Singaporeans more artistically and culturally inclined in 2010

Statistics showed a 16% increase in the number of arts activities to 33,884 in 2010.

The latest release of the Singapore Cultural Statistics 2011 by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts reveals greater vibrancy in the arts and culture scene in 2010 compared to 2009.

Singaporeans continue to warmly receive and participate actively in arts, cultural, heritage and literary activities. There has been a 16% increase in the number of arts activities from 29,286 in 2009 to 33,884 in 2010. This translates to an average of more than 92 arts activities every day in 2010, offering Singaporeans a wider variety of arts activities to choose from.

More Singaporeans have also been engaged through heritage outreach programmes as attendance of non-ticketed heritage events rose from 7.06mil in 2009 to 8.79mil in 2010. This is a result of an increase in the number of travelling exhibitions and programmes that were held at community centres, libraries and malls in order to bring heritage to the wider community.

The National Library Board (NLB) saw a record of more than 33 million book loans in 2010, a 5% increase from 31.5mil in 2009 as more people are borrowing books from the libraries. The recent opening of two new public libraries in Serangoon and Clementi further illustrates the significant community role that NLB plays in Singaporeans’ lifelong learning and knowledge pursuits.

The latest economic data from the Department of Statistics also reveals that the arts and cultural sector has performed well in 2009 despite the recession. Employment and Nominal Value-Added for the sector both rose by about 9% in 2009 compare to 2008, indicating the robustness of the sector.