Issue 9 : Encouraging Cultural Creators in the Singapore Tamil Literary Arts Scene
Issue 9 : Encouraging Cultural Creators in the Singapore Tamil Literary Arts Scene
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Pre-Panel Discussion
1 . What is the current scope for Tamil arts and culture involvement in Singapore ?
• Scope for arts and culture involvement is limited due to a lack of recognition . Vasantham remains as the primary medium for recognition .
• Television has dominated the scenes , making drama and stage media less important . Commercialisation of television programmes has resulted in lack of fulfilment of objectives and forceful incorporation of educational components .
• Movies are deemed to be a medium to promote engagement in arts and culture . However , the commercialisation of movies to primarily entertain its audience have diluted the objective to promote arts and culture .
• Tamil songs from India are deemed to be very catchy , empowering and allows youths to connect to their roots and identity in a passive manner .
• Circumstances are not supportive for students as their parents tend to prioritise academics . Also , schools have become more demanding in terms of schedules as students are required to engage in co-curricular activities and projects on top of their academics .
2 . What is the status of the Tamil literary arts scene ?
• Few students are actively involved in reading and writing as written works are not as wellreceived by the public . Most students prefer to engage with the language via cultural means i . e . music , dance and dramas .
• The Tamil literature studies in Junior Colleges is adapting to the modern culture and time , thus making it more relevant to students .
• Many people who create short stories or novels come from India i . e . expatriates as they have had better and greater contact with the Tamil language . However , their writings may not be relatable to the Singaporean context .
• Some students feel that their Tamil language is not strong enough to create literary content .
• Some students perceive the Tamil literary arts as ‘ uncool ’ or ‘ not trendy ’. They feel that many people are not in this field , thus individuals are not brave enough to enter the field on their own .
• Technological advancement has made videos very accessible , thus people find it more convenient to view visual content instead of reading books .
3 . Are parents supportive of their child ’ s involvement in arts and culture ?
• Some parents value their child ’ s academic grades over their involvement in arts and culture , especially since the latter can take up a lot of time .
• Some parents are protective of their child ’ s social circle and are afraid that their child will engage with negative company .
• Some parents feel that there is not much knowledge and skills to be gained from pursuing the arts , especially skills that are relevant to securing a spot in University or a job .
4 . Is there sufficient government and public support for upcoming writers ?
• National Arts Council is providing financial support for upcoming writers , but there is reduced support from the community .
• Not many publishers are willing to publish new writers ’ works , especially due to commercialisation . New ideas may not make its way to the market due to such barriers .