#Engage: Launch of new initiative for Singapore's vulnerable children and youth

Starting from Wednesday (15 April), more than 500 children and youths will receive arts training online via a new initiative #Engage by not-for-profit arts and culture organisation The RICE Company Limited (TRCL).
The initiative aims towards engaging Singapore’s vulnerable children and youths online with tons of educational activities on arts, culture, and lifestyle during this period of the COVID-19 “Circuit Breaker”.
“Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and especially during this period of the “Circuit Breaker”, we have been reading how through various online platforms the arts have become a central part of our life in lifting our spirits and in keeping ourselves occupied. We have also read how many people have found time to pick up an instrument or learn to dance or draw through online lessons,” said Ms Aminah Hussien, Head of Arts & Community of TRCL.
“In this, as an arts organisation that seeks to build a sustainable arts ecosystem to benefit under-served children and youths in our community, we feel it is important to have an initiative that engages our children and youths through creative and meaningful ways at home and to do our part,” she added.
The 500 children and youths are beneficiaries of The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF), which is managed by TRCL.
The Fund provides free arts training through two arts enrichment centres – The Little Arts Academy and 10 Square Youth – to talented or artistically inclined children and youths from economically and socially disadvantaged families.
A total of 12 online arts training programmes – from visual arts, drama, and dance to tech+art – will be rolled out.
These online programmes will also be made available to the public on the YouTube channel of The Little Arts Academy and 10 Square Youth from 15 April onwards.
“These lessons allow our beneficiaries to continue their curriculum training uninterrupted since they cannot be at the training centres physically. Of equal significance is that we will also be making these lessons available to anyone from the public who wish to follow the classes,” commented Ms Aminah.
“By bringing these arts training lessons online, we can at once continue supporting our students from vulnerable backgrounds as well as also reach out to those who may be in need of such engagement activities during this stay home period. #Engage also allows the livelihoods of our trainers, many who have been with us for more than 10 years, to carry on without disruption during this period,” she added.