Switzerland is a nation of museum lovers
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Switzerland has often been held up as a model of development that Singapore could aspire to. This latest news report on the museum-going culture in Switzerland sets another benchmark that contrasts sharply with the situation in Singapore. If one refers to an earlier study commissioned by the National Arts Council - which looked at the general state of arts-going culture, of which museums and art exhibitions form a sub-set - a few notable comparisons can be teased out:
(1) 73% of Singaporeans did not attend a single art performance or exhibition in 2002, compared with 7.7% of Swiss who never visited a museum in 2002.It is also interesting to note that in the Swiss context, there is an increase in the sale of "museum-passports" - giving free entry to museums for an annual fee - while actual sale of museum entry tickets declined. This has faint echoes of the situation in the UK, where museum attendance figures increased dramatically when free admission was adopted. Would universal (and free) access an idea worth pursuing in priming a museum-going and heritage-appreciating culture in Singapore?
(2) The average number of art performances or exhibitions attended by Singaporeans in a year is 3, compared with 50% of Swiss who visited a museum at least once a month (i.e. 12 times or more in a year).
(3) The top reason cited by Singaporeans for attending an arts event or exhibition is for "relaxation", compared with the primary reason given by the Swiss which is "to increase their understanding of the world".
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Short_black @ 10:07PM | March 17th 2004|
ReplyDeleteThe difference in the dominant reason for attending an arts event or exhibition between the Swiss and Singaporeans is disturbing.
I think, in the context of Singapore, free admission would not make a significant difference to increase attendance figures of the local population. It does not address the problem at its roots, that most Singaporeans do not take the trouble to learn and appreciate arts and heritage. If I remember correctly, students are admitted free into the museums and how much are they making use of that privilege?
We are simply, shaped by the values of our society. Our society primarily value things that will get us somewhere, whether it be a living or gains in other forms. Most children who profess an interest in pursue a career in the arts would get vetoed. Education and family exposure do not shape an adequate understanding and appreciation of the arts and heritage here.
Meo @ 8:32PM | March 18th 2004|
ReplyDeleteI think the difference reflects the 'not my problem' attitude towards arts and cultural of general Singaporean. To most Singaporean going to museums and threatres (not cinemas) are for the arts people.
In school a decade or two back, if you are not in the art stream, art lesson was very lax, nothing much was taught and explained. The student just drew fruits or objects the teacher put there, and got their 'art' back next week. The art teacher might be teacher of other subjects and some art lessons got substituted by other lessons like extra English or Chinese lessons.
Parents back then did not want their children into the art stream where they felt there was not much prospects in arts and culture. They would not be happy to see their children drawing or making artworks at home instead of studying. Some parents also forced their young children to go for piano or violin or ballet classes so that they will become more 'high class'. These further dampened their interests and widened the distant between the children and arts.
These factors gave the children the attitude that art is only for art students or people good in arts, and they can forget about art after sec. 2 if they are not specilaised in arts. It becomes a vicious cycle where they carry this attitude with them to adulthood and pass it on to their own children.
For Singapore to attain such standards as the Swiss, schools should instill the correct attitude towards arts and culture to students especially those in non-art streams. With the setting up of the art school I hope that it would change the parents' attitude towards arts.
Lawrence @ 5:27PM | March 18th 2004|
ReplyDeleteFor another perpsective looking ahead into the future, see the story on the proposed Art School in Straits Times Life! section on 18 March 2004:
http://home2.pacific.net.sg/~schizoid/para/2004_03_18_straits times.mht
And at the end of the day, we need also to accept that Singapore society at large will not reach the level of cultural sensitivity in Europe within the lifetime of this generation.