SINGAPORE, 10 May 2024 – Mr Alvin Tan, current Deputy Chief Executive (Policy & Community) of National Heritage Board (NHB) will be appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) on 3 June 2024. He succeeds Mr Low Sze Wee, who will be appointed as Group Director (Museums) at NHB.

SCCC’s Newly-Appointed Chief Executive Officer

At NHB, Alvin oversaw strategies, policies, operations and projects pertaining to heritage policy and research, National Monuments and heritage sites (including UNESCO), intangible cultural heritage, archaeology, the National Collection, collections care and management, community outreach and education, volunteer engagement, NHB’s three heritage institutions (comprising Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, Malay Heritage Centre and Indian Heritage Centre), Museum Roundtable, heritage grants, language campaigns as well as international relations. He also played a key role in the development of the first ever Our SG Heritage Plan which was launched in 2018 and Our SG Heritage Plan 2.0 which was launched in 2023. Alvin was responsible for introducing notable initiatives such as NHB’s Street Corner Heritage Galleries, Heritage for Well-Being, Heritage Activation Nodes, Youth Panel, Youth Heritage Blueprint etc.

Beyond his work at NHB and SCCC, Alvin is a current Board member of the Malay Heritage Foundation; Advisor to the National Service-themed Gallery; as well as a member of URA’s Heritage & Identity Partnership, National Day Parade Executive Committee and Singapore Writers Festival Advisory Panel.

Mr Ng Siew Quan, Chairman of SCCC, said, “Alvin comes with a wealth of experience from the museum and heritage sector. As a Board Director with SCCC since 2016 and as Chairman of SCCC’s Programmes Committee, he has played an instrumental role in shaping SCCC’s programming directions and audience strategies. I have full confidence that Alvin would be able to lead SCCC to new heights and I look forward to work with him in his capacity as CEO of SCCC.”

On his appointment, Alvin said: “I am delighted and deeply honoured to be given this opportunity to lead the organisation. I hope to build on the strong foundations laid by past CEOs, energise the centre and team, and work closely with the SCCC Board to propel SCCC forward in the next stage of its journey.”

On his vision for SCCC, Alvin shared: “For SCCC, I would like the centre to be a vibrant showcase of our rich and diverse Chinese Singaporean culture; a learning space for Chinese, non-Chinese and new immigrants to find out more about and to experience Chinese Singaporean culture; and a community hub that welcomes and connects anyone who is interested in or has a love for Chinese arts, culture and heritage. For our visitors, I hope that SCCC will be a destination where they, their family and/or friends will enjoy their encounters with Chinese arts, culture and heritage; and go away feeling enriched by their encounters – and for Chinese Singaporeans, to feel a renewed sense of pride and confidence in our identity and culture.”

Appreciation Note for Mr Low Sze Wee

Mr Low Sze Wee has been the CEO of SCCC since 2018. He has led key milestones in promoting our local Chinese culture, including establishing SCCC’s free permanent exhibition SINGAPO人, a modern and interactive exhibition that spotlights and celebrates the evolution of our local Chinese culture. He led the curation of the SINGAPO人 experience which has won two design awards and consistently garnered high satisfaction ratings from more than 287,000 visitors since its opening.

Under his leadership, Sze Wee has led SCCC to forge partnerships with key partners such as Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA), Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), Ministry of Education (MOE), Lianhe Zaobao and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. He also introduced place-making festivals to create cultural vibrancy in the Central Business District during Mid-Autumn and Chinese New Year. Sze Wee further ensured that SCCC’s programmes were accessible to all audience groups including local welfare and charity groups, and steered SCCC to reach out to new audiences through traveling exhibitions at public libraries and shopping malls.

Sze Wee shared, “My six years at SCCC have been most enriching and rewarding, in particular, getting to know so many local groups and practitioners who are so passionate about Chinese culture. I am glad to have been able to play a part in promoting and sharing our vibrant and distinctive local Chinese culture with fellow Singaporeans. Along this journey, I have enjoyed the strong support of my colleagues and board of directors. The success of SCCC would not have been possible without them.”

SCCC Chairman Mr Ng said, “Sze Wee has been an inspiration and catalyst in championing local Chinese culture. We appreciate his leadership, which has allowed SCCC to break new boundaries in reaching more audiences in the promotion of our local Chinese culture.”