A Little Arts school

Talented young children from underprivileged homes can hone their skills in music, theatre, the performing arts and art in a new school.

The Little Arts Academy on the fifth floor of Paradiz Centre in Selegie Road is an initiative of The Arts House, an arts centre in the old Parliament building.

This new offshoot, with its sprawling 10,000 sq ft of space, was opened officially yesterday.

It plans to take in 300 children aged five to 12 in its first year. Most - 60 per cent - will be beneficiaries of The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, which aims to offer less fortunate children opportunities to engage in the arts. Their fees will be paid for by the fund.

The other 40 per cent will be children who pay the full fees. They can apply to take up courses in the school, including dance, drama, new media, visual arts, music, singing and even cooking.

The academy, which cost $300,000 to set up, has seven customised rooms for each of the activities. For instance, the culinary academy has a fully equipped kitchen and the music room comes complete with a recording studio.

Mr Phan Ming Yen, 41, director of the Little Arts Academy, said The Arts House needed to provide a systematic curriculum and long-term training space for beneficiaries of the fund.

'We organised many programmes in different places because we didn't have a dedicated venue. It was also hard to keep track of the students' progress because many of the programmes were done on a short-term basis,' he said.

Students at the academy will be encouraged to enrol for year-long courses so that their progress can be monitored.

'The idea is to reach out to students who cannot afford activities such as these,' Mr Phan added.

One such beneficiary is Tan Ying Lin, nine, a Primary 2 student at the Canossian School. She is hearing impaired and has attended two singing programmes under the Budding Artists Fund. She flexed her vocal chords at the official opening of The Little Arts Academy yesterday and is now hoping to take up music classes there.

Her mother, clinic assistant Doris Ng, 44, is a single mother. She said that while her daughter is interested in music, she has not been able to afford classes for her.

Mr Edmund Cheng, chairman of the National Arts Council, said at the academy's opening yesterday: 'Through its comprehensive arts training programmes, this academy will provide a great future to children, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds.'

He emphasises that a grounding in the arts is necessary. 'We need a creative mind to resolve complex issues these days. The opening of this academy is a significant milestone as it will ensure more children can be a part of the creative community.'

Mr Alvin Tay, editor of The Business Times and chairman of the board of trustees of the fund, said: 'I am glad that needy children now have The Little Arts Academy where they can come together, explore the arts and develop their artistic talents to the fullest.

'This project started from a simple idea back in 2005. Thanks to support from like-minded individuals and companies, we have seen it evolve into a fund and, finally, this academy. With The Business Times Budding Artists Fund and The Little Arts Academy, arts will now be accessible to all children regardless of their socio-economic background.'