The partnership aims to deepen arts talent development for lower-income children as programme scales nationwide.
NTUC Community Fund and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), a founding member of University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), today announced the launch of the ‘You’ve Got Talent (YGT) Junior Academy’, creating a new opportunity for lower-income children to develop their artistic interests and potential through sustained arts learning.
The strategic partnership accelerates the impact of the YGT programme, shifting its focus from general enrichment exposure to deep-impact, specialised talent development for lower-income children. Fully sponsored by NTUC Community Fund, the YGT Junior Academy will launch as a one-year pilot in 2027 for 50 selected YGT graduates from both NTUC First Campus My First Skool (MFS) centres and community-based implementations in towns. The children will undertake a structured, year-long arts curriculum at NAFA, giving those who show interest and potential the opportunity to deepen their learning beyond their initial YGT experience. Following an evaluation of this pilot, NTUC Community Fund plans to expand YGT Junior Academy for future runs or extend specialised tracks into other areas such as performing arts and sports.
This collaboration was announced today at the YGT Graduation Ceremony at Fernvale Community Club, which celebrated 31 children and 9 seniors from the Jalan Kayu community who completed the intergenerational art and craft programme. The initiative, which began on 14 July 2026, serves as a prime example of YGT’s successful community model—bringing young and old together to learn, create, and bond through artistic expression.
Witnessing the launch and graduation ceremony, Mr Ng Chee Meng, Adviser to Jalan Kayu Grassroots Organisations and NTUC Secretary-General, said: "As a community, we want every child to have the opportunity to learn, explore and discover their interests. Experiences outside the classroom, whether in art, music or sports, help our children build confidence, creativity and the courage to try new things. I am glad that programmes like You’ve Got Talent are bringing these opportunities closer to our families here in Jalan Kayu and in towns across Singapore. This partnership between NTUC Community Fund and NAFA reflects a simple but important idea: we should not only give children the chance to discover a passion or talent, but also provide them with the support and structured opportunity to develop their creative potential further."
Ms Louisa Chng, General Manager, NTUC Community Fund, said: “Starting with one community-based programme in 2025, NTUC Community Fund has widened access to more children and seniors across 13 towns nationwide this year, through partnerships with community and social service organisations beyond the NTUC network. Our partnership with NAFA represents a meaningful evolution of the YGT initiative as we move beyond providing enrichment opportunities to creating deeper-impact, specialised talent development. Through the fully-sponsored YGT Junior Academy, we want to help children nurture their talent further and see how far their artistic journey can lead them."
Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan, President, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, said: “Exposure to the arts from a young age can open new ways for children to express themselves, build confidence and discover their creative potential. At NAFA, we believe that sustained arts learning can give young people the foundation and opportunity to develop that potential further. Through this partnership with NTUC Community Fund, we hope to make high-quality arts learning accessible to more children and give those who show interest and potential the opportunity to deepen their learning over time. We hope that this experience will nurture not only their artistic development, but also a lasting curiosity and appreciation for the arts.”
YGT was developed on the belief that children benefit from opportunities beyond the classroom to explore different interests, develop confidence, and build social-emotional skills. To measure its efficacy, a 2025 study was conducted by NTUC First Campus’ Centre for Early Childhood Transformative Practices.
The study found that lower-income children enrolled in YGT showed a stronger pattern of improvement in socio-emotional development over time compared with children who did not participate. This positive difference in growth was most evident in the areas of Relationship Management and Self-Awareness, with participants also showing key improvements in Responsible Decision Making, Self-Management, and Social Awareness.