Singapore poet Jee Leong Koh is calling on other artists in the nation to forgo art funding from the government in an effort to stand up to censorship and the influence the state wields over creative endeavors.
Crafting a heated Facebook post, the poet decried recent comments by an official with the National Arts Council. The official, Chan Heng Chee, gave a speech talking about the evolving arts scene in Singapore and the importance of teamwork and compromise between the state and the artists themselves in terms of censorship and funding.
Koh took issue with Chan’s comments, saying that it was clear the state wanted to control artistic expression through its continued funding of artists in Singapore. Koh went on to say that through exerting such control, it proved that the government wished to use its influence to shape artwork that promoted itself while stifling any artists and pieces that might go against the grain. This relationship, Koh continued, would harm creative self-expression and freedom. Koh encouraged his fellow artists to rethink their own relationships with the state and the funds they might receive from the government, explaining that artwork of all topics and viewpoints deserved the same respect whether they were welcomed by the public or not.
Koh himself has withdrawn a submission to a poetry anthology that would require him, in the long run, to associate with one of the government’s arts councils. He said he preferred not to continue projects that would require him to fund his work through money offered by the state.
The Facebook post that Koh made his views public in has garnered much attention online. Several Singaporean artists have sounded off in favor or against Koh’s opinion.
One writer resigned from a committee for a festival because a government group had removed a few children’s books from public libraries over concerns their messages weren’t suitable for their audiences.
Other artists continue to support the state’s influence on the arts in Singapore, saying that with such a fledgling art scene, it is the state’s responsibility to help it grow. Though there may be some hiccups now, one playwright responded to Koh’s Facebook post, it is the responsibility of artists today to continue fighting for artists of the future, as well as the future of art in Singapore.
Embrace your own creative freedom by signing up for an art class today. Through SGArtClass.com, you can easily find a number of art classes in many different interesting genres. From classes on self-portraits to lessons on landscape painting, you can be sure to find the class that fits your own specific passions and pursuits. Classes are developed via expert teachers with your own skills, goals, and scheduling in mind. Develop new techniques you never thought possible or hone the skills you one had before losing focus.
To read more about poet Jee Leong Koh’s call to action, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/singapore-poet-calls-on-artists-to-reconsider-engagement-with-the-state-and-its-arts.