BT Budding Artists Fund marks 18 years of empowering young artists

THE Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF) celebrated 18 years of nurturing financially disadvantaged children and youth to pursue the arts with a performance titled The Light Within on Saturday (May 6).

Held at 10 Square’s auditorium in Orchard Central, it featured around 85 students – from the children and youth division – across all art forms, including theatre, dance, music, visual arts and tech.

This year’s performance, presented by The Rice Company, incorporated puppetry as well as a dance depicting various scenes from the Covid-19 isolation, which highlighted the challenges faced as a community during the pandemic.

“Our performance is not just a showcase of talent; it is a celebration of creativity and collaboration,” production adviser Nor Azizah Abdullah said.

Initiated in 2004 and adopted by The Business Times in 2005, BT BAF believes that every child or youth with interest and potential in the arts should have the opportunity to develop their talents, regardless of their financial resources.

BT editor Chen Huifen said: “Our children and youths are our hopes for the future. This performance they undertook reminded us to keep our hopes kindled in our hearts, just as the story plot tells us that we can eventually find light by relying on one another in times of darkness.”