Page 5 - NAFA Annual Report 2016/2017

conceptualised and executed by the
students to engage the young minds.
Taking inspiration from an oil painting by
John Turnbull Thomson, students and
alumni from Theatre and Dance presented
(Dis)Integration – Physical Theatre
Performance at the opening of Singapore
Heritage Festival 2016. The performers
took the audience through Singapore’s
history and presented their personal
reflections on the multicultural roots of the
Singapore society through their artistic
practices.
Across disciplines, more than 120
students and staff collaborated over
several months to bring the Angkor
Wat project to fruition. This academy-
wide project is a joint endeavour by the
Institute of Southeast Asian Arts and
the academic schools in NAFA, which
involved the integration of Angkor Wat as
subject matter into the existing curriculum
and modules to expand the academic
investigations of conventional disciplines
into Southeast Asian art and art history.
All creative outcomes ranging from fashion
to architectural models, illustrations and
mixed media installations were eventually
exhibited at the Lim Hak Tai Gallery.

NAFA will celebrate its 80th anniversary
next year and it is an opportune time for
us to remember the steadfastness,
tenacity, and commitment from our
stakeholders that have taken us so far
you will also see unique benches which line the revitalised Bencoolen Street, outside in our journey to being recognised as
NAFA’s Campuses 1 and 2. These furniture pieces were specially designed by students Singapore’s pioneer arts institution. I thank
and alumni of the 3D Design programme, in collaboration with the Urban Redevelopment the NAFA Board, management and staff
Authority and Land Transport Authority of Singapore. The space has now been enlivened for their passion and dedication. We are
with a contemporary, creative spirit, in a way that defines NAFA as an arts institution. deeply grateful to our alumni, corporate
partners, donors, and the media for their
I am most heartened that there are increasingly more initiatives by staff and students unwavering and longstanding support.
to give back to society and benefit the less privileged. The Rainbow Chairity project led It is my wish that NAFA will continue to
by 3D Design, Fine Art and Design & Media students saw them putting their creative excel and fulfil its vision of becoming the
touches to child-sized Louis chairs that were exhibited at ION Orchard and auctioned arts institution of choice in Singapore and
for charity. Head of Composition from the School of Music, Dr Goh Toh Chai, organised a premier arts institution in Asia.
saxophone performances for patients of Yishun Community Hospital and brought cheer
to them over National Day last year. These are but two of many wonderful examples
of NAFA’s good efforts to reach out to the community. I am pleased to report that the
Academy is putting in place a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Framework for Low Sin Leng
staff and students to volunteer and take part in meaningful CSR projects.
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Our students continue to be involved in many fulfilling and exciting projects, which you
will read about in the pages of this report. Last year, our Design & Media programme
collaborated with Mediacorp for a youth series YXY: Youth by Youth, featured on
television programme On the Red Dot. This was the first tie-up between Mediacorp and
four institutes of higher learning to produce a series for the national TV, exploring issues
affecting youths in Singapore today. The episode featuring NAFA students was aired on
2 December 2016 on Channel 5.

Further, our Arts Management students conducted their first heritage trail in
Little India with approximately 150 PAP Community Foundation Kindergarten students.
A collaboration with the National Heritage Board, the trail featured curated routes

5