The Regurgitation of Emotive Illustrations

THE VERY SINGAPOREAN ARTS SCHOOL

What comes to your mind when you think of an Arts School? Well to me, it is an institute where young artists are nurtured; a symbol of anti-conformity; a place where the Arts is truly recognised as an important and respected discipline.

This perfect portrayal of an Arts School, however, is banished the moment you learn about the direction in which the newly established arts institute in Singapore is heading.

According to the chairman of the committee set up to examine the feasibility of such a school, Mr Lee Tzu Tang, chairman of oil giant Shell, explained at a press briefing that the school would emphasise academic grades.

Mr Lee said, "In the Singapore context, we all strive for excellence, whether it's academic or artistic. This school I would see as also striving for excellence in both areas."

How wonderful.

But is this really what an Arts School is all about?

Many of the high flyers in the artistic industries would not have qualified for the school. One fine example would be Mr Chua Ek Kay who now holds a master's degree in visual arts from the University of Western Sydney, Australia. He was admitted into Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts with hardly any qualifications.

There are so many people who are talented in the Arts but they just cannot perform the same academically. Is it really fair for the Arts School to accept students based on academic grading?

The direction in which the Arts School is heading leads one into thinking are we nurturing artists or creating an audience to critique the artists in future?