Singapore Press Holdings chairman Lee Boon Yang has donated $100,000 to the School of the Arts (Sota) Endowment Fund, which provides bursaries, scholarships and other forms of financial assistance to students pursuing the arts.
"Sota is a unique institution in Singapore," said Dr Lee, who is the patron of the fund, in a statement yesterday. "It provides young Singaporeans with the opportunity for intensive academic and arts education.
"However, like everything that is rare, it comes at a cost. For some parents with talented children, the cost may be more than they can bear.
"This is where the Sota Endowment Fund can make a critical difference. The fund will be able to support such deserving students and enable them to realise their full potential in both academic studies and the arts."
It is Dr Lee's second donation of $100,000 to the school. The fund was started last year.
Dr Lee, who is also Keppel Corporation chairman and formerly Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, added: "I hope to see more organisations and individuals step forward to help make arts education more accessible and join this noble effort to nurture future generations of artists and creative professionals to enrich our society."
Alumna Ashley Jane Leow, who received the Sota Bursary, said: "The financial assistance I received eased the burden on my family as the bursary supported my school fees and materials used for my art form and studies... It also gave me the confidence that my efforts as an artist were being recognised."
The 20-year-old, who is studying film on an Infocomm Media Development Authority scholarship at Emerson College and Paris College of Art, added: "I am grateful to the donors who believe in a Sota education and support pursuit of the arts."
Sota held its Awards Day ceremony online yesterday, in the light of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The ceremony made use of videos and social media features.
The school noted in a statement yesterday: "The severe economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has not spared the arts community. Many artists and creative practitioners face an uncertain future where their livelihoods are concerned. This may create a negative impression on the value of the arts.
"Sota is committed to rising above such short-term challenges and (working) to groom future generations of Singaporeans with a strong commitment to the arts."
