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NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL
ARTS
ED U CATI O N
© Copyright 2014, National Arts Council
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying
or otherwise, without prior permission of the
copyright holders.
PUBLISHED BY:
National Arts Council, Singapore
WEBSITE:
http:// www.nac.gov.sg
CONTENTS
2
3
4
THE NAC ARTS EDUCATION FRAMEWORK
Arts Education in Singapore
Core Beliefs and Desired Outcomes
Commitment to Arts Education
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
A RT S E D U C AT I O N
5
7
8
9
12
14
National Arts Council – Arts Education Programme (NAC – AEP)
Feed Your Imagination (F.Y.I)
Words Go Round
Artist-in-School Scheme (AISS)
Arts and Culture Presentation Grant (ACPG)
Dance Talent Development Programme (DTDP)
A RT S I N E D U C AT I O N
16
19
21
23
25
27
28
32
Teaching Through the Arts Programme (TTAP)
Children and Youth At-Risk Partnership Programme
Special Education Partnership Programme (SPED)
Pre-School Arts Programmes
ADVOCATING ARTS EDUCATION
National Arts Education Award (NAEA)
Cultural Medallion Speaker Series
ENCOURAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
For Teachers: Partnership with the Ministry of Education
For Arts Instructors
THE NAC ARTS EDUCATION FRAMEWORK
1
Arts Education
THE NAC ARTS EDUCATION FRAMEWORK
2
Landscape in Singapore
The National Arts Council (NAC) believes that the arts should be an integral part of all Singaporeans’
lives and exposure should begin from a young age. As such, NAC is committed to helping all
students have access to quality arts education for expression, learning and reflection.
The Arts Education unit works closely with the arts community and various agencies, including the
Ministry of Education (MOE), to champion quality arts experiences to be an integrated part of
all schools.
Through NAC’s broad-based efforts, we seek to develop students’ potential for creativity and
expression through the arts as well as deepen their understanding of Singapore culture. We hope
that students will be empowered by the arts and grow to be confident, articulate and creative
adults who will contribute as active citizens to the community.
Top: Children from The Salvation Army (Bukit Panjang) child care centre
creating art works inspired by stories with visual artist and educator,
Wong Seet Fun.
CORE BELIEFS
THE NAC ARTS EDUCATION FRAMEWORK
3
O U R
D E S
I R
E
D
O
U
1. Every child will have attended
a performance or exhibition in
a professional arts venue by the
time they complete secondary
school education
2. Every child will
have a learning
experience in school
with a Singapore
artist or arts group
by the time they
complete secondary
school education
Nurtures
Thinking
Individuals
Every arts instructor will
be trained not only in the
art form, but also the basics
of teaching and learning
4.
Caters to
Different
Student
Needs
WE BELIEVE THAT ARTS EDUCATION...
Every child will be exposed
to arts programmes across all
five art forms (Literary Arts,
Visual Arts, Music, Dance,
Theatre) by the time
they complete secondary
school education
3.
O M E S
T C
Connects
Students with
Their Community
and Culture
Develops
Self-identity
5.
Every MOE arts teacher
will have a professional
learning experience with
a Singaporean artist, arts
group or arts institution
Every school will be
committed to develop
a holistic and integrated
arts education programme
6.
Q
U
A
L
A
I T
Y
C
E
S
R
S
A
C
T
T
4
THE NAC ARTS EDUCATION FRAMEWORK
OUR COMMITMENT TO ARTS EDUCATION
O
S
E
D
U
C
A
T
I O
N
CONTENT
DEVELOPMENT
Quality of
Programmes
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Quality of Instruction
ADVOCACY
Integrated and
Sustainable Experiences
ARTS EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
5
NAC
Arts Education
Programme
The National Arts Council-Arts Education Programme (NAC-AEP)
aims to provide all students with access to quality arts education
programmes. Each year, the NAC-AEP makes available 800
arts programmes by close to 240 artists and arts groups.
The programmes are endorsed by a panel of professional artists
and arts educators and listed on the NAC-AEP website at
https://aep.nac.gov.sg for schools’ reference.
TARGET GROUPS
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Special Education Schools
Junior Colleges
ITE Regional Campuses
Centralised Institute
The NAC-AEP is also available for pre-schools.
For more information, please refer to pgs 23 – 24.
ART FORMS
All Art Forms
Students from Palm View Primary
School learning about ceramics
at one of two dragon kilns
in Singapore
Chinese Theatre Circle
conducting a Chinese Opera
Workshop for Secondary Two
students from CHIJ Secondary
(Toa Payoh)
Students from Boon Lay Garden
Primary School attending a string
duet recital by New Zealand
guitar and violin duo, Duo Jacksons
Types of NAC-AEP Programmes:
Exposure
Assembly
performances
or shows by
professional artists
and arts groups
Duration of 30 to
40 minutes
Experience
Workshops
conducted by arts
instructors and
practitioners
Hands-on learning
experience
Suitable for small
groups of students
Excursion
Regular AEP
Visits to arts
venues: artists’
studios, galleries,
museums, etc
Programmes
available
throughout the
NAC-AEP cycle
Public Arts
Programmes
Ad-hoc ticketed
public performances
or exhibitions by
professional artists
and arts groups
BLE
School Type
Annual Grant
Quantum
Co-payment
Scheme
Primary and
Secondary Schools,
Junior Colleges and
Centralised Institute
$15,000
Up to 50% of
programme cost
ITE Regional
Campuses
$50,000
Up to 50% of
programme cost
Special Education
Schools
$9,000
Up to 70% of
programme cost
Note: At least 60% of the annual Grant quantum should be used to subsidise
the purchase of arts programmes by Singapore arts groups.
