Mobility Funding Guide: Singapore

The Mobility Funding Guide: Funding Opportunities for International Cultural Exchange in Asia, Guide to Singapore provides an overview of funding available for cultural project to and from Singapore. 

In this latest edition for Singapore, readers can find funding opportunities by country in most artistic and cultural disciplines. There are 9 sources of funding that have a focus on Asia.

To make sure that the publication uses reliable sources, only regular opportunities accessible online are listed. This means that there are a number of resources that are not listed: funds for which information is only available offline, funds that are not based on open calls, and ad hoc or short-term funding. Additionally, this guide was last updated in 2016, so there might be some changes in the listed opportunities.

The guide is an attempt to gather all the resources in one document and is by no means complete. Rather, it is a starting point for research into funding for mobility in the context of Singapore. You can learn about how to read the mobility funding guides here. 

Since 2012, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and On the Move (OTM) have jointly presented the Mobility Funding Guides for International Cultural Exchange for the 51 countries of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).  

Download the guide of Singapore here and the regional guide here.

If you're an artist or cultural professional from Singapore, explore this section for funding for the Singaporean sector: 

1. Community Development Councils (CDC) 

• WeCare Arts Fund@CDC: Supports social service agencies and self-help groups wanting to engage their beneficiaries in artistic activities like workshops, performances, or exhibitions co-created with professional artists. The fund is designed to facilitate programmes that promote inclusivity in the arts and help individuals from disadvantaged and underserved communities build self-confidence. While arts and culture practitioners are not directly eligible, they may partner with a social service agency or self-help group to apply. 

2. National Arts Council Singapore 

• Capability Development Grant: The Capability Development Grant encourages and supports the continuous professional development of the people that work in Singapore’s arts and culture sector. The grant is open to individuals and organisations and supports training activities or programmes that span a duration of no more than 12 consecutive months. The grant covers activities like: professional training and skills development, on-the-job training activities, mentorship and apprenticeships, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
• Market and Audience Development Grant: The Market and Audience Development Grant supports activities to build audiences, patrons and supporters to complement artistic efforts at home and abroad. The grant is open to individuals, organisations, and collectives and supports market research, branding and marketing, development of resource materials, international touring and participation, and visit programmes. 

Note: There are various other grants offered by the National Arts Council Singapore, such as the Creation Grant, Presentation and Participation Grant, Production Grant and Research Grant that covers project related expenses. 

3. National Heritage Board Singapore 

• Minor and Major Project Grants: Supports a wide range of community heritage projects, which include programmes, events, and exhibitions that could incorporate arts and culture.
• Heritage Research Grant: Aims to encourage institutes of higher learning, think tanks, heritage NGOs, academics, and researchers to embark on heritage-related research for the documentation and preservation of Singapore’s heritage and its connectivity to the region. Applicants should have a strong track record in academic research and demonstrate a keen interest in Singapore’s heritage. 

4. Tote Board

• Tote Board Arts Fund: Provides support to Singaporean artists and arts groups in bringing the arts to communities and creating shared experiences for people to connect with one another. The fund supports projects that allow audiences to connect with people from a different social group, and/or increases audience awareness of local arts groups and art form practices, sense of national identity, and appreciation for harmony. 

While the guide focuses on funded types of support relating to mobility and cross border travels, here are additional funding schemes available that support other project related expenses:

1. Australia-ASEAN Council

• Australia-ASEAN Council (AAC) grants: Provides seed funding for innovative projects that support knowledge development. Multi-country applications with strong community outreach and lasting partnerships are encouraged to better develop relations between countries. While only Australian cultural professionals and organisations are eligible to apply, applicants must show evidence that they will be working with a Southeast Asian partner.

2. International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)

• IDFA Bertha Fund: This fund lends assistance to film documentary professionals from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam to produce their creative documentaries and garner international exposure. The fund supports documentaries that use strong visual treatments, focusing on both unknown and seasoned filmmakers, supporting their breakthrough from marginalised positions.

3.  International Film Festival Rotterdam 

• Hubert Bals Fund: The Hubert Bals Fund is designed to help remarkable or urgent feature films by innovative and talented filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Eastern Europe on their road to completion.