Page 5 - NAFA Annual Report 2015/2016
P. 5

We have recently included more courses under a            Our Dance students were invited to open the
partnership with the National Silver Academy (NSA),       ASEAN Para Games, hosted by Singapore
to encourage more seniors to take up a new skill.         for the first time last year. It featured a dance
                                                          choreographed by NAFA Senior Lecturer,
We face an overwhelming demand for NAFA                   Dr Filomar Cortezano Tariao. Third year Diploma
courses with such a full range of services, and           in Arts Management students designed walking
are developing the organisation for expansion to          tours to benefit underprivileged families, in
welcome more students into our fold. NAFA has to          partnership with the National Heritage Board and
make sure that it has the physical spaces to support      Community Chest. The tours, named the Jubilee
such growth, and this is our primary motivation           Walk, piloted in early 2016 and took participants
behind the construction of a new school building.         around familiar heritage sites. In addition, 22
Last year, the Board of Directors strongly affirmed       students from interdisciplinary project modules
the need for more facilities and student-centric          were invited to present their artistic responses
spaces. With management support and concerted             to selected paintings from the National Gallery
effort, we decided to construct a new building            Singapore’s Reframing Modernism exhibition,
wholly supported by fundraising efforts. Estimated        which was organised by the Gallery with the
to cost $42 million, the new building adds 20%            Centre Pompidou, Paris. Titled Changing Eyes,
more physical space. Ready by mid-2017, it will sit       students of dance, music, theatre, fine art,
atop the upcoming Bencoolen MRT station and hold          fashion, and design ventured out of their comfort
state-of-the-art studios, teaching classrooms and         zones to collaborate with one another in pop-up
thinking spaces for students and teachers alike.          performances in the gallery spaces.
With the Board’s strong vision, NAFA is in good
stead for the future.                                     As Singapore turned 50 last year, NAFA turned out
                                                          in force to celebrate the country’s birthday with
As a private institution with IPC status, NAFA is         SG50. While there were several collaborations
immensely grateful to all our donors, and encouraged      with community and industry partners organised
by our well-wishers who have been journeying              in honour of the nation’s birthday, I would like
with us. I would like to thank The Ngee Ann Kongsi,       to highlight the new works created by NAFA
the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple and all our             staff, students and alumni. VERNACULA_, an
new and long-term supporters for their generous           exhibition led by the Design & Media and Fine Art
contributions. With your help, we have increased          programmes, showcased artworks celebrating the
our scholarship and bursary awards disbursed to           country’s idiosyncrasies and aspirations. Aside
NAFA students. NAFA also benefits from the                from this, the School of Music commissioned five
dollar-for-dollar Cultural Matching Fund set up           new compositions from established and emerging
by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth           composers for the occasion, premiered at NAFA
(MCCY). Every helping hand counts and we are              concerts by the faculty, students and alumni.
immensely grateful.	                                      These events highlight NAFA’s strong artistic
                                                          heritage and its continuing role in shaping
Since the Academy’s founding by Chinese émigré            Singapore’s creative landscape.
artists, the spirit of educating young creative
minds has continued to grow. We have crafted for          The Academy is growing at a fast pace and we
ourselves a vision to produce leaders in various          have been working hard to prepare for the future.
artistic fields, from the visual to the performing arts.  I would like to thank the NAFA Board, management
Already, NAFA has groomed 13 Young Artist Award           and staff who have been tireless in their efforts.
recipients and we congratulate our 13th Cultural          Our donors, sponsors, the media and corporate
Medallion recipient who was awarded last year:            partners have been very gracious in their support
the illustrious artist Mr Chua Mia Tee.                   and I thank you for believing in and supporting
                                                          our mission to inspire learning and growth
I am heartened that our staff and students are giving     through the arts.
back to the community creatively. Fashion students
designed glow-in-the-dark pieces showcased at the         Low Sin Leng
Peranakan Museum for the Singapore Night Festival         Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
2015, organised for a massive and enthusiastic
audience over two weekends in August.

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