Its quite predictable that some Singaporeans will lash out at Eng Kai Ers generous initiative to provide funding to artists to work on projects that are important for themselves (and not for the community or the nation). One of the things I hear is that by accepting the scholarship and then chafing against its onerous bond-restrictions, Eng is an ingrate who is depriving others of a scholarship and a well-paying job. But what I like about this No Star Arts Grant is that it shines a spotlight on the fact that many artists are themselves deprived of funding precisely because their works are not iterations of the government line. There are artists who create complex, challenging works, but who do not get state support like the rest of their peers because their works dont conform to funding regulations. And its no secret that funding regulations are expressions of the party in powers anxiety for political survival and perpetuity--no different really from selective upgrading. Housing estates that display support for the ruling party will be rewarded, those that do not will be penalised. Its the same thing with artists. However, while many Singaporeans can see that selective upgrading is a form of political bullying, they see artists who object to these regulations as having a sense of entitlement. I like the fact that the No Star Arts Grant cuts through all the bullshit that characterises the arts funding regime in Singapore. You dont have to deal with middlemen bureaucrats second-guessing their superiors. With public servants who make decisions based on personal religious convictions but claim that they are merely performing their public duties. With politicians who see their task as managing the artists under their watch, so that they can please their big brothers in the bigger ministries (like Home Affairs) and therefore claim brownie points for their political careers. So to me theres something pure and corrective about this grant. And Id urge my artist friends to apply for it. The money--$1000 to be given out each month--is not much compared to what one can obtain from state agencies. But think of it--its a portion of someones hard-earned salary. How will that kind of spirit shape the work? Think of the freedom to create, untethered to the will of the state. Think of the times when you accepted money from the state and wondered whether your own principles and integrity were also being purchased. Think of subversion, and transmutation--someone elses ball and chain, passed into your hand, is now a balloon.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 07:46:22 +0000