ARTS EDUCATION
The Tote Board Arts Grant was introduced in 1995 to encourage
the development of a vibrant arts culture in schools and promote
arts appreciation among students. It subsidises schools’ purchase
of any programme endorsed under the NAC-AEP.
6
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
FUN
VA ILA
A
Tote Board Arts Grant
D I NG
Feed Your
Imagination
(F.Y.I)
Feed Your Imagination (F.Y.I) is a partnership with Esplanade –
Theatres on the Bay as part of NAC-AEP Arts Excursion
Programmes. NAC works with The Esplanade and the arts
groups to ensure the quality of productions and the suitability
for student audiences.
The programme consists of music, dance and drama
performances by established arts groups such as Ding Yi
Music Company, Apsara Asia and The Finger Players.
G
ART FORMS
Music
Theatre
Film and Multi Media
Dance
AV
LE
TARGET GROUPS
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Special Education Schools
Junior Colleges
ITE Regional Campuses
Centralised Institute
Each F.Y.I performance also includes a guided tour of The
Esplanade, an activity kit for each student that encourages
post-performance learning and a resource kit for teachers to
use before and after watching the performance.
NDIN
FU
ARTS EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
7
Tote Board Arts Grant
AILAB
Schools are able to use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise
up to 50% of the ticket price. NAC also supports F.Y.I via a
bulk buying discount scheme. Schools will receive an additional
five tickets for every purchase of 100 tickets. This is in addition
to The Esplanade’s incentive of 1 complimentary teacher ticket
for every 20 student tickets purchased per performance.
SPED schools are able to use the Tote Board Arts Grant to
subsidise up to 70% of the ticket price. In view of the higher
student-teacher ratio, SPED schools will receive 1 additional
ticket with every purchase of 10 student tickets. This is in addition
to The Esplanade’s incentive of 2 complimentary teacher tickets
for every 10 student tickets purchased per performance.
For more details, visit http://www.esplanade.com/fyi
LE
A
G
ART FORMS
Literary Arts
Tote Board Arts Grant
AV
TARGET GROUPS
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Junior Colleges
Centralised Institute
ILAB
All programmes for students are under the National Arts Council
Arts Education Programme and eligible for the Tote Board Arts
Grant subsidy.
Please visit http://aep.nac.gov.sg/wgr for more information or send your
enquiries to nac_wgr@nac.gov.sg
Writer Morris Gleitzman at
Methodist Girls’ Primary School
Storyteller Rosemarie Somaiah at Bukit View Primary School
ARTS EDUCATION
In conjunction with the NAC’s Singapore Writers Festival School
Programme, Words Go Round brings writers into schools to
share their ideas, stories and lives with students and teachers.
Encompassing enriching talks and hands-on workshops by
Singaporean and International writers, it is a great opportunity
for students to delve into the world of literature and spark their
imagination. Focusing on the official languages of Singapore
(English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil), Words Go Round reaches
out to thousands of students from pre-school all the way to junior
college levels. There are also teacher workshops to enthuse
our educators. Literary luminaries previously featured include
Morris Gleitzman, Garth Nix, Kate Forsyth, Alfian Sa’at, Han
Han and many more.
NDIN
U
F
Words
Go Round
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
8
Artist-In-School
Scheme
The Artist-In-School Scheme (AISS) supports extended
collaborations of at least one semester between schools and
practising Singaporean artists and writers, and result in arts
education programmes customised to meet the specific needs
and aspirations of the school and students.
TARGET GROUPS
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Special Education Schools
Junior Colleges
ITE Regional Campuses
Centralised Institute
Schools can use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise part of
the AISS project costs. On top of that, NAC provides grants for
the following:
N
LE
School Type
Funding Support
B
A
V
DIN
G
ART FORMS
All Art Forms
AISS Grant and Tote Board Arts Grant
FU
ARTS EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
9
AILA
Primary and
Secondary Schools
Junior Colleges and
Centralised Institute
ITE Regional Campuses
Up to $10,000 or 50% of
the qualifying cost submitted
(whichever is lower)
Special Education Schools
Up to $20,000 or 70% of
the qualifying cost submitted
(whichever is lower)
After the first year, schools are eligible to apply for the AISS
grant for the same project for up to a maximum of two further
consecutive years.
AISS is also available for pre -schools. For more information,
please refer to pgs 23 – 24.
Yew Tee Primary School works with traditional arts group,
Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts Ltd, to introduce Angklung
ensemble playing to all the Primary 2 students as part of the
school’s Music curriculum. The students pick up musical skills,
display teamwork through ensemble playing and also develop
a greater appreciation and understanding of Malay Music.
In addition, in-school performances by Sri Warisan and excursions
to the group’s studio give students greater exposure to Malay
arts and culture.
