The increase in museum visitors came after free museum admission was offered to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents in May 2013, according to the Singapore Cultural Statistics report.

SINGAPORE: More Singaporeans are visiting national museums and heritage institutions, with visitor numbers hitting a high of 3.2 million in 2013, up from 2.8 million in 2012, according to a survey released on Tuesday (Dec 9).

The National Museum received the highest number of visitors at about 1.2 million, even as the number of museum activities went down from 29 in 2012 to 20 in 2013. The increase in visitors came after free museum admission was offered to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents in May 2013, according to the Singapore Cultural Statistics report.

There was also an increase in community arts outreach through the PAssionArts movement, with more than 100,000 people taking part in events and courses at Community Arts and Culture Clubs.

Additionally, the report showed a growing interest among the youth in full-time tertiary arts courses. A total of 5,409 students enrolled in such courses in 2013, up from 4,492 the previous year. A similar increase was also seen in the enrolment of the School of the Arts - from 934 in 2012 to 1,070 in 2013.





DECLINE IN TICKETED PERFORMING ARTS ACTIVITIES

However, the number of ticketed performing arts activities saw a dip from 3,497 in 2012 to 3,006 in 2013. The fewer number of art offerings led to a corresponding decrease of ticketed attendance at performing arts events in 2013, the report said.

That said, attendance for non-ticketed arts and cultural events – such as arts, heritage and library events – rose to 18.2 million in 2013 from 17.9 million in 2012. The number of library activities, which include outreach programmes, talks, performances and roadshows, increased to 13,849 in 2013 from 8,514 in 2012.

Government funding for the arts and cultural sector rose to S$677.3 million in 2013, up from S$541.4 million in 2012. The growth was attributed to the development of the National Gallery Singapore and the redevelopment of the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong said: “Singapore’s arts and cultural landscape has been steadily growing in vibrancy over the past few years. As we celebrate our Golden Jubilee, there will be more opportunities for Singaporeans to enjoy the arts through events like the SG Dance Day, Concerts in the Park, the Jubilee Walk, and a variety of trails and exhibitions.”

fonte: @edisonmariotti #edisonmariotti http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/more-singaporeans/1519482.html

- CNA/cy