Renaissance City Plan III — Heritage Development Plan Renaissance City Plan III Heritage Development Plan © Copyright 2008, National Heritage Board No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. All photos in this publication are copyrighted. Permission is required for reproduction. ISBN: 978-981-08-1701-5 Published By National Heritage Board 140 Hill Street, #03- 02 MICA Building Singapore 179369 Tel: (65) 6338 0000 Fax: (65) 6332 3568 Website: http://www.nhb.gov.sg Editorial Team Corporate Policy Corporate Services and Planning Division National Heritage Board Printed and bound in Singapore. Designed and produced by SiliconPlus Communications Pte Ltd First Edition 2008 CONTENTS FOREWORD BY NHB CHAIRMAN 3 1 NATIONAL IDENTITY AND 5 THE SINGAPOREAN HEART AND SOUL 2 HERITAGE VISION: 9 A Distinctive Global Hub For Heritage And Culture 3 UNIQUELY SINGAPORE 15 4 PUTTING SINGAPORE 21 ON THE WORLD STAGE 5 ENGAGING MINDS, 27 INSPIRING HEARTS 6 AT HOME WITH HERITAGE 35 7 ATTRACTING TALENT AND 41 BUILDING CAPABILITIES 8 RELISHING AND RESTORING 45 HERITAGE RESOURCES 9 FROM HARDWARE TO HEARTWARE 49 Opening Festival of the National Museum of Singapore (NM) © National Heritage Board FOREWORD BY NHB CHAIRMAN Entrusted with the mission to foster Moving ahead into the future, I am excited nationhood, identity and creativity through about the opportunities presented to the heritage and cultural development, the arts and heritage sector under RCP III. National Heritage Board (NHB) has NHB will continue to engage our valuable made significant progress since its partners in the development of an even establishment in 1993. more vibrant heritage ecosystem to enliven the museum scene in Singapore. We have The Renaissance City Plan (RCP) directives been showcasing Singapore’s unique for the development of a vibrant arts and culture on the international stage through cultural landscape in Singapore have our exported shows, collaborations with contributed to NHB’s success in achieving foreign partners and will continue this its mission. Since 2000, the funding from effort to increase Singapore’s reputation RCP has been a valuable added resource as a country with outstanding museums. that enabled NHB, in partnership with NHB will also build on our outreach stakeholders from the public, people momentum, engaging the community with and private sectors, to embark on many knowledge sharing projects and events major impactful exhibitions, activities and that will allow members of the public to events to engage the hearts and minds of embark on exciting heritage discovery both Singaporeans and visitors. The rising journeys with us. visitorship figures through the years to our museums and outreach events and the I invite you to join us as partners and accolades NHB museums have received participants in NHB’s many offerings from the international media attest to the of museum exhibitions, workshops and increasing recognition and vibrancy of outreach events and activities. Together, Singapore as a global arts city. we can make history in the realisation of RCP’s vision to establish Singapore as a vibrant arts and cultural events hub. Professor Tommy Koh Chairman, NHB 3 INTRODUCTION Visitors at Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) during National Heritage Board 15th Anniversary © National Heritage Board 4 Singapore’S Cultural Landscape 1960 – 1980s: Building a Singaporean Identity Singapore’s independence in 1965 NATIONAL IDENTITY marked the beginning of a 1 Singaporean nationalism and the AND THE SINGAPOREAN evolution of a unique Singaporean identity premised on multiculturalism HEART AND SOUL and a sovereign state. In the early years following independence, pressing demands on national resources to develop Singapore’s economy took Heritage and culture resonate with a Museums were not high on precedence over heritage and cultural nation’s heart and soul. Since Singapore “our national priorities. In the development. The early thrust of heritage gained independence in 1965, heritage and cultural activities facilitated cross- next lap, it is important to give and culture have played an integral part cultural understanding among the multi- in our nation’s development by forging a more attention to culture and racial and multi-cultural local population common understanding and bond through the arts. Our objective is to to build a racially harmonious society at shared experiences as Singaporeans ride that time. In 1969, the first museum help Singapore find its soul, through political, social and economic in Singapore, the Raffles Museum development. It burnishes in its citizens for it cannot be bread alone and Library was renamed the National a sense of national identity and serves as that we live. Museum. It was re-positioned as a a source of strength and ballast in times social history museum with a strong of uncertainty and change. Amidst the ~ Minister George Yeo,” ethnographic emphasis to reflect the dynamic changes arising from Singapore’s at the Opening of the Gems museum’s new