The Arts are no longer important in a society that values economic success.

Discuss this with reference to your country. The economic value of the Arts in Singapore is a widely contentious issue. Being a highly developed nation whereby strong economic fundamentals are the key to her success, many have the impression that Singapores economic achievements were owed to the education system and the trade and commerce in Singapore while a small minority of the population believe that this economic milestone is attributed by the Arts. Minister Mentor Lew Kuan Yew once said, We have no time for the Arts. Indeed, the Arts were once left derelict in a pragmatic Singaporean society. However, Singapore has dramatically transformed her Arts and cultural scene over the past decade. The Arts has become progressively vibrant, flourishing in quantity, variety as well as quality. In my opinion, I disagree to the assertion that the Arts are no longer important in a society that values economic success. Admittedly, although the Arts are less vital as an economic driver than other factors, they are however, still highly relevant to a society that values economic success for the economic values they bestow upon Singapore are clearly evident from the revenue the Arts industries are able to generate, the enhancement of the societys human capital and an effective solution to brain drain and employment. At the outset, the Arts industries have contributed largely to Singapores economic development. The famous phrase, The arts mean business, by president of Americans for the arts Robert Lynch, aptly applies in Singapore. Those four words are being trumpeted throughout Singapore, calling attention to recent findings that attest to the energetic and vital economic role that the arts play in Singapore. With the arrival of the knowledge-based economy and the emergence of indomitable manufacturing Goliaths like China and India, the arts has inevitably found more of a place in practically-minded Singapore. Over the years, Singapore has been coerced to evolve its economic strategy into one that focuses on high-value added services to stay competitive and the arts industries have been spotlighted as an area of new economic possibility. For instance, the aperture of the Esplanade has granted Singapore the honour to house performances by various renowned artistes and performing troupes. When such events are held in Singapore, the arts audiences effectively spend money here on admissions, transportation and food, all of which stimulates our local economy. Tourism revenue can also be gained when cultural travellers decide to view the exquisite arts exhibits in Singapore and their expenditure on local amenities would spur the economic development of our economy. Despite the onslaught of the economic downturn in 2009, the Tourism Board revealed that tourism revenues of $17.5 to 18.5 billion are attributed largely by the Arts through events such as the Singapore Arts Festivals. A research by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts has showed that the arts industries contributed approximately 1.9% of Singapores GDP annually. Therefore, the economic contributions of the Arts are conspicuously presented and it is hence unfair to assert that they are of no importance in a pragmatic Singapore. The Arts also help to increase the quality of our human capital by nurturing and foster more innovative individuals that would pioneer the path to economic success for

Singapore. This is because the flourishing of todays knowledge-based economy requires the creativity fostered by artistic endeavour. This is also the impetus for the concerted efforts of the government in setting up of School of the Arts and the luring of famed Tisch School of the Arts to open classes in Singapore. These dovetail into efforts by the government to augment the local arts scene through arts education. Arts education not only imbues in youths innovativeness and creativity, but also allow for a free mode of thinking. Arts centres that are established in school clusters in Singapore are appropriate examples of this. For instance, contrary to rote-learning whereby students are forced to memorise and regurgitate contents from reading materials, engaging in the Arts such as composing of music and independent drawing enable students to think without restrictions. Through studying the arts in schools, the youths can stretch beyond the frontiers of their own abilities and imagination, thereby harnessing creative thinking skills that are critical to thrive in this dynamic economic environment. An increase in creativity and innovation is economically invaluable as it is a source of new business ideas and forms, solutions for economic breakthroughs. If a significant obstacle to Singapores economic advancement is people who generally lack creativity and entrepreneurship, the arts whose very hallmarks are originality, ingenuity and innovation served as a perfect antidote. A myriad of creative future leaders would then be Singapores springboard to economic progress in the 21st century, thereby reinforcing the Arts economic value in an economic oriented society. In recognition to cities such as New York, San Francisco and London which possess vibrant artistic cultures which led to their success in wooing talented professionals to make those cities their homes, Singapore cannot afford to pale in comparison in terms of her cultural attractiveness, a status that only a country rich in the Arts will be conferred. This explains the various attempts to grow the local arts and cultural scene such as the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts releasing a blueprint to transform Singapore into a Global City for the Arts, aimed to position .Singapore as a key city in the Asian renaissance of the 21st century and a cultural centre in the globalized world. By augmenting the cultural capital in Singapore, it is seen as one of the panacea to the issue of brain drain and a way of stimulating growth in the sectors of tourism, retail, manufacturing and education. Brain drainage has detrimental economic impacts on Singapore as local talents are enticed to work in other countries, leaving Singapore with a workforce of lower productivity. The push has been proven effective and many international creative companies like Lucas film Animation, electronic game developer Koei and international film RGM Holdings have set up regional headquarters in Singapore in the last five years, providing job opportunities for our local creative talents and endowing them with an incentive for to stay in Singapore to further their career, enabling Singapore to maintain her economic competitiveness by capitalizing on her growing talent pool. However, it is undeniable that the tangible economic benefits of the Arts are far less impressive as compared to the manufacturing and services industry. For instance, according to a report by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the manufacturing industries contributed to approximately a third of Singapore GDP in 2008 whereas the arts industries stand at a mere 1.5%. Although this stark contrast suggests that the Arts are not as viable an economic option, it does not entail that we strike off the economic value of the Arts in Singapore. Furthermore, the empirical studies reveal only the tangible economic benefits that are derived. The Arts foster a more innovative workforce that indirectly contributes to Singapores economic growth. This intangible

economic edge however is not reflected on papers. Thus, it will be our undoing to simply negate the importance of the Arts as the latter serves as a catalyst for economic growth of Singapore and as long as the state perceives the Arts to contribute to economic growth, their significance in Singapore will always be affirmed. All in all, despite the fact that most Singaporeans are still ruled by pragmatism, there has been a gradual and welcome concession from the ground as well as from the top that the Arts are important to an economic-oriented country like Singapore. Therefore, the economic value of the arts to Singapore should never be nullified and we would only be at our peril by neglecting their importance.