Two artists seek NMP nomination
Dr Felicia Low and Dr Woon Tien Wei seek to replace current arts NMP Kok Heng Leun
Two artists are seeking to represent the arts sector as a Nominated MP (NMP) for the upcoming 2½-year term.
Their names will be submitted to Parliament before the July 6 deadline, after an online exercise to gauge the community's support for the two candidates.
At a townhall yesterday, Dr Woon Tien Wei and Dr Felicia Low made their announcement to about 90 people from the arts community.
Dr Woon, 43, is a curator at Post-Museum, an arts group that explores how people can "make and remake the city". He is also a lecturer in fine arts at Lasalle College of the Arts and holds a doctorate in creative arts from Curtin College, Australia.
Dr Low, 42, is the founder and artistic director of Community Cultural Development (Singapore), a non-profit group that promotes discussion of the arts and develops community arts programmes.
She also teaches art at the Singapore University of Social Sciences and anthropology at the School of the Arts Singapore. She holds a PhD in cultural studies from the National University of Singapore.
Held at Centre 42, a performing space in Bencoolen, the townhall was organised by the Arts NMP Secretariat, volunteers facilitating the nomination process .
Asked about their priorities if selected as NMP, the two candidates had slightly different emphases.
Dr Woon wants to unify Singaporeans of different communities and backgrounds through interactions fostered by the arts. The arts, he said, has the potential to forge "cross-sectional dialogue". He also said that he wants to be a liberal voice in Parliament.
For Dr Low, the arts NMP ensures the arts community actively shapes Singapore culture. She also spoke about recognising artists for their work and the need for the creative field to be further professionalised.
Current arts NMP Kok Heng Leun and former arts NMP Audrey Wong, who served from 2009 to 2011, were also at the townhall to share their experiences.
The Arts NMP Secretariat has an online platform (bit.ly/artsnmp2018) for members of the arts community to express support for the candidates.
The secretariat will send these signatures and documents from the candidates to the National Arts Council, which will formally submit them to the eight-member Parliamentary Special Select Committee chaired by Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin. This committee makes the final selection of NMPs, after interviewing candidates and consulting with elected MPs.
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