role in nation building. of Chinese Art Exhibition rapid transformation, heritage and culture on 30 January 1992 serve as a stabilising keel connecting 1990 – 2008: all Singaporeans with their hearts and Cultural Renaissance for a souls. The rising affluence and mobility of Global City for the Arts Singaporeans have also fostered greater interest and recognition of the need for In the late 1980s, there was a growing heritage and culture in our lives. There is realisation that heritage and culture were a palpable urgency for the rejuvenation crucial in acting as a counter-balance to and recounting of the past as relevant our economic growth. A concerted push for sources for celebrating and empowering museum development was mooted by the the present and the future. Advisory Council on Culture and the Arts (ACCA) in 1989. This laid the foundation for the initial capital investments in heritage infrastructure and the burst of cultural activities, which enlivened Singapore in the 1990s. ACCA also recommended the establishment of NHB from a merger of the National Archives, National Museum and Oral History Department. NHB came into being on 1 August 1993 under the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), to oversee museum and heritage development in Singapore. 5 NATIONAL IDENTITY Heritage AND THE SINGAPOREAN Development Plan HEART AND SOUL The establishment of NHB set in Building on this, NHB has undertaken Cultural AwaKening motion major expansion plans for the efforts to renew and grow the heritage local museum landscape. The National infrastructure even further. SHM Museum Visitorship Museum was reconstituted into three underwent a major redevelopment in At A Record Of 1.86 Million specialised museums, namely the 2003 and re-emerged in late 2006 as The dramatic makeover in museum Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), the the National Museum of Singapore (NM), development over the last 18 years has Singapore History Museum (SHM) and featuring iconic architecture combining the captivated the people’s hearts and minds. the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) to elegant neo-classical historic monument This is most evident in the significant better recognise and address the diversity with a new high-tech modern extension. rise in museum visitorship, particularly in the identities and interests of our The former ACM at Armenian Street closed since the launch of RCP in 2000. NHB’s communities and the rich content of our for re-development and re-opened in April museums attracted a record 1.86 million multi-cultural heritage. The expansion plan 2008 as the new Peranakan Museum visitors in FY2007, a more than 300 was successfully realised over the next complete with Peranakan-themed retail per cent increase from just 0.60 million decade with museums being located in and restaurants creating a soiree of sorts in FY2002. Another 4.36 million people historic monuments that were beautifully for Peranakan aficionados. SAM also participated in NHB’s outreach activities restored. The National Museum was developed a contemporary art extension, in FY2007, up from about 0.33 million re-named as SHM in 1993 to reflect its 8Q SAM, in August 2008 to showcase the in FY2002, an increase of over 1,200 mission to showcase Singapore’s history. national collection of contemporary and per cent! SAM opened its doors at a former Catholic international art. boys’ school in 1996, with a mission Fifty-Two Museums in Singapore to present the world’s largest public Government investment in these museum and Counting collection of Singapore and Southeast developments has amounted to a total The vibrancy in museum developments Asian modern art. In 1997, ACM, housed of $246.53 million in capital investment. in the public sector is also seen in the in a former Chinese school at Armenian It was also during this period, in 2000, private and people sectors. NHB has Street, officially opened its doors to that the government launched RCP to been working closely with the Museum showcase the ancestral cultures and develop Singapore’s cultural scene. From Roundtable (MR), a group chaired by heritage of Singaporeans. 2000 to 2008, a total of $25.08 million NHB to cultivate a more vibrant museum- of RCP funds have been allocated to going culture in Singapore. Since its To support the work of the museums, NHB for the development of museum inception in 1996, MR, chaired by NHB, the Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) and heritage-related programmes. These more than doubled 52 member museums was opened in 2000 to be the standard- major initiatives have truly transformed in 2007, with the most notable growth bearing institution in terms of collections our museums into iconic lifestyle venues experienced in the last decade. Currently, management and conservation. Today, it that celebrate and showcase our heritage. private and the people sectors account remains one of the leading preservation The continued investments underlines for a third of the museums in Singapore.