Singapore Insights: Cultural Intersections for Social Impact

SIF Advisory Panel Chairperson Ms Jennifer Lewis outlined the SIF’s vision to bring multi-sectorial communities together to improve our way of life in increasingly-urban environments.

(L-R) Panellists included Dr Marissa Lee Medjeral-Mills (Disabled People’s Association of Singapore Executive Director), Mr Colin Goh (The RICE Company Limited Founder and CEO) Ms Annie Yeo (Deutsche Bank Head for Corporate Social Responsibility in Asia) and Mr Kenneth Kwok (National Arts Council Assistant Chief Executive) and moderator Ms Melissa Sim (Assistant Life Editor of The Straits Times).

Over 100 participants gathered to examine how collaborations from the public, private and people sectors through the arts can create social transformation in the communities they have touched.

Ms Annie Yeo shared how private entities such as Deutsche Bank fund arts-based initiatives as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes, as it believes in the transformative power of the arts to impact communities positively.

Dr Marissa Lee Medjeral-Mills stressed the importance of collaboration and working outside one’s own community of practice to create beneficial programmes in the longer term. 

Mr Colin Goh discussed how The RICE Company collaborated with The Business Times to identify and train underprivileged children in the arts to encourage creative entrepreneurship and help them gain confidence.

Mr Kenneth Kwok shared how the National Arts Council of Singapore plays the role of cross-sectoral matchmaker by connecting artists to sectors that can train them to carry out initiatives for social transformation and community-building.

Panellists from Singapore Insights: Cultural Intersections for Social Impact with the SIF Arts for Good Advisory Panel Chairperson Jennifer Lewis.

Participants from SIF’s Artists for a Better World (ABW) programme took part in the dialogue. The inaugural ABW brought together artists, arts administrators, and professionals from social welfare organisation around the world to examine how the arts can improve lives for persons with disabilities.