MCCY to top—up National Youth Endowment Fund

SINGAPORE: Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Lawrence Wong, said his ministry will be providing a top—up to the existing National Youth Endowment Fund, to support more ground—up, youth—led initiatives.

The fund supports youth—led works in various areas, for example arts and sports, that give back to the community.

Mr Wong said this on the sidelines of a Malay theatre performance he was attending as part of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival.

He said that more details would be announced during the Budget, but added the motivation behind this top—up was to ensure that the government gives more support and more resources to empower young people, and empower them to take on initiatives they feel strongly about.

Mr Wong also touched on the recent review of the Singapore Arts Festival, by a committee.

The committee had, among others, deliberated that the National Arts Council should set up a dedicated company to run the festival. It also said the popular festival should take a sharper focus when it comes back in 2014.

Mr Wong said his ministry agrees with the broad thrust of the recommendations.

"I think it’s timely, that given where it is today, that NAC doesn’t have to be the one at the forefront, leading the Arts Festival. But you could have the arts community itself taking ownership of it," said Mr Wong.

He added: "We want to move more in the direction where it’s not necessarily just government—led, but we want to play a role where we can facilitate, where we can support the aspirations of our young people, of the arts community —— so that they can realise what their aspirations are, and they can do something meaningful for themselves as well as for society."

—CNA/ac