SINGAPORE — New digital initiatives will be launched to ensure that Singaporeans have access to arts and sports content in the coming months, even amid stricter safe distancing measures to curb the spread of the Covid-19 disease.

Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu announced this on Tuesday (April 7) in Parliament during the debate on the Government's two supplementary Budgets to bolster support for people and businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

One initiative is the National Arts Council’s (NAC) Digitalisation Presentation Grant which will be open to all arts and culture groups and practitioners including freelancers.

A grant of up to S$20,000 per project will be given out to ramp up efforts in the digitalisation of arts and culture content and delivery.

“While some ideas may only be possible to execute after the circuit breaker measures, I encourage arts and culture groups and practitioners to prepare and submit their grant proposals now so that they can bring their best work to Singaporeans once the situation improves,” said Ms Fu.

She added that the NAC welcomes other proposals such as creative means to develop digital projects while fully working from home.

VIRTUAL ARTS AND CULTURE FESTIVALS

Ms Fu said that her ministry is also committed to continue with Singapore’s annual large-scale festivals by taking it digital “as far as possible” with the aid of the Digitalisation Fund.

The fund was established to support arts and culture groups and practitioners, cultural institutions and cultural festival organisers to go digital with their content.

Some of the festivals which Ms Fu hopes to take digital include the Singapore Heritage Festival in June, the Singapore Writers Festival and Arts in Your Neighbourhood in November and the Singapore Art Week in January next year.

The Digitalisation Fund will also support the digitalisation of Singapore’s museum exhibitions and collections.

The National Heritage Board will progressively make available virtual exhibitions of the galleries at our national museums and heritage institutions, Ms Fu said. 

“Singaporeans and international visitors alike can experience and learn about our heritage without leaving their homes,” she added. 

Meanwhile, she said NAC’s A-List website is also available for Singaporeans to visit. The platform features cultural offerings from Singapore’s cultural institutions, arts groups and artists.

S$2M GRANT TO DEVELOP DIGITAL SPORTS CONTENT

To encourage Singaporeans to stay “active and fit” from now till National Day in August, Ms Fu said that freelancers in the sports sector can tap on a new S$2 million grant to develop digital or virtual content for this purpose.

While she did not go into detail, she said that the S$2 million grant will support more than 50 projects for self-employed persons and businesses in the sports industry. 

In response to TODAY’s queries, Sports Singapore (SportSG) said that more details will be announced later this week.

Ms Fu also said that sports enthusiasts can look forward to a virtual sports centre from SportSG.

The online platform, she said, will offer content such as exercise videos, programmes, talks, workshops and even races through a virtual space. 

“Arts, culture and sports (can) lift our spirits in these difficult times, and sustain our emotional and physical well-being,” said Ms Fu.