Students picking up musical skills
Primary 2 students proud to have performed for Senior Minister of State,
Ministry of Education, Ms Indranee Rajah
ARTS EDUCATION
AISS Project:
Yew Tee
Primary School
&
Sri Warisan Som Said
Performing Arts Ltd
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
10
ARTS EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
11
AISS Project:
Yio Chu Kang
Secondary School
&
JoyArts
Yio Chu Kang Secondary School (YCKSS) works with
experienced arts educator Jean Ng and her team from JoyArts
on an in-curriculum drama programme, as part of the school’s
Arts Enrichment Programme. Through this AISS project,
Secondary 1 to 3 students experience progressive learning in
drama to build their knowledge and appreciation of theatre.
Students develop an understanding of spatial and sensory
awareness, improvisation skills and vocal expressiveness.
They are also introduced to drama strategies and theatre forms,
such as newspaper theatre. The learning from the sessions with
the artists culminates in a drama showcase during assembly for
the entire school.
Role-playing used as a teaching device at Yio Chu Kang Secondary School
I am delighted to have Jean and her team of artists present to develop the drama curriculum
with the school and to share their expertise with our students in YCKSS. Drama provides an avenue
for our students to express their creative ideas and diverse voices. Through discussions, negotiations,
rehearsals and performing in front of an audience, the students learnt how to collaborate and work
with one another. Taking on acting roles from different situations and cultures promotes empathy and
compassion for others’ feelings and viewpoints. I believe that the confidence gained in drama is
applicable to other aspects of school, the students’ future career and in life.
Miss Kang Poh Geok
Yio Chu Kang Secondary School,
HOD (Arts & Leadership Education)
For more information about the Artist-in-School Scheme, please visit
http://aep.nac.gov.sg/artistinschool
The Arts and Culture Presentation Grant (ACPG) is an initiative to
support school groups in staging performances, exhibitions, or
literary arts productions for public audiences. This is to create
more opportunities for youths to have a deeper engagement with
the arts by being able to showcase their work beyond the school
community, especially in public spaces.
TARGET GROUPS
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Special Education Schools
Junior Colleges
ITE Regional Campuses
Centralised Institute
We hope the ACPG will motivate more students to nurture their
interests and talents beyond school and encourage them to see
themselves as part of a wider arts and culture community.
The ACPG can be used to support presentations such as (but not
limited to) a play, musical, dance production, exhibition, concert,
heritage or literary arts event or publication (e.g. poetry reading
or collected poetry publications) at a public performing space,
gallery, concert hall, park, library, community centre, museum,
etc. Online presentations and e-books will be considered on a
case-by-case basis.
AV
A
NDIN
LE
U
The grant is managed together with the Ministry of Education
and the National Heritage Board. Priority will be given to schools
and projects where students are presenting their works for the
first time to the public or have had limited opportunities to do so.
G
F
ART FORMS
All Art Forms
Schools will be funded up to $10,000 or 50% of the project
ILAB
cost (whichever is lower) based on the merit of the proposal.
ARTS EDUCATION
Arts and Culture
Presentation
Grant
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
12
ARTS EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
13
ACPG Projects:
Clementi Town
Secondary School
Macpherson
Primary School
The school staged a musical at the University
Culture Centre in June 2014. Based on an
original script written by teachers and the school’s
alumni, the production was put together by a
team of dedicated teachers and students from
the Drama Club and many student volunteers.
In 2013, Macpherson Primary School held
an Angklung Extravaganza at the Republic
Polytechnic Cultural Centre, bringing together
two secondary schools and 10 primary schools.
The performance made it to the Singapore
Book of Records for having the largest
Angklung Ensemble.
Titled “Dear You”, the musical revolved around
friendships forged during Secondary School
days, and the importance of accepting the
subtle differences that make us unique.
Clementi Town Secondary School’s production of their
original script, “Dear You”
The pupils who took part said that the
experience has motivated them to continue
their involvement in the arts, especially with
ethnic musical instruments.
Macpherson Primary School’s performance of
Angklung Extravaganza
Visit the ACPG website at http://aep.nac.gov.sg/acpg
for more information.
TARGET GROUPS
Secondary Schools (Sec 3)
The Dance Talent Development Programme (DTDP) is a fully
funded dance programme that nurtures young dance enthusiasts
by bringing them together as a community and giving them the
opportunity to interact with established local dance artists and
choreographers. It complements talent development opportunities
in other art forms such as the Singapore National Youth
Orchestra for young musicians.
ART FORM
Dance
Participants of Dance Talent Development Programme
Organised by NAC and MOE, and managed by LASALLE
College of the Arts, the annual programme which involves close
to 200 secondary school students across 170 schools is
conducted in three phases:
Phase One
Phase Two
Phase Three
Sec 3 dancers across various secondary
schools will convene for a three-day dance
camp that seeks to broaden and deepen their
dance experience.
Each selected student
will be attached to
one of the six dance
companies and
undergo 30 hours
of professional
dance training.
Students come
together for combined
training sessions at
LASALLE College of
the Arts. As the
students learn to
synthesise all that they
have learnt from their
dance training, the
months of dedication
culminate in a final
showcase for an
audience of school
principals, teachers,
parents and friends.
