SINGAPORE – With the graduation of the pioneer cohort from Singapore’s first arts university on Aug 7, a new generation of multidisciplinary artists will enter the workforce.
A total of 135 students will graduate from the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), formed by an alliance between Lasalle College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).
To beef up arts education in Singapore, UAS launched with 29 programmes, including degrees in areas such as art histories and curatorial practices, biophilic design and design for social futures, as well as Master of Arts degrees in arts and ecology, fine art and music therapy.
A UAS spokesperson says these programmes reflect evolving areas and wider societal interests, including in sustainability, health and well-being, and interdisciplinary arts.
The new programmes attracted strong interest. For example, the master’s in music therapy was oversubscribed well before its closing date.
Cassandra Chng, 31, studied music and audio technology when she was in polytechnic. She wanted to further her studies in music therapy but could not find such a course locally. She went on to do a degree in computer science but returned to her passion and found work as a pre-school music teacher.
She leapt at the opportunity to do a master’s degree in music therapy when UAS opened.
“Music is culturally unique. When I looked at overseas courses, I felt it would not work. If I want to practise in Singapore, I should be trained in Singapore,” says Chng. She is among the first batch of graduates from the two-year course, which includes clinical attachments.
Cassandra Chng, 31, is among the first batch of Master of Arts in music therapy students.
PHOTO: LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
Chng, whose graduation ceremony is in November, has found a full-time job as a music therapist at the Singapore Association for Mental Health.
“I believe that music is like an operational knife that can reach different parts of the brain where a surgical knife cannot reach,” she says of the healing power of music.
Chng’s experience is a testament to the university’s mission, says Kwok Kian Woon, vice-chancellor of UAS. He notes that an arts education goes beyond skills training and developing a pipeline of talent for the creative industries.
“It is about effecting personal and social transformation and inculcating our graduates with purpose and empathy,” the professor says.
He encourages graduates to “situate their practice within the context of their communities and to create with awareness and impact”. This is a mindset that sets them apart, he adds.
Artistic disciplines with real-world impact
The spirit of interdisciplinary inquiry is reflected in programmes that encourage students to connect artistic practice with areas such as sustainability or healthcare, while developing new ways of thinking and creating across disciplines.
For example, students who study biophilic design, or the integration of nature into the built environment, collaborated with partners, including the Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), to explore biophilic approaches to design.
A graduate from the course, Jolene Ariana, 22, was drawn to the field’s focus on the cognitive and psychological benefits of integrating nature into human spaces.
She did her final-year project with NCCS, with her team proposing a design for a patient waiting room and an adjacent garden.
Jolene Ariana, 23, graduated with a degree in biophilic design.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Most of the waiting room chairs were initially facing the TV for patients to look at their queue numbers, but the group suggested turning the chairs to face the garden instead for therapeutic benefits. They also suggested moving the TV monitors towards the window, so patients could view both the TV display and garden, among other suggestions.
Read Full Article At Source
