Funding to help promote Indian cultural arts
Local arts and cultural groups can expect to receive more funding with a $150 million top up to the Cultural Matching Fund(CMF).
Set up by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) in 2013, the fund provides dollar-for-dollar matching of private cash donations to eligible arts and heritage groups to encourage private giving to the cultural sector.
One beneficiary is the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS).
Its annual Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance - consisting of over 50 events at schools and cultural centres like the Esplanade - costs over $100,000 to organise.
The festival, which promotes awareness and appreciation of Indian classical music and dance, will be SIFAS's 15th this year, from March 25 to April 9.
SIFAS principal, Ms Vidhya Nair, 39, said the CMF eases the cost pressures to break even when organising the festival, since up to 60 per cent of the festival's cost is covered by the fund.
Ms Nair added: "Costs are increasing every year and donation support fluctuates so this support has been important to help us build the festival and open up programs to a greater audience."
SIFAS said it intends to move towards the digital direction to raise more funds: "This is something we are exploring as this platform (giving.org) operates like a crowd-fund and exposes us to a new base of donors."
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