Students will be introduced to the six dance
forms through master classes conducted by
professional dance companies:
Bhaskar’s Arts Academy (Indian Dance)
Era Dance Theatre (Malay Dance)
Frontier Danceland (Contemporary Dance)
O School (Hip Hop)
Singapore Dance Theatre (Ballet)
Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Dance Theatre
(Chinese Dance)
Following the classes, there will be an audition
to select those who are ready for Phase Two.
Through this, students
get the rare opportunity
of training with a
professional dance
company and a
glimpse of life as a
professional dancer.
ARTS EDUCATION
Dance Talent
Development
Programme
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
14
ARTS EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
15
2013 DTDP Participants:
The DTDP was enriching due to the
exposure to different dance forms as well as the
friendships forged with other like-minded dancers.
It was also an opportunity for us to work with
professional local dance companies. Being in
DTDP definitely trained me to juggle my time
better which I believe is an important skill
that students need to have.
Lim Hong Jun Alvan
Contemporary Dance Participant
DTDP is definitely one of the most
fulfilling, enjoyable and amazing experiences
I have been through. I feel that I have grown in
many different ways. Perseverance and selfdiscipline are definitely attributes I’ve developed
through the intensive dance trainings. The whole
process has taught me the importance of
having an open-mind towards ideas.
Lim Jia Yi
Ballet Dance Participant
Find out more about
Dance Talent Development Programme here:
http://aep.nac.gov.sg/dtdp
NAC provides schools with grants of 80% of costs.
A
V
TTAP Project:
Mayflower
Primary School
&
Peggy Ferroa
G
FU
ART FORMS
All Art Forms
LE
AILA
At Mayflower Primary School, the Mathematics teachers aim to
use drama as a pedagogical tool for the engaged learning of
Mathematics by creating opportunities for pupils to ‘Learn by
Doing’ and to ‘Make Thinking Visible’. Together with drama
educator Peggy Ferroa, teachers integrate drama into the
teaching of Mathematics concepts which pupils usually have
difficulties grasping such as problem sums, area and perimeter.
For example, students create circular props to be used for a play.
Through this activity, students gain a deeper understanding of
radii, circumference, etc. Teachers feel that these activities help
to illustrate Mathematics concepts more clearly, especially for the
visual and kinaesthetic learners.
Pupils built on each other’s suggestions and ideas as
they adopted the role of prop designers to create circular props
for a skit. Pupils owned their problems and planned to solve them.
I was mainly involved in the facilitation of the whole process.
Pupils were able to come up with their own ways of drawing
a circle with their ‘self made’ instruments. I was impressed with
their initiative and resourcefulness.
Mdm Tricia Wee
Teacher, Mayflower Primary School
ARTS IN EDUCATION
TARGET GROUPS
Primary Schools
The Teaching Through the Arts Programme (TTAP) supports
schools that are interested to experiment with arts-based
pedagogy as an approach to teaching and learning non-arts
subjects. Through arts activities that encourage visualisation,
embodying and creative expression, TTAP aims to help students
construct a deeper understanding of concepts. Participating
schools identify a learning opportunity to be addressed through
a creative process which connects an art form and subject
area, and teachers then work with teaching artists to co-design
I
and co-teach in the classroom.
ND N
B
Teaching
Through the Arts
Programme
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
16
ARTS IN EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
17
Learning about area and
perimeter through drama
Students excited to see their teachers in the ‘hot seat’, a drama strategy used in
Mayflower Primary School by Teaching Artist Peggy Ferroa
Percentage was a difficult topic for me previously.
I could not relate it to anything, thereby causing more confusion.
However, these lessons have actually helped me see the
link between Percentages, Fractions and Decimals. Having
experienced the drama lessons, I had fun as I learnt to make
the connections.
Lee Yern Yu
Pupil, Mayflower Primary School
The Mathematics teachers in Haig Girls’ School work with
drama educator Noorlinah Mohamed to create, develop and
implement TTAP lessons which help increase students’ interest
in Mathematics. Through a multi-disciplinary arts approach,
Noorlinah uses art-making principles and practices (e.g.
storytelling, story-building, physical movement and rehearsing)
to explore topics such as multiplication, money, time and graphs.
In addition to co-developing and co-teaching TTAP lessons for
Primary 2 and Primary 5 Mathematics classes, Noorlinah also
provides consultation to Primary 1 – 5 Mathematics teachers on
their approach to integrating the arts with Mathematics.
Students from Haig Girls’ School exploring movement with Teaching Artist
Noorlinah Mohamed
It’s not like the normal lessons where the teachers will
just explain, “Oh, this and this equals this”. Ms Noorlinah uses
stories to explain concepts behind the topic.
Jeanette Goh
Pupil, Haig Girls’ School
For more information of other TTAP projects, visit http://aep.nac.gov.sg/ttap
ARTS IN EDUCATION
TTAP Project:
Haig Girls’ School
&
Noorlinah Mohamed
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
18
Children &
Youth
At-Risk
Children & Youth At-Risk Programme
The arts play an important role in offering young people at-risk
an avenue for engagement, and an outlet for expression, growth
and reflection. NAC supports collaborations between artists and
counsellors/social workers/teachers from schools and Voluntary
Welfare Organisations to provide young people with access to
the arts as a tool for positive youth development.
