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Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

Coordinates: 1°18′01″N 103°51′06″E / 1.300229°N 103.851573°E / 1.300229; 103.851573
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Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)
南洋艺术学院 (Chinese)
Akademi Seni Halus Nanyang (Malay)
நன்யாங் அகாடமி ஆஃப் ஃபைன் ஆர்ட்ஸ் (Tamil)
Motto"To be a premier arts institution in Asia, producing leaders in their fields."
TypePublicly-funded
Arts institution[1]
Established1938
FounderLim Hak Tai
Yong Mun Sen
Parent institution
University of the Arts Singapore[2]
PresidentTan-Soh Wai Lan[3]
Students>2,400 (2015)[4]
Location
Bencoolen Street
,
Singapore
CampusUrban
NicknameNAFA
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

1°18′01″N 103°51′06″E / 1.300229°N 103.851573°E / 1.300229; 103.851573 Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA; Chinese: 南洋艺术学院; Malay: Akademi Seni Halus Nanyang; Tamil: நன்யாங் அகாடமி ஆஃப் ஃபைன் ஆர்ட்ஸ்) is a publicly-funded post-secondary arts institution in Singapore, and a constituent college of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) from 2024.[5][6]

NAFA offers courses at high-school / singapore's polytechnic equivalent Diploma, and also Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree levels.[7] NAFA's diploma programmes provides comprehensive arts and design education appropriate of Singapore's polytechnic-level for students who had successfully completed their secondary school education, which is 10 years of studies in Singapore.[8] As an industry-oriented alternative to a broader-based junior college education in Singapore, NAFA's diploma graduates in Singapore are sought after for work or many continue to complete university degrees. NAFA's Diploma Programme in Singapore admits the majority of their students after secondary school, normally at the age of 16–17, which is after ten years of formal education, similar to the other polytechnics in Singapore. Diplomas in a specialised area of study, for example 3D Design, are awarded after completing 3-years of full-time studies and industry internship.[9]

Demand for its programmes has remained strong, and the school projects a student population of 3,300 by 2024.[10] NAFA offers full-time diploma and degree programmes across three faculties: Faculty of Art and Design comprising the School of Fine Art, School of 3D Design, School of Design and Media, as well as the School of Fashion Studies; Faculty of Performing Arts comprising School of Dance, School of Music, and School of Theatre; Faculty of Interdisciplinary Practices comprising School of Arts Management and School of Interdisciplinary Arts.

The institution also offers a full range of government tuition fees subsidised, 2 to 3-years undergraduate degree programmes for NAFA's diploma graduates in partnership with the prestigious University of the Arts London in England, United Kingdom. Students with GCE A-Level certificates as well as those without a relevant Singapore's polytechnic diplomas will be allowed to enrol in NAFA-UAL's degree programmes for the first time.[11] Diploma courses are aligned with the degree courses offered in partnership with top universities in the world, including Royal College of Music, London (named as the world’s leading institution for performing arts in QS World University Rankings 2022).

NAFA has nurtured 13 recipients of the Cultural Medallion—Singapore's highest accolade bestowed on art practitioners who have significantly impacted arts and culture. Another 15 alumni have been presented the Young Artist Award.[12]

History

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NAFA was founded in a two-storey Geylang shophouse in 1938 by Lim Hak Tai, with its first class made up of 14 students.[13]

In March 2021, Minister for Education Lawrence Wong announced that Singapore's first arts university will be established in an alliance between the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and LASALLE College of the Arts.[14] The formation of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) will see both colleges under the umbrella university be given degree-awarding powers independent of their current foreign partners, where the current long-distance degrees are issued through foreign universities. Singaporeans and permanent residents enrolled in the approved degree programmes at the university of the arts will pay subsidised fees, comparable to the autonomous universities in Singapore.[15]

Academics

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Apart from the regular academic requirements, entry into the diploma programme also requires students to fulfil their artistic and design potential aspect through portfolio submission, admission test or audition. The intakes especially for the furniture design major from the 3D design course are deliberately kept small so that each student gets focused attention.[16] Selection is competitive and is subject to the availability of places too.[17]

Diploma students can advance into any Singaporean universities strictly depending on the diploma major the student graduated with, for example the National University of Singapore (NUS)[18] or the Singapore Management University.[19] In 2020 with the opening of the new bachelor of landscape architecture course through the National University of Singapore, prospective students that graduated from NAFA's diploma in design (landscape and architecture) programme will be eligible for up to 28 advanced placement credits without any placement tests, into the bachelor of landscape architecture course.[20]

