The Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) and the Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH's) Chinese Media Group have entered into a partnership to develop and boost the Chinese cultural scene in Singapore.

A memorandum of understanding was signed yesterday by SCCC chief executive officer Choo Thiam Siew and Ms Lee Huay Leng, head of Chinese Media Group at SPH.

This will allow Lianhe Zaobao, SPH's Chinese flagship newspaper, to organise a series of cultural activities at SCCC under the banner of Zaobao Cultural and Creative Space.

Lianhe Zaobao will organise and publicise the activities, while SCCC will provide the venue as well as on-site arrangements.

At least 12 events will be organised every year as part of Zaobao Cultural and Creative Space. These range from talks on cultural appreciation, to a reading club, and zbNow Tea Sessions where the public can interact with Lianhe Zaobao columnists.

On Feb 25, the series will kick off with the first session of the Creators' Laboratory, a series in which entrepreneurs from creative industries share their experiences with the public.

Said Ms Lee: "We look forward to the launch of Zaobao Cultural and Creative Space, where a conducive environment and appealing atmosphere will be developed for our readers to experience top-notch cultural events."

The collaboration is a step forward in the work of the centre, which will progressively establish strategic partnerships with other organisations to promote and develop Chinese culture, said Mr Choo.