Monday, June 22, 2009

Singapore Arts Festival 2009
















Introduction

The festival I have chosen to visit is the Singapore Arts Festival (SAF) 2009.

Singapore Arts Festival was first started in 1977 in the role of a national arts festival celebrating the local arts scenes of Singapore's diverse communities. Today, the Festival is embodied with bold, progressive and innovative spirit, dedicated to commissioning new pieces of work by Singapore, Asian and international artists. The Festival also highlights an extensive programme of free outdoor performances island-wide; inclusive in the SAF 2009 is the opening of the festival at the Marina Barrage, The Singapore Streets Festival (SSF) held at Vivocity as well as others, bringing the arts to the doorstep of Singaporeans.

Marketing Strategies

The festival which I would be comparing to the Singapore Arts Festival (SAF) is the Galway Arts Festival (GAF) 2009.

Experiential Component
Product

For the experiential component of marketing, product is one of the components.
In both the SAF and the GAF, the festival itself is the product with reference to the performances that are being held during the festival. Also the festival experience is another product which is obtained by each individual.
GAF 2009 has also highlighted itself to be the ultimate summer getaway, in hope to enhance the fun factor with rising stars, reputable favourites and surprised collaborations.

Programming
Another experiential component is the programming.
The SAF has its programmes categorised according to Dance, Music, Theatre, Fest Connect, Visual Arts and Outreach. Within these 6 categories are the programmes over the festival of 31 days, for individuals to choose from. Of which, two of its categories Fest Connect and Outreach, there are sub categories for each. Fest Connect mainly comprise of events that allow audience and the performing artists to come closer through segments like workshops, chats and festival forums. Outreach includes mainly free admission programmes as well as ticketed programmes. Such as the Arts on the Move to Flipside presented by the Esplanade.

GAF has similarly categorised it programmes into Theatre and Dance, Music, Talks/Literature, Visual Art, Comedy, Children’s Events, Street, Festival BigTop, Free Events and Lunchtimes at the Roisin Dubh.

Place

One other experiential component is the place.

SAF is held in Singapore, a country with summer all-year round. However, the various performing locations can create a different atmosphere for each and every performance staged. An example of an outdoor performance would be the Marina Barrage where the opening of arts festival occurred. Even though stage settings were barely put up for the Helios II performance, the atmosphere however complemented with the performance itself.

The GAF is held in Galway, which has more space to cater to performances as compared to Singapore, it makes use of the ground space available. For example, the Festival BigTop is located in a seemingly large area, which is able to provide ample space for the performer(s) as well as accommodate a large number of audiences.

Even though Singapore is at a disadvantage as lesser land space is available, it is able to create the atmosphere to complement with the performances. While GAF makes us of its location to help create a different experience altogether.

Facilitating Component
Partnerships

For the facilitating component of marketing, there are the partnerships.

The various stakeholders of the events are the partnerships formed, in order to help produce the event.

In the case of the SAF, the National Arts Council (NAC) is the host organization. Without the support of the NAC, the SAF would not be produced successfully. The other stakeholders of the event will be discussed further in the report.

Whereas, the GAF, is mainly funded by governmental agencies such as The Arts Council of Ireland, Galway City Council, Culture Ireland, etc.

Promotion

Another facilitating component would be the promotion, referring to the communications made from the event to its audiences.
The ArtsFest Club offers promotions to its members, while membership is free. Members of the ArtsFest Club get a chance to win tickets to Edinburgh to take part in the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF). Other promotions to accommodation like the Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, the food and beverage (F&B) industry like Barossa Esplanade, and the shoppers at The Heeren Shops. These promotions are also available to ticket holders of the SAF, however with different privileges.

The media coverage that SAF gets through the papers helps the event to gain awareness from the public. In addition, SAF makes use of social networking websites like FaceBook and Twitter, along with a blog of its own, to keep users aware of its happenings. They also have a press section, which helps to keep the press informed on the latest of the SA.
Similarly, the Galway Arts Festival makes use of its local papers to help get hold of the attention of the public. They also make use of social networking websites like Facebook, myspace and bebo. Besides, they have the media section, which allows the press to be kept engaged to the latest news of the festival.

The mailing list of GAF is also made available to individuals who would like to keep up with the latest announcements of the GAF.

Price

The other facilitating component is the price.

Ticketing at the SAF, offers various discounts for ticketed admissions. For ArtsFest Club members, group and school bookings, package discounts, full-time students, NSF’s as well as senior citizens.

Instead of discounts for tickets to performances at the GAF, they offer merchandise items like gift vouchers and posters. Individuals may purchase the merchandise for themselves or as a gift for others, which may in turn encourage more to join in the GAF.

Best Practices

With regards to the experiential component, the programming aspect was well done. By categorizing the programmes, sourcing of programmes are made easier for individuals. With less hassle, it may be more appealing for individuals to approach the event, especially for first timers.
Also the different level of programming is another commendable point for the SAF. Besides the appreciation of arts through watching performances, individuals may want to go more in depth, by participating in workshops and forums to have a better understanding of the arts.

The place aspect is also commendable for both festivals, for they are able to make use of the features, atmospheres, settings and location to create a wholesome experience for participants of the festival.
With regards to the facilitating component, the promotion and price are commendable.
The promotion tactics that both festivals have chosen to use is through social networking websites, which can reach out to a large group of people. Hence, they are making use of the current trends to help gain attention for their event, promoting it at a low cost.

The price aspect was praiseworthy for the SAF, as they are targeting to the various age groups, who are potential audiences to the performances of the festival. By providing discounts for them, it makes it more appealing for them, as their spending powers