Hey, I got forwarded a Straits Times Forum letter from Social Creatives director Faris Basharahil, whom we featured in our last post about TEDxSingapore Talks! (Personally, I’m opposed to bad murals, and there are quite a few of these in Singapore. Above is the example of a rather good one, from the old Singapore Graffiti School, if I’m not mistaken.

Dear Sir,

Attached is my letter for print forum.

I refer to a recent article “Government should tap into energy of youth” where the Acting Minister of MCYS, Chan Chun Sing, said “I have a wild idea, Will anyone like to paint some nice murals on the bland walls at the void decks?”

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When asked to draw a house, why don’t we draw HDB flats?

Public murals are significant as presented in web portal www.murals.sg.

Murals can be taken merely to be a `wild idea’ because it involves great challenges.

Social Creatives feels that netizens statements “minister was sleeping during walkabouts” were unfair.

Let us put this issue into perspective and not hasty to judge. This letter hopes to provide a neutral view and public awareness on community murals.

I am from Social Creatives. We conduct weekly mural-painting sessions at void decks, shopping malls and even social service organisations such as the Institute of Mental Health.
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Firstly, I will share on the significance of murals, followed by the challenges faced. I will then conclude with practical solutions to grow this sector.

In a recent talk ive shared that Social Creatives is doing all that we can possibly do as a youth start-up, and it is now for the Board, government and passionate people from the top to bring us and what we represent to
even greater heights.

Therefore, we sincerely hope that our Minister will be more inclusive and grow this sector through capacity building,

The painting of public murals touches on different policy factors, including vandalism law, censorship and the absence of a particular ministry looking into this highly-accessible form of art. Other issues of sustainability, finance and accountability are also critical. I will cite three examples.

Firstly, one of Singapore’s oldest murals at arts belt Waterloo Street. This mural, which was painstakingly painted many years ago were peeling off and became very unsightly for years untill recently.

Secondly, I recently had a meeting with the national body for arts. The director informed us that Social Creatives does not neatly fall under Engagement or Development. The conundrum of public murals is that it belongs to both the community and the arts. We have been working on public art for over five years yet we do not fall nicely into government structures. For example, IPC Charity status was regulated by the sector administrator as `Religious and Others’. This deprives Social Creatives from direct assistance schemes.

Lastly, in Tanjong Pagar GRC, we have done many colourful standalone murals. For example, racial harmony was depicted through a colourful and beautiful Medusa while nearby a mural tribute to the former Baharudin
Vocational Institute, w at Stirling Road. Queenstown murals reached international recognition through the Ted Conference (TedXSingapore), which can be found on www.socialcreatives.com/tedx

Through MG Chan’s dual portfolio, Social Creatives hope he will be the bridge for community arts. We urge him to work with respective stakeholders, empowering them and including them in his vision.

In my personal opinion, for murals to live to its creed, we need an inter-ministry approach. Let us allow unused building facades under the Singapore Land Authority to host murals, HDB shopping malls to have heritage trails and more more free walls.

To Minister, lets organize a public dialogue together. We eagerly anticipate more inclusive support, in advocating greater social change through the arts.

And to the readers, the ground and the top can only do so much. We need the outer community such as building owners, schools and donors to do their part to grow a colourful Singapore.

For Murals to grow we need the top, middle and ground sectors to work together

Sincerely,
Faris Basharahil
Director
Social Creatives Ltd.
HP: 94594004