Why take so long to conduct review?

June 22, 2012

By Leong Sze Hian

The New Paper
Friday, Jun 22, 2012

I refer to reports that the Singapore Arts Festival will be taking a break next year, and will return only in 2014.

A review is under way and one of the objectives, it was stated, is to involve the arts community more closely in the planning of the festival.

While doing that properly, it appears, it can’t be business as usual, with the arts council planning the festival.

This is somewhat puzzling.

Are we saying that all these years, the arts community was not closely involved?

Shouldn’t this have been the obvious thing to do in the first place?

Also, why does it take such a long time to conduct a review, so much so that next year’s festival cannot be held at all?

Wouldn’t a three-to-six-month timeframe be sufficient for the review?

Why would any country drop its annual arts festival for a year, barring natural disasters, especially one that has been going on for 35 years?
This article was first published in The New Paper.

 

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About the Author

Leong
Leong Sze Hian has served as the president of 4 professional bodies, honorary consul of 2 countries, an alumnus of Harvard University, authored 4 books, quoted over 1500 times in the media , has been a radio talkshow host, a newspaper daily columnist, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow, columnist for theonlinecitizen and Malaysiakini, executive producer of Ilo Ilo (40 international awards), Hotel Mumbai (associate producer), invited to speak more than 200 times in about 40 countries, CIFA advisory board member, founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of 2 countries. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional  qualifications.