THE SINGAPORE TOURISM BOARD GOES THE EXTRA MILE for Art's sake!

The buzz generated by this year's Singapore Arts Festival has barely died down but the Singapore Tourism Board is already looking ahead to the calendar of exciting arts events lined up from September through to mid November.

A new marketing campaign called for Art's sake! promises to raise the profile of various individual performances, art exhibitions and auctions. Part of a broader strategic thrust to position the Lion City as a culturally vibrant place for the arts all year round, for Art's sake! is one of two new annual campaigns that highlights the arts here. The other campaign called Take Art! will group together arts events and shows during March and April.

The STB's Director of Events Marketing, Mr Kevin Leong said that both campaigns are targeted at the overseas markets to give them a better understanding of the diverse and vibrant arts scene here.

Mr Leong observed, "Many worthwhile arts events lack the budget to carry out overseas marketing. By grouping them together under two umbrella campaigns, tour and travel operators will find it easier to package tours. Furthermore, September and October are traditionally quieter months in terms of visitor arrivals and this gave us even more impetus to create for Art,s sake!" He added, "Of course, arts groups benefit from greater international exposure and increased patronage. So it,s a win-win situation for everyone."

With a range of easily accessible brochures, ready information on toll-free number 1800-736 2000 and STB,s website www.newasia-singapore.com, visitors will find it easier than ever to shape their itineraries or make plans for an exciting night out in town. The STB will also be placing advertisements and hanging up airport banners to generate more awareness.

"Singapore hosts so many arts events annually and the selection in for Art's sake! is an excellent representation of that range," Mr Leong noted. "There is something for everyone - whether it's classical ballet, local theatre or colourful ethnic celebrations. At the same time, we're also reaching out to the growing niche market of arts tourists."

Highlights of for Art's sake! include the outdoor world music festival, WOMAD, the Christie,s and Sotheby,s art auctions as well as Riverdance, the critically-acclaimed showcase of Irish dancing.

For the visual arts buff, there is ArtSingapore 2000, the first contemporary art fair for Asian arts organised by the Art Galleries Association, as well as numerous arts exhibitions.

And for visitors who want an insight into Singapore's ethnic cultures, September and October are the ideal months to catch the enchanting Mid-Autumn Festival, when lanterns adorn Chinatown and the Chinese Garden, and Deepavali, when the streets of Little India are bathed in dazzling lights. Also not to be missed ) the annual Thimithi Festival where Hindu devotees walk across red-hot embers as a sign of their piety. (For a full listing of for Art,s sake! events, please refer to Annex 1.) Arts groups who are staging performances during this period are happy to be collaborating with STB.

"The marketing efforts of for Art,s sake! place WOMAD Singapore 2000 into a convenient +window, of arts events in Singapore, and this makes for an advertising and promo campaign that is easily and effectively marketed. WOMAD Singapore 2000 definitely benefits from this international campaign," said Ms Audrey Perera, Festival Director, WOMAD Singapore 2000.

Ms Ruby Lim-Yang, Director of ACT 3 Theatrics Pte Ltd described for Art's sake! as a campaign which stimulates the growth of the arts. &The campaign synergizes the needs and strengths of the STB and the arts groups by encouraging them in their creative process. In doing so, it strengthens the arts scene and helps make Singapore an eventful and attractive destination." With so much to experience, the STB has made plans to host a group of international media. They will be coming to Singapore to discover for themselves what for Art's sake! is all about. "We think they will be pleasantly surprised" said STB's Assistant Director,

Corporate and Media Communications, Ms Vernice Quay. "Some visitors, particularly those from the Western hemisphere, associate Singapore primarily with its colonial heritage or good shopping. When the media realise how eventful our arts and cultural calendar is, and when they experience some of its excitement, we,re sure they,ll have much to share with their readers and viewers."

Further down the road, the STB will launch Take Art! , which will group together arts events in March and April 2001, including the Singapore International Film Festival and the Children,s Festival. All in, these campaigns are part of STB,s larger plans to make Singapore an eventful destination that visitors will want to return to. As it stood, 1999 was an eventful year. The STB organised, sponsored or supported 1097 event days, which included many large scale quality events with broad-based appeal, while the National Arts Council recorded over 4000 arts events and performances last year.

And these figures look set to grow with more international marketing campaigns such as for Art,s sake! and Take Art! coming on line. STB is confident that the message will get out to more potential visitors overseas: that indeed New Asia - Singapore is a place where they truly can live it up.