gain access to digital drawing tools and applications amid the looming pandemic. This is in addition to spending 24 hours in 16 workshops to pick up skills on how to use these tools."

Mr Wong Wei Kong, editor of The Business Times, says: "I'd like to thank Citi Singapore for their continued support in driving our mission to provide equal opportunities and access to the arts. As we look towards new possibilities in a post Covid-19 world, we are thankful to have Citi Singapore on the journey alongside us to embrace and welcome the future."