Opening Remarks by Guest of Honour, Mr Simon Wong, High Commissioner, High Commission of the Republic of Singapore in India, at the Arts For Good Fellowship Virtual Panel Discussion

A very good morning to everyone tuning in – from India, Singapore, or elsewhere.

I am High Commissioner Simon Wong, and I am very pleased to be invited by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) to be with you today.

The Arts for Good Fellowship programme was last held in India in February 2020 – just slightly more than a month before India, like much of the world, went into lockdown due to COVID-19.

Like you, I wish this event could have taken place in-person in India.But it seems like we all need to be patient for a little longer before international travel as we knew it can gradually return.

Coping with the ever-evolving nature of the pandemic has been a long and windy journey for all of us.

Of course, the arts sector has been disproportionately affected – closure of live entertainment venues, cancellation of live performances, and countless other halted projects.

At the same time, the arts have also proven to be an indispensable lifebuoy for all of us.

Without the refuge of music, TV, books, paintings, or myriad other art forms which we experienced at home, the isolating experience of lockdowns and staying in would have been unimaginable for many of us.

While digital interactions are no substitute for in-person ones, every community has had to adapt and find novel ways of connecting.

In this regard, I applaud the SIF for its innovative spirit in running this fourth edition of the Fellowship entirely online.  It is no mean feat to pull off something like this involving 32 Fellows from 12 countries!

Over the last 30 years, the SIF has been a key organisation in bridging world communities and showcasing what Singapore can offer as a responsible member of the global community, including through arts and culture.

The Fellowship brings together an international group of arts practitioners who harness the power of arts and culture to create positive social change through collaboration and mutual support.

The Singapore programme of this Fellowship explored the digital possibilities of arts engagement as well as innovative practices of Singapore-based arts organisations to leverage technology.

The India programme focused on how the arts can build social resilience and emotional health during these uncertain and challenging times.

Throughout the Fellowship, Fellows also helped to create arts-based experiences with children and youths in India to promote cross-cultural understanding and uplift communities.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the NalandaWay Foundation and its visionary founder Mr Sriram V Ayer for helping shape the Fellowship into what it is today.

I also congratulate Mr Ayer for being awarded the SIF’s Friend of Singapore –Gotong Royong Award last year.

Today’s panel discussion on the important topic of “Building Resilience for Arts Practitioners and Their Communities” wraps up the Singapore-India partnership for the Fellowship this year.

I am confident it will be a lively and insightful session with presentations from Ms Shuchi Kapoor from the Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation, Ms Alicia Teng from the National Gallery Singapore, and Ms Kriti Sood from Learning through Arts, Narratives and Discourse.

Once again, thank you for having me and I wish SIF continued success in its work to build friendships for a better world.

Thank you.