Members of MICA Committees,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all members of MICA Committees. This reception is held in your honour to show MICA’s appreciation of your contributions over the past year.
Community Engagement
2 MICA currently has 805 members serving on 41 committees. This reflects our extensive engagement of the community in carrying out MICA’s mission in the arts and culture, heritage, library, media, infocomm and creative sectors. Each Committee has a crucial role in advising and guiding MICA in formulating policies, developing and refining our many guidelines and assisting MICA to fulfil our mission and discharge our responsibilities.
3 Last year, some of the committees have disbanded or merged with newly established ones to consolidate their work. We also added five new committees – 10Touchpoints Committee, Creative Entrepreneur Workgroup (CEW), Creative Community Singapore Resource Panel (CCS RP), Internet & Media Advisory Committee (INMAC), and the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (AIMS). The formation of these committees is related to some of the new challenges faced by MICA.
Impact of new media on society
4 MICA is implementing the Next Generation National Broadband Network (Next Gen NBN) and also actively promoting the Interactive and Digital Media (IDM) sector. With pervasive high speed broadband and widespread adoption of new media, we can expect both exciting opportunities and serious challenges ahead. The Government has to review our approach and adjust to the changes. This is the reason for forming the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (AIMS) on 1 April 2007.
5 AIMS is chaired by Mr Cheong Yip Seng. Mr Cheong brings with him many years of experience in the world of journalism. He will lead AIMS to study the far-reaching social, ethical, legal and regulatory implications of the new media environment. AIMS will make recommendations to the Government on how these issues should be managed while keeping pace with the development of IDM in Singapore. The committee has met with media industry players, educators, bloggers and academics to better understand the implications and issues facing the various stakeholders. It has also visited the US, UK, Korea and Japan, to learn from their experience with new media.
6 Another new committee formed last year was the Internet and Media Advisory Committee (INMAC). Its role is to provide feedback, guidance and recommendations on media literacy initiatives, industry co-regulation role and other regulatory issues specific to the Media Development Authority (MDA) and MICA. INMAC had already conducted a series of public education programmes called MediAction! in 2007. It reached out to 300,000 participants at about 50 events.
Development of Talent for the Creative Sector
7 In recent years, the creative sector has gained increasing attention as a significant economic driver. MICA is at the forefront of efforts to grow this sector especially in the strategic area of talent development. MICA Continuing Education and Training committees play critical roles in helping us to formulate more industry-oriented skills development and upgrading programmes.
8 For example, last year, CCS and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) embarked on the development of the Creative Entrepreneur Programme (CEP) to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit and enhance the capabilities of creative practitioners. The Creative Entrepreneur Workgroup was set up to guide and provide input on the development of entrepreneurial skills, assist in the industry validation of the Workforce Skills Qualifications and advise on the design, development and implementation of the programme. The Creative Entrepreneur Workgroup comprises accomplished industry players and experienced creative freelancers to ensure that programmes will always be relevant to the needs of growing creative enterprises.
9 The Creative Community Singapore (CCS) has done very well in supporting ground-up efforts in the creative sector. It organised a 24-hour celebration of creativity last December, aptly termed Creative 24, where participants and visitors sampled performances, creative workshops, showcases and projects supported by CCS. CCS also focuses on the development and nurturing of talents and creative businesses for long term business sustainability and growth. To do so, it established the Creative Talent and Business Fund to provide co-funding for innovative ideas. To support these efforts, the CCS Resource Panel was set up last year to review and assess project proposals submitted for funding.
10 This evening, you will be entertained by performers from a CCS-supported incubation programme called Beat-by-Beat, which is devoted to developing original Singapore musicals.
11 Another major milestone in grooming and nurturing talent is the School of the Arts (SOTA) which opened in January this year at the interim premises in Goodman Road. This evening we will be entertained by two of their students, Ryan Goh and Theodore Chung, who will play their violins for us.
Conclusion
12 The year ahead will see exciting events such as the Opening of the Peranakan Museum, Singapore Biennale, the Singapore Arts Festival, Singapore HeritageFest and the imbX 2008. To ensure the success of our various projects and events, we need and are indeed happy to have your invaluable support.
13 On behalf of MICA, I would like to thank each and every committee member for your precious time, effort and guidance rendered to MICA.
14 Finally, I wish all of you a pleasant evening and I look forward to your continued support in the year ahead.
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