Outgoing SIFA director Ong Keng Sen has a few choice words about Singapore
ONG KENG SEN IS TIRED . He’s tired of the bureaucratic battles, the regression of the government’s attitude towards art, and the constant need to pander to fears. “I come from the heartlands. Yet, my parents who are not English-educated are more open towards the arts than the people in the National Arts Council. My parents never saw the arts as something to fear,” says Ong.
Ong has every reason to be disenchanted. When the veteran art practitioner was approached to direct the inaugural Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), he only accepted on account of one factor – that the festival would be an independent event, unencumbered by government oversight. However, with each passing year, Ong began facing more and more restrictions.
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