In Singapore, the role of the arts, generally, is to entertain. It is common for us to have events which promote the arts as it is- no further in depth probing is required. All the audience has to do is to watch and applaud. Such is the role of arts in Singapore. Singaporeans in general only appreciate the aesthetics of art- the intricate details on the costumes, the fluidity of the movements. Events such as the Singapore arts festival, concerts from world famous artistes such as the Beatles and art galleries further emphasize this fact.

However, in recent years, we have seen the government try to increase awareness of the arts in Singapore. This is being done in school, where the population is still young, thus more possible and practical to induce arts appreciation in them. Firstly, we have the Singapore youth festivals. Performing arts groups from schools all over Singapore take part actively in this national event biannually. Thus, this is seen as an effort by Singapore to try to inculcate in youths an artistic side since the performer's friends would be interested to watch the performances too. Also, ccas under the arts category are introduced as early as primary school, thus students have many years to decide if they would like to pursue arts.

Secondly, we have seen an increase in the content of arts in the school syllabus. There's the Nanyang academy of fine arts (NAFA), which is an arts school for youths who are interested in the arts. There, they cultivate their interests and talents for the arts, specializing in skills such as dance or visual arts, or even modern art- photography. Then of course we have the recent introduction of the arts elective or pure arts in the secondary schools and junior colleges. This is done to encourage those who have a passion for arts to develop their interests and bring the arts scene in Singapore to greater heights.

More recently, Singapore has tried to raise the importance of arts in Singapore, as seen in the above examples. Besides the education system and concerts, Singapore has also provided for venues for the arts, one being the esplanade by the bay. The purpose of the esplanade is to host arts events, much like the Sydney opera house in Australia. Thus, the role of the arts in Singapore has risen in recent years due to efforts by the government and arts groups in Singapore.