TARGET GROUPS
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Through customised programmes to meet the needs of young
people at-risk, the transformative power of the arts can be
activated to increase self-esteem, renew interest in learning
and develop positive life skills (e.g. respect, perseverance,
teamwork, etc).
ART FORMS
All Art Forms
Programmes are co-developed by artists and counsellors/
teachers/social workers and offered to small groups of students
(10 – 20 participants) during curriculum time or as an
afterschool programme.
There are two tracks under the NAC Arts for Children & Youth
At-Risk Programme;
UNDI
G
ABL
E
AVA
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N
F
ARTS IN EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
19
Partners
Annual Grant
Quantum
Co-payment
Scheme
School + VWO +
Artist
$10,000
Up to 90% of
programme cost
School and Artist
$5,000
Up to 70% of
programme cost
For more information about Youth At-Risk programmes, please visit
http://aep.nac.gov.sg/childrenyouthatrisk
Lutheran Community Care Services (LCCS) has been partnering
several schools to include an arts component that complements
the social work intervention for students at-risk. Programmes are
customised for each school in discussion with the social worker
and artist to achieve specific outcomes, in response to students’
behavioural and/or socio-emotional issues.
These programmes involve a series of arts workshops (typically
10-sessions as part of a school term), leading up to a mini
showcase to celebrate the students’ achievements. Artists will
deliver the arts component of the programme while the social
workers will help to process the learning with the students during
debrief and circle time.
In one of the programmes, LCCS collaborated with a photography
instructor to deliver a photography programme. Participants
picked up photography skills, and a greater sense of belonging
to their school was fostered when they were given the opportunity
to capture the school‘s national day celebrations. During the
weekly sessions, participants also had the opportunity to talk
about their inspirations and the meaning behind the images.
Through the circle time facilitated by LCCS and the arts instructor,
participants learnt how to respect and positively communicate
with one another and they also showed appreciation for each
other’s images. Participants were engaged and showed interest
in learning and demonstrated increased school attendance.
Using the arts as a platform to engage students is a novel way to teach new skills and
address socio-emotional issues within the class. Before the programme, students would only
co-operate with their peers who were of the same gender. However this programme has given
them an opportunity to work with and rely on peers that are not within their clique. Also, their form
teachers were amazed and pleasantly surprised when observing the students take ownership and
responsibility to work together to pull off a showcase. Allowing the students to experience success
and positive recognition from various stakeholders during the end showcase was important to
encourage a restorative relationship between the students and the school.
Ms Yasmeen Shariff
Programme Manager/Counsellor, LCCS
ARTS IN EDUCATION
Youth At-Risk
Programme Project:
Lutheran Community
Care Services (LCCS)
with Schools
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
20
Special
Education
Partnership
Programme
The NAC-SPED Partnership Programme supports efforts to
promote the use of the arts as a pedagogical tool in Special
Education schools so that the arts can become more deeply
embedded as an integral and integrated part of the overall
school experience. Artists and school teachers work closely
together to co-develop and co-teach customised arts-based
lessons that target the learning needs of students with different
disabilities and address larger educational goals, for example,
motor skills development and oral communication.
TARGET GROUPS
Special Education Schools
BLE
A
Schools are eligible to apply for the Partnership Programme grant
for the same project for up to a maximum of two consecutive years.
D I NG
Annual Grant
Quantum
Co-payment
Scheme
First Year
$10,000
Up to 90% of
programme cost
Second Year
$7,000
Up to 70% of
programme cost
VAIL
A
ART FORMS
All Art Forms
FUN
ARTS IN EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
21
Visual artist Mr Foo Kwee Horng conducting teacher training at
Rainbow Centre · Margaret Drive School
Students in SPED schools are also eligible for
Public Arts and Arts Education Programmes (pgs 5 – 6), F.Y.I (pg 7),
the Artist-in-School Scheme (pgs 9 – 11) and the
Arts and Culture Presentation Grant (pgs 12 – 13 )
Please refer to the relevant pages for more information.
Grace Orchard School engaged Teaching Artist Michael
Cheng to co-develop and co-teach a drama programme for
students diagnosed with mild intellectual disability and/or mild
autism. The programme sought to enhance social engagement
and co-operation as well as promote character-building values
via stories.
To ensure the sustainability of the programme, Michael conducted
training sessions to equip the teachers with teaching strategies so
they would be able to continue the programme independently.
Michael Cheng with students from Grace Orchard School
The NAC SPED Partnership Fund has allowed us to
bring in a drama professional to work with our students and
teachers in developing a sound and robust drama curriculum
for our students with special needs.
Our students enjoy the drama lessons and we have seen
them developing greater self-awareness through the
10-week programme.
Ms Esther Kwan
Aesthetics Programme Head, Grace Orchard School
ARTS IN EDUCATION
NAC SPED
Partnership Programme:
Grace Orchard School
&
Michael Cheng
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
22
Pre-School
Arts
Programmes
In partnership with the Early Childhood Development Agency
(ECDA) and MOE, NAC has developed an Arts Education
Programme (AEP) database for the pre-school sector and initiated
a pilot Artist-in-School Scheme (AISS) in 2014.
The Pre-school AEP, curated by representatives from the arts &
early childhood education sectors, can be downloaded from
the NAC website (http://aep.nac.gov.sg/preschool).
