SINGAPORE, 3 May 2021 — Xinyao icon Dr Liang Wern Fook and Singapore’s oldest professional bilingual theatre institution, The Theatre Practice, are recipients of this year’s Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award (SCCCA). The recipients will receive the award from Guest-of-Honour, Minister for Culture, Community & Youth and Second Minister for Law, Mr Edwin Tong, at the awards ceremony held at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) on 3 May.
As the platform for Chinese Singaporean culture, SCCC presents the SCCCA to recognise individuals and organisations who have made extraordinary contributions to the promotion, enrichment, and development of Chinese Singaporean culture. Beyond artistic excellence, SCCCA also recognises contributions made from other fields like heritage, popular culture and creative design.
Since its inception in 2017, this award has been presented to individuals like Chinese theatre practitioner Mr Han Lao Da, music composer Mr Lee Yuk Chan and historian Mr Kua Bak Lim as well as organisations like Siong Leng Musical Association, Singapore Association of Writers and Ding Yi Music Company.
This year, each award recipient will receive a trophy, $10,000 cash prize, and up to S$10,000 or $20,000 in project funding for individual and organisation category respectively. The award process comprises public nominations and shortlisting of nominees by a panel of judges.
The panel is helmed by Professor Eddie Kuo Chen Yu and comprises distinguished individuals from the local cultural scene — Mr Paul Tan, Mr Lim Jim Koon, Professor Quah Sy Ren, Ms Quek Yeng Yeng, and Ms Woo Mun Ngan. Final recommendations will then be put up to the SCCC’s Board of Directors for approval.
“Our winners are long-standing practitioners in their respective fields who have contributed to the promotion and development of the Chinese Singaporean culture. It is heartening to see the devotion and dedication in their craft in creating works that have stood the test of time,” said Low Sze Wee, CEO of SCCC.
The nomination for the next SCCCA is now open. Interested individuals and organisations should complete and submit their nomination forms to SCCC by 2 August 2021, 5pm. For more information on SCCCA, please visit https://singaporeccc.org.sg/SCCCA/.
About Liang Wern Fook- The icon of xinyao
Regarded by many as a pioneer and icon of xinyao, a movement of locally composed Mandarin pop songs from the 1980s, Liang Wern Fook is a prolific singer-songwriter and academic in the field of Chinese literature and language. Xinyao is regarded as a musical representation of our unique Chinese Singaporean culture and an expression of our history as Singaporeans. Liang Wern Fook has been a major driving force in this genre.
His song, ‘Friendship Forever’ (细水长流), is one of the most popular xinyao anthems, having been highlighted during the 2014 National Day Rally. Liang Wern Fook has also written hits for Cantonese and Mandarin pop stars such as Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Kit Chan, and Stefanie Sun.
Liang Wern Fook will also be sharing his xinyao journey in an exclusive chat session, as part of Cultural Extravaganza 2021. Tickets for this event are already sold out, but there are still many other programmes on Chinese Singaporean culture still available at http://ce2021.singaporeccc.org.sg/.
About The Theatre Practice – A Professional Bilingual Theatre that impacted a generation of theatre practitioners
Established in 1965 by the doyen of Singapore theatre, Kuo Pao Kun, and dance pioneer Goh Lay Kuan, The Theatre Practice is Singapore’s longest-standing professional bilingual theatre institution.
A major player in the Singapore theatre scene, The Theatre Practice has presented over 350 critically acclaimed productions, including musicals, classics, original and experimental works. They are also the pioneers of the Chinese musical theatre genre, through a uniquely Singaporean form that combines Western musical traditions with Asian storytelling.
With many of their plays such as The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole, The Spirits Play, and Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral having been adapted and presented by other theatre companies, The Theatre Practice has put Singapore on the world map and carved its spot in the canon of Southeast Asian literature. As pioneers in arts education in Singapore, they have also been instrumental in nurturing and inculcating a love for the arts amongst local youths, using theatre to connect children to the arts and Chinese language in fun and accessible ways.
About Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre
The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre collaborates with arts and cultural groups and community partners to promote and develop local Chinese culture. Through engaging and accessible content, we hope to nurture greater appreciation of our multi-cultural identity and a stronger sense of belonging.
Opened by our Patron, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 19 May 2017, our centre in the heart of the city welcomes everyone to enjoy exhibitions, fairs, performances, seminars, talks, workshops and other cultural activities throughout the year.
For more information, please visit https://www.singaporeccc.org.sg/.
Media Contact
Chloe Lim
Email：teamsccc@dstnct.co
