SINGAPORE — Seventeen arts companies will be receiving the National Arts Council’s (NAC) Major Grant this year, including first-time recipients Indian dance company Apsaras Arts, the Singapore Wind Symphony and theatre group Checkpoint Theatre.

The Major Grant is a three-year scheme by the NAC to help groups develop their organisational capabilities. The 17 new recipients join 19 other groups awarded last year and all 36 will receive a total of S$10.4 million for 2014, an increase of 20 per cent from the previous financial year.

Other recipients this year are Singapore Dance Theatre, The Substation, The Necessary Stage, THE Dance Company, T’ang Quartet and Sculpture Square, among others.

Meanwhile, eight groups have also been chosen for this year’s batch of Seed Grant recipients. They include musical organisations Asian Contemporary Ensemble and Musicians’ Guild, Tamil theatre group Avant Theatre & Language, contemporary Indian dance company Chowk, Teochew opera group Nam Hwa Opera, art tour event OH! Open House, theatre company Pangdemonium and Traditional Arts Centre, which works with Chinese opera.

The Seed Grant is set to provide funding for up to three years to new or emerging groups, and this year’s batch joins the 15 other recipients who were awarded in 2012 and 2013. In total, the 23 groups will receive S$2.3 million. MAYO MARTIN