TARGET GROUPS
Pre-School
ART FORMS
All Art Forms
Pre-schools are encouraged to refer to the list of endorsed
programmes when purchasing programmes for their children.
NAC will be working closely with ECDA to explore possible
funding subsidy for selected pre-schools. Updates will be posted
on the NAC-AEP website when available.
The pilot Pre-school AISS enables children to gain access to
quality arts programmes conducted by professional arts instructors
over a sustained period, and seeks to nurture positive attitudes
towards learning in and through the arts. It also helps teachers
to meet the learning goals in Aesthetics and Creative Expression
as reflected in the Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) Curriculum
Framework for Kindergartens in Singapore. The AISS lessons are
customised to the schools’ needs and are designed so that they
can subsequently be integrated into the schools’ curriculum.
NAC and ECDA will identify 5 new kindergartens and/or child
care centres for the AISS each year. Interested pre-schools can
contact ECDA to indicate their interest for the AISS. Centres
which have undergone their first cycle of AISS can apply directly
to NAC to continue with the AISS in subsequent years.
D
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For Pre-school AISS:
G
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ARTS IN EDUCATION
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
23
School Type
Funding Support
Non-profit pre-schools
up to $7,000 or 70% of the
programme costs (whichever is lower)
For-profit pre-schools
up to $3,000 or 30% of the
programme costs (whichever is lower)
Children from PCF Pasir Ris West
at a ceramic class with Minister
of Culture, Community and Youth,
Mr Lawrence Wong
PCF Sparkletots Pasir Ris West partnered Teaching Artist Hazel
Wong from Ceramique Studio to deliver a Visual Arts (Ceramics)
Programme for N2 children. Through exploring properties of clay
and experimenting with its soft and responsive sensory qualities,
children developed their fine motor and problem solving skills.
The programme also encouraged creativity, self-expression and
confidence. Besides the classroom sessions, the programme also
included excursions to the Botanical Gardens and Singapore
Zoo where the children were brought on guided tours to observe
and learn more about plants and animals, before creating their
ceramic works onsite. As part of the programme, teachers also
attended workshops that focused on specific art-form skills and
pedagogies for teaching ceramics to children.
Compared to my classes at Goodman Ceramic Studio,
the children at PCF come from a wider social and economic
background; some children are verbally expressive, while others
take a longer time to warm up. However, with the enthusiastic
support from the school, I gradually saw a transformation in the
children’s ability and capacity for visual and verbal expression.
One of the unexpected rewards of working with children is that
it has been inspirational for me to see the quieter ones express
their sense of curiosity and wonderment through art.
Ms Hazel Wong
Ceramicist
Children from Soka Kindergarten learning dance from instructors from
Kavanagh Dance
ARTS IN EDUCATION
Pre-School AISS Project:
PCF Sparkletots
Pasir Ris West
&
Hazel Wong
ENHANCING ARTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES
24
National
Arts Education
Award
The National Arts Education Award (NAEA) is a
national arts award for Singapore schools. The award, which is
valid for 4 years, seeks to:
Affirm schools which provide holistic integrated and sustained
arts education for their students
Provide all schools with a framework to guide the
development of good arts practices and programmes
The NAEA framework, which was developed in collaboration
with the Arts Education Branch at MOE, guides schools in
making a self-assessment based on three categories of Spark,
Glow and Blaze. The 3-tier framework provides schools with a
guided approach to assess the stage of their arts education
development. Each award category has its own merit and is
recognised as an important level of development.
NAE Award Category
Profile of Schools
ADVOCATING ARTS EDUCATION
25
SPARK
Take proactive steps to
build a vibrant arts culture
Develop clear structures
and programmes for
arts education
Develop students’ interest
in at least 2 art forms
GLOW
Demonstrate holistic
planning and processes to
build a vibrant arts culture
BLAZE
Have built a vibrant arts
culture and sustained
participation in all art forms
Develop clear structures
and programmes for
arts education
Contribute through the
arts to the community and
champion the arts
Develop students’ interest
in all art forms
Lead and assist other
schools in their arts
education development
26
ADVOCATING ARTS EDUCATION
The NAEA Framework covers:
PROCESS
School Policy
and Planning
RESULTS
Implementation of
Programmes
+
Arts Culture In and
Beyond School
Domain 1: School Policy and Planning
This domain examines how the school articulates and implements
its policy on arts education to ensure students’ access to a holistic
arts education.
Domain 2: Implementation of Programmes
This domain examines how the school implements its arts
programmes, develops its staff, maximises the use of resources
as well as nurtures partnerships with other organisations, to attain
the goals that are set for its arts programmes.
Domain 3: Arts Culture In and Beyond School
This domain examines how the school promotes a vibrant arts
culture for students to access the arts and achieves positive results.
More information about the award can be found here:
https://aep.nac.gov.sg/naea
ADVOCATING ARTS EDUCATION
27
Cultural
Medallion
Speaker
Series
The Cultural Medallion (CM) Speaker Series in
Schools seeks to inspire the next generation of Singaporeans
through the stories of artists who are masters of their artistic
practice and continue to play a key role in shaping Singapore’s
arts scene.
