Welcome Address by Mrs Elaine Ng, Chief Executive Officer, National Library Board at the Inaugural Arts and Disability Showcase on Saturday, 3 December 2011, 11.10am at the Woodlands Regional Library

Release Date : 03 Dec 2011

Mr Arthur Fong

Member of the Government Parliamentary Committee, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, and Board Member of the National Library Board

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. Good morning, and welcome to the Arts and Disability Showcase organised by the National Library Board (NLB). We are very honoured to have Mr Arthur Fong, Member of the Government Parliamentary Committee, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, and Board Member of the NLB, grace today's event.

2. This is the fourth signature event that the NLB continues to organise yearly for people with special needs. From 2008 to 2010, our Public Libraries provided different platforms to engage them in articulating their talents and for them to enjoy access to our libraries' services.

3. This year, for the first time, we provide a platform for them to showcase their artistic talents and express themselves. In conjunction with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, this event aims to create an awareness among the wider community that the arts is for everyone.

4. It is our privilege to showcase 48 artworks created by artists from the Very Special Arts Singapore and other special education schools till 9 December this year. There will also be workshops and booth activities for you to create art and crafts such as origami, rainbow-salt art, bookmarks and more.

5. We hope that through this event, you will better understand the issues faced by the people with special needs, appreciate their artistic endeavours, share in their zest for learning, and be a part of this meaningful experience.

Appreciation and thanks

6. Finally, I would like to thank all our working partners for sharing our beliefs about creating possibilities for the disabled. Indeed, the arts is universal and inclusive for people from all walks of life and can be enjoyed by everyone. I would like to thank the Very Special Arts Singapore (VSA), Movement for the Intellectually Disabled (MINDS) Fernvale and Towner Gardens Schools, Asian Women Welfare Association (AWWA), Friends of the Disabled, and Bishan Home, for their support and participation in this meaningful project, and the numerous talented artists who made this a reality.

7. Thank you.