Pilot programme brings SG Culture Pass offerings to nursing homes

SINGAPORE – Fifteen seniors from the Sree Narayana Mission (Singapore) Nursing Home in Yishun will join a blow painting workshop on Jan 21 using their SG Culture Pass credits.

The art programme is a pilot by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to engage nursing homes so that those who face mobility challenges can use their Culture Pass credits to enjoy local arts events.

MCCY and AIC will continue to bring more such programmes to nursing homes, an MCCY spokesperson said in response to queries from The Straits Times.

The trainers for the 90-minute workshop, which will be conducted in English, have been briefed to offer greater guidance and be patient when working with nursing home residents.

Ms Reshma Tazim, programme executive of Sree Narayana Mission, said: “A key objective of this initiative is to empower our residents to become internal facilitators. Upon completion, they will be equipped to lead and mentor their peers in similar creative activities within our home.”

Ms Wendy Sim, co-founder of Trendsen Cultural Enterprise, which is organising the workshop at the nursing home, said the SG Culture Pass pilot allows arts practitioners to focus on thoughtful, inclusive programme design for different communities.

Over the past few years, it has been active at nursing homes, active ageing centres and day care centres, working with seniors through arts and cultural programmes.

“Through this work, we have seen first-hand the positive impact that the arts can have on seniors’ well-being – from encouraging self-expression and cognitive engagement to creating moments of joy and connection, especially in our context of an ageing population,” Ms Sim said.

At the pilot, dedicated assistants supporting the instructor will offer more personalised attention to participants who may need help with instructions or fine motor movements.

The team also has a range of adapted and modified tools that can accommodate the seniors’ physical abilities and functional needs.

“We plan to partner with more senior care organisations to bring arts and cultural experiences directly to their premises,” said Ms Sim. “We are prepared to customise each workshop based on the needs and profile of the seniors with the partnering organisations.”

MCCY said over 800 seniors have also participated in group outings coordinated by Active Ageing Centres, community centres and nursing homes.

It collaborates closely with AIC and the People’s Association to enable community partners to organise such outings, including programme selection, redemption of credits and coordination of outings with the programme providers.

“Through these organised outings, common barriers such as digital literacy and mobility challenges are addressed, making SG Culture Pass programmes more accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for seniors,” MCCY told ST.

Besides seniors, MCCY will also ensure there are sufficient accessible events for persons with disabilities. More than 70 cultural events with accessibility-friendly provisions have been included.

“There is a dedicated filter to help persons with disabilities to easily search for and identify suitable and accessible cultural events,” said MCCY’s spokesperson. “We will continue to work with partners to understand the needs of the community, and will roll out support for communities that require additional assistance.”

Utilisation of SG Culture Pass

As at Jan 1, 2026, more than 1.1 million Singaporeans have registered for the SG Culture Pass, out of about 3 million eligible citizens.

Nearly $10 million worth of Culture Pass credits have been used by more than 136,000 Singaporeans. Of these, over 46,000 have fully used their $100 credits, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo in written parliamentary replies in response to MPs Valerie Lee (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC) and Ng Shi Xuan (Sembawang GRC) on Jan 13 and 14.

A total of $300 million has been set aside for the

SG Culture Pass initiative,

announced at Budget 2025, to encourage Singaporeans to attend local performances, exhibitions and experiences.

All Singapore citizens aged 18 and above can use their digital credits worth $100. The Pass can be redeemed from Sept 1, 2025, to end-2028 and eligible performances and events can be found at the website 

sgculturepass.gov.sg

“Encouragingly, nine in 10 credit users express willingness to engage with cultural offerings beyond the Culture Pass programme,” Mr Neo said.

Youth participation has been strong. Those aged between 18 and 35 account for half of total credit usage. Adults aged 36 to 54 make up 33 per cent and seniors constitute 17 per cent.

Live events attracted the largest share of spending, accounting for 42 per cent of credit utilisation. Workshops followed at 23 per cent while tours and talks made up 16 per cent. Festivals accounted for 11 per cent and exhibitions 8 per cent.

As of Jan 1, 2026, only 33 out of 742 events listed under the scheme recorded zero Culture Pass redemptions.

To encourage greater participation in Singapore’s arts and heritage offerings, MCCY will continue to expand the range of eligible programmes. The scheme has been broadened to support the purchase of

SingLit books from March 1, 2026

, and local film screenings from Nov 7, 2025.