Targeted at students between the ages of 15 and 18 years old,
the CM Speaker Series in Schools challenges inquisitive minds to
investigate the significance of arts and culture in society, and
illuminates the unwavering spirit and passion of an individual in
charting new frontiers.
TARGET GROUPS
Secondary Schools
Junior Colleges
ART FORMS
All Art Forms
For more information, please visit:
www.nac.gov.sg/speakerseries
In 2014, four Cultural Medallion speakers – Ms Angela Liong
(Dance), Prof Jeremy Monteiro (Music), Mr Ho Ho Ying (Visual
Arts) and Mr T. Sasitharan (Theatre) – conducted a total of 8
Speaker Series sessions at various Junior Colleges, Secondary
Schools and Polytechnics.
Ms Angela Liong ·
Serangoon Junior College
Prof Jeremy Monteiro ·
Temasek Junior College
Mr Ho Ho Ying ·
Anglican High School
Mr T. Sasitharan ·
Nanyang Girls’ High School
Partnership
with the
Ministry of
Education for
Professional
Development
of Teachers
NAC collaborates with the Singapore Teachers’ Academy for
the aRts (STAR) and the MOE Arts Education Branch (AEB) to
support the professional development of MOE arts teachers and
key personnel overseeing arts education programmes in schools.
MOE-NAC Master Artist Series
The MOE-NAC Master Artist Series is co-organised by NAC
and STAR. These sessions enable teachers to have a better
understanding of the practices and philosophies of our veteran
Singapore artists, and we hope that they will, in turn, be inspired
to engage in their own arts practice and share their learning
with their students.
In 2014, four Cultural Medallion recipients, Mr Ho Ho Ying,
Prof Jeremy Monteiro, Mrs Santha Bhaskar and Mr Ivan Heng,
were invited for sharing sessions with arts teachers.
Mrs Santha Bhaskar sharing her artistic experiences with arts teachers
ENCOURAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
28
ENCOURAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
29
Learning Journey for MOE’s Leadership
and Management Programme (LAMP+)
NAC partners with MOE AEB for the Learning Journey component
of MOE’s Leadership and Management Programme for all newly
appointed key personnel overseeing arts education in schools.
These learning journeys focus on deepening teachers’
understanding of the role artists can play in the classroom, and
help them to build sustainable collaborations with artists and
arts groups to enrich students’ arts experiences in schools.
Art co-ordinators trying out simple Malay Dance steps led by Osman from
Era Dance Theatre
Artist-Mentor Scheme
The Artist-Mentor Scheme (AMS) is an initiative helmed by
STAR and supported by NAC. It aims to develop teachers’
competencies by partnering practitioners to co-teach in Art,
Music, Dance and Drama. The teachers go through a
collaborative process of learning with the mentors who are
established, respected practitioners in their art form.
This scheme is open to all government and government-aided schools.
AMS Project:
Hillgrove
Secondary School
&
Ghanavenothan
Retnam
The AMS supported teachers from Hillgrove Secondary School
to learn under musician Ghanavenothan Retnam to deepen their
understanding of music for the Indian Orchestra. This professional
learning opportunity also supported them in developing an
educational resource kit that could be shared with other teachers.
For more information, please visit: http://www.star.moe.edu.sg.
The strength of the project was that we were able to
have a first-hand experience of Indian music in Singapore from
the practitioners themselves. It was good to have Mr Ghana
conduct the workshop and training, as he was able to translate
the Indian musical concepts into terms that could be easily
understood by western musicians like us. I also benefitted a lot
through the hands-on sessions where we made music on the
Indian instruments. As he came to observe and comment on
my lessons, I learnt how to teach Indian music in the classroom
more effectively, from a more cultural perspective.
Mr Ghanavenothan Retnam
with a teacher from Hillgrove
Secondary School
Mr Wong Yoon Foong
Teacher, Hillgrove Secondary School
ENCOURAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
30
ENCOURAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
31
Partnership with Lincoln Center for
Education (LCE), New York, USA
Every year, NAC organises workshops by Teaching Artists
from LCE to enhance the capabilities of selected MOE Art and
Music teachers in developing their students’ ‘Capacities for
Imaginative Learning’.
The workshops cover experiential and inquiry-based activities,
pedagogy discussions and viewing of live works of art as well
as planning, designing and writing lesson plans which optimise
the potential of the arts to help students develop creative, critical
thinking, and other 21st Century Competencies.
Participants creating a tableau at the Capacities for Imaginative
Learning Workshop
Professional
Development
for Arts
Instructors
To ensure arts instructors are equipped with the skills to deliver
engaging arts education programmes in schools, NAC works
closely with various training institutions to provide training
opportunities that enhance arts instructors’ professional and
pedagogical skills.
Training can take various forms, from 1-year structured training
to ad-hoc workshops. This is to accommodate the different
schedules and interests of instructors.
NIE International
NAC has collaborated with the National Institute of Education
International (NIEI) to deliver structured, sustained formal
pedagogical training to arts instructors who wish to enhance
their professional practice. Two flagship courses are currently
offered: the Specialist Diploma in Arts Education and the
Essentials of Teaching and Learning Certificate.
Specialist Diploma in Arts Education
The 240-hour Specialist Diploma in Arts Education
programme equips participants with the skills to nurture
creativity in a learning environment, communicate effectively
with students, plan and evaluate arts lessons, and motivate
students. Held over one year, participants of the Specialist
Diploma will go through a total of 8 modules, conducted by
lecturers from NIE International.
For more information on the Specialist Diploma in Arts Education,
please visit: http://aep.nac.gov.sg/capdev/sdae
ENCOURAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
32
33
ENCOURAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Essentials of Teaching and Learning
The 40-hour Essentials of Teaching and Learning Certificate
provides arts instructors with an introduction to key ideas in
teaching and learning. The course covers 4 broad areas:
basic principles of the psychology of learning, the process of
teaching, lesson planning, and assessment and evaluation.
From 2017, this course will be the minimum formal
pedagogical training requirement for arts instructors who
teach NAC-AEP Experience workshop programmes.
For more information on the Essentials of Teaching and Learning
Certificate, please visit: http://aep.nac.gov.sg/capdev/em
Social Service Institute (SSI)
To equip arts instructors with skills to deliver arts programmes to
children with special needs, NAC has collaborated with the
Social Service Institute (SSI) to deliver a customised pedagogical
training course covering both sensory and behavioural disabilities.
2013 Course participants
Working and Facilitating the Learning of Children with
Special Needs in the Arts
The 42-hour Working and Facilitating the Learning of
Children with Special Needs in the Arts course is a highly
interactive course featuring activities, case studies, discussions
and a practicum component. The course aims to equip arts
instructors with the skills to:
Describe common disabilities, characteristics and
developmental milestones of children with special needs
Assess and analyse students’ learning profiles via a
theoretical framework
Apply specific and broad theories in enhancing students’
learning behaviour
Integrate knowledge and practice of special needs in arts
lessons or activities
For more information on the customised course, please email
nac_aep@nac.gov.sg.
SEED Institute
NAC has collaborated with the SEED Institute to deliver a
customised pedagogical training course to equip arts instructors
with the essential skills to engage pre-school children in
meaningful creative experiences through purposeful play and
arts activities.
Teaching the Arts in an Early Childhood Environment
The 46-hour Teaching the Arts in an Early Childhood
Environment course covers the following areas:
Physical and Psychological Developmental Milestones of
Children Aged 4 – 6
Effective Engagement Strategies
Integrating the Arts into an Early Childhood Curriculum
Based on MOE Nurturing Early Learners: A Curriculum
Framework for Kindergartens in Singapore
Early Childhood Lesson Planning
Assessment and Evaluation of Children’s Learning
Design of Learning Environments
For more information on the customised course, please email
preschool_aep@nac.gov.sg.
Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning
Through the Arts, Virginia, USA
NAC collaborates with the Early Childhood Development
Agency (ECDA), to organise workshops on arts integrated
learning for children, targeted at both artists and pre-school
educators. The workshops led by Teaching Artists from The Wolf
Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts equip participants
with the skills to integrate the arts into the pre-school curriculum
to meet learning goals as reflected in the Nurturing Early Learners
(NEL) Framework for kindergartens in Singapore.
Participants creating a tableau at
a workshop led by Wolf Trap
Institute for Early Learning Through
the Arts
All pre-school educators will be informed of the workshops via pre-school
connect, while interested artists can email preschool_aep@nac.gov.sg to get
more information.
ENCOURAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
34
ENCOURAGING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
E
To encourage participation from arts instructors and artists,
A I L A NAC offers substantial subsidies of up to 90% on course and
workshop fees for qualifying applicants. More information is
available at the registration phase of each training programme.
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In addition, arts instructors and artists keen to develop their
pedagogical or arts integration skills through courses offered by
other organisations and institutions, local or abroad, may also
apply for the NAC Capability Development Grant.
This grant supports individuals and organisations in acquiring
skills and knowledge needed to meet the demands of their work
in the arts sector. Support of up to $20,000 per financial year is
available for successful applicants. Individuals who are looking
into pursuing full-time studies at the undergraduate or postgraduate
levels may apply for the NAC Arts Scholarships.
More information may be found at:
http://aep.nac.gov.sg/capdev/cdgrant; and
http://aep.nac.gov.sg/capdev/scholarships
OTHER YOUTH ARTS PROGRAMMES
For teachers who are interested to connect their students with
opportunities beyond school, you may want to check out the
various youth wings run by arts groups. The NAC Arts Education
team is happy to help you with this as necessary.
In addition, your students may also benefit from the Noise
and Matchbox programmes run by our NAC Youth Arts team
which provide a range of learning, mentorship and
showcase opportunities.
Find out more here: https://www.noisesingapore.com/
CONTACT US
All information in this booklet is accurate at time of printing.
For more real-time updates, please refer to the NAC-AEP website.
Visit us at
http://aep.nac.gov.sg.
or email us at
NAC_AEP@nac.gov.sg.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Photos courtesy of:
Boon Lay Garden Primary School
Bukit View Primary School
Clementi Town Secondary School
Grace Orchard School
Haig Girls’ School
Macpherson Primary School
Mayflower Primary School
Palm View Primary School
Yew Tee Primary School
Yio Chu Kang Primary School
Yio Chu Kang Secondary School
MOE Singapore Teachers’ Academy for the aRts