Many students also opted for overseas universities upon graduation with the diploma, mostly in a related areas as their diploma studies such as fine arts, architecture, interior design, landscape, graphic design, fashion, music, and theatre, among others. Other than Singapore's polytechnic-level diploma, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts also collaborates with University of the Arts London to offer a government subsidised 2-years Bachelor's degree-level education for their diploma graduates, or 3-year bachelor's degrees for Singapore's GCE A level or other non-relevant Singapore's polytechnic diploma graduates.[21]

Since 2006, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts students are granted accelerated bachelor's degree programmes with Nanyang Technological University, meaning that diploma holders will have the option to pursue a direct honours degree over a shorter span of three years or less. Academy students can also apply for places in any faculty freely in the university with advanced placement through the signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding.[22]

NAFA's partnership with RCM for the bachelor of music programme was established in 2011 with an initial batch of 20 students. Since then, more than 200 students have graduated from the programme. The key design feature of the programme is the two-year degree top up to the existing NAFA Diploma in Music programme. In the final year of the programme, students in western music studies head to RCM for a 7-week placement in January, while those studying Chinese music attend their 10-week placement in September at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. For students who are looking to pursue postgraduate studies, NAFA - RCM offers performance degree courses at the Master’s level in Singapore. The Master of Performance and Master of Composition route develops Western and Chinese instrumentalists' performance or composition skills to a high professional level through intensive training within 2 years (full time) or 3 years (part time).

Apart from regular diplomas, there is also a special 4-year diploma course where students will study for the first 3 years at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the final year at the National Institute of Education, from which students will graduate with a diploma in art education[23] or a diploma in music education[24] from NAFA and a diploma in art education or diploma in music education from the NIE. Graduates from this scheme will be deployed to teach art or music in primary schools.[25]

Schools and campus location

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School of Design and media Campus 1
School of Fine Art Campus 1
School of 3D Design Campus 1
School of Fashion Studies Campus 2
School of Arts Management Campus 3
School of Dance Campus 3
School of Theatre Campus 3
School of Music Campus 3
School of Interdisciplinary Arts All Campuses

Campuses

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NAFA operates from four campuses along Bencoolen Street. All four campuses are located within walking distances apart in the same vicinity.[26]

Campus 1

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NAFA's Campus 1

NAFA Campus 1 is divided into two wings, Wing A & Wing B, with a linking bridge. It boasts a high-definition studio, a creative media studio for 3D animation and special effects, and audio-video production facilities.

Skylight studios allow painting in natural, evenly-distributed daylight. There are also photography studios equipped with studio flash systems and digital cameras and jewelry workshops with casting, processing and setting facilities, interior design material and project room, drafting studios and 3D model eorkshops and three art galleries with a total exhibition area of 850 sq m.

A two-storey library is located in Wing A. It houses a collection of arts-related publications and journals available for members, staff and students. The Tanoto Foundation Centre for Southeast Asian Arts is located on the seventh floor. TFCSEA@NAFA, a website housing a full-text bilingual database of more than 100,000 pages of Southeast Asian arts materials was launched in 2011 to aid scholars and students' research in this area. Arts institutions and the general republic can join as members to access the materials online.

Campus 1 Tower Block

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The NAFA Campus 1 Tower Block is located on top of the Bencoolen MRT station, adjacent to NAFA Campus 1. Built in 2017 at a cost of $40 million, the building has art studios and classrooms meant to increase the available work and study space for students.[26][10] It was the first expansion for the institution since its move to Bencoolen St. in 2004. Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung officially opened the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts' Campus 1 Tower Block during the school's 80th anniversary celebrations.[27]

Campuses 2 and 3

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Campus 2 houses workshops for batik printing, textile development and embroidery design, drafting and draping, among other facilities, and houses the Fashion Studies Department. Campus 3 contains a 380-seat theatre with a rotating central platform on its stage, an adjustable orchestra pit, and two Steinway model D grand pianos. Other facilities include a recital hall, soundproof music studios and dance studios.

Notable alumni

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Cultural Medallion recipients

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Year of Award Name Discipline Year of Graduation
1979 Wee Beng Chong Art 1958
1981 Ng Eng Teng Art 1961
1981 Lee Hock Moh Art 1970
1984 Thomas Yeo Art 1960
1985 Tay Chee Toh Art 1960
1990 Anthony Poon Art 1964
1995 Han Sai Por Art 1977
2001 Tan Kian Por Art 1970
2005 Chng Seok Tin Visual arts 1972
2006 Tan Choh Tee Visual arts 1962
2009 Ang Ah Tee Visual arts 1962
2011 Lim Yew Kuan Visual arts 1950
2015 Chua Mia Tee Visual arts 1952
2023 Isyana Sarasvati Music Performance 2015

Young Artist Award recipients

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Year of Award Name Discipline Ref
1992 S. Chandrasekaran Visual arts
1995 Baet Yeok Kuan Visual arts
1997 Lim Poh Teck Visual arts
2000 Lim Chin Huat Dance
2000 Hong Sek Chern Visual arts
2001 Goh Boon Teck Theatre
2001 Chua Say Hua Anthony Visual arts
2002 Tay Bak Chiang Visual arts
2006 Goh Toh Chai Zechariah Music
2006 Yeo Chee Kiong Visual arts
2013 Mohammed Zulkarnaen Bin Othman (Zero) Visual arts
2013 Muhammad Zaki B Abd Razak Visual arts
2013 Chua Yew Kok Music
2016 Muhamad Harezam Bin Abdul Rahman (Ezzam Rahman) Fine art
2022 Rit Xu Music [35][36]
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References

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  1. ^ "Overview of Post-Secondary Education Institutions". www.moe.gov.sg. Ministry of Education, Singapore. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  2. ^ "University of the Arts Singapore".
  3. ^ "Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts to have new president". The Straits Times. 17 October 2020.
  4. ^ "NAFA receives S$10m donation from Ngee Ann Kongsi - Channel NewsAsia". Archived from the original on 2 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Singapore's first arts university, formed by NAFA and LASALLE alliance, to welcome students from 2024". CNA.
  6. ^ "Singapore's first university of the arts to be established in NAFA and LASALLE alliance". CNA. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  7. ^ https://uas.edu.sg/ [bare URL]
  8. ^ "Our Courses".
  9. ^ "Work placements to be made compulsory for Nafa students". The Straits Times. 6 April 2018.
  10. ^ a b "NAFA receives S$10m donation from Ngee Ann Kongsi". Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  11. ^ "Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts partners University of the Arts London to offer new degree programmes". The Straits Times. 7 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Award-Winning Artists | NAFA". www.nafa.edu.sg. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Lim Hak Tai | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Singapore's first university of the arts to be established in NAFA and LASALLE alliance". CNA. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Singapore to get first university of the arts, formed by alliance between Nafa and Lasalle". The Straits Times. 3 March 2021.
  16. ^ hermes (19 March 2016). "Designed in Singapore labels take off". The Straits Times. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  17. ^ "Admission Requirements". www.nafa.edu.sg. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  18. ^ "Office of Admissions : Local Applicants". NUS. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  19. ^ "Application Procedure for International and Other Qualifications".
  20. ^ "ADVANCED PLACEMENT CREDITS (APCS) FOR B(LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE) PROGRAMME". Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  21. ^ "Degree". www.nafa.edu.sg.
  22. ^ "Do well in Nafa, get advance NTU placements classes". Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  23. ^ "Diploma in Art Teaching". www.nafa.edu.sg. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  24. ^ "Diploma in Music Teaching". Nafa.edu.sg. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  25. ^ "Teacher Training Schemes for Tamil, Art, Music and Chinese". Ministry of Education, Singapore. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  26. ^ a b Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh (5 December 2015). "$10m for Nafa's new campus". The Straits Times. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  27. ^ "Ong Ye Kung promises arts support as Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts celebrates 80 years". The Straits Times. 2 February 2018.
  28. ^ Rosli, Tatiana Mohamad (4 September 2018). "Constance Lau 'set bar a little too high' with first red carpet event". The New Paper.
  29. ^ "Julie Tan Shares An Inspiring Story By Her Friend From Wuhan About How The City Is Handling The Coronavirus Outbreak". 8 Days. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  30. ^ "Hamidah Jalil | Galeri Mistik | Mohammad Din Mohammad | NGS". Plural. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  31. ^ "Couple". www.roots.gov.sg. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  32. ^ Asia, Tatler. "Isyana Sarasvati". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  33. ^ "M. Nasir: Traditional music meets Western sounds". The Straits Times. 4 June 2015. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  34. ^ "梅纽因小提琴冠军蔡珂宜 父母是人生的调音师 | 早报". www.zaobao.com.sg (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  35. ^ "From Classical to Jazz: Rit Xu – The Band Post". 11 October 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  36. ^ Lim, Glenda (13 January 2023). "Rit Xu and Guo Ningru on receiving NAC's Young Artist Award 2022, making groundbreaking career pursuits, and representing Singapore on a global level". Retrieved 7 March 2023.
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