SG Culture Pass can be used for SingLit books, cannot be donated to arts charities
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The carve-out for the Culture Pass is due to the written word, or books, being the primary mode of appreciation in the literary arts.
ST PHOTO: DESMNOND WEE
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SINGAPORE – The $100 that will be given to each Singaporean aged 18 and above for cultural experiences can be used for the purchase of SingLit books, or Singapore literature.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said on March 10 that the exception made for the SG Culture Pass
He did not elaborate on how SingLit, which has been interpreted in various ways – from the author’s nationality to the book’s subject matter – will be defined, though the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said the purchase of local literary books will be “onboarded at a later stage” after logistical issues are worked out.
The SG Culture Pass is envisioned mainly for in-person, communal activities such as theatre performances or art workshops created by Singaporeans and permanent residents, with tickets sold via authorised ticketing providers.
It will be available for redemption from September 2025 and will be valid for three years, until Dec 31, 2028.
In response to MPs including Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC) and Nominated MP Usha Chandradas, Mr Tong also confirmed that the credit cannot be directly donated to arts charities – or transferred to another person – as the aim of the pass is to make sure as many people as possible attend in-person activities.
The credit also cannot be used for private experiences such as the purchase of art works or art materials. “Parents will be able to use their credits, however, to take their children for local arts and culture programmes... They can be used to purchase tickets for family and friends so that they can go together,” he said.
In a follow-up question, Ms Chandradas asked if the same special case made for books can also be extended to the buying of visual art works, since these can be a participatory experience very similar to that of books.
“You typically try to interpret, analyse and connect with it. Art historians refer to this process as reading the art work,” she said. “Just like you enter a bookshop, find a book that connects with you, buy it, take it home, appreciate it and consume it, the same can be said for purchases of visual art as well.”
Mr Tong answered that the ministry thought it “more appropriate” to leave out art-buying from the SG Culture Pass as art works are more of a personal financial investment.
The visual arts can also be appreciated communally, such as in exhibitions, in ways that are unavailable to the book community.
On concerns that there will be groups that take advantage of the scheme by hiking prices, Mr Tong said the opposite could be true. “I believe that with the wide variety of programmes to choose from, arts group will be incentivised to price their offerings competitively, reflecting their true value.”
There will be no penalties imposed on people who do not show up to events they have bought tickets for using the SG Culture Pass.
MCCY will monitor the use of the credit, which will be an indicator of the scheme’s success.
“The Culture Pass initiative was born out of a lot of feedback and views,” Mr Tong said. “It is in a form that I think is workable. We will continue to take feedback from users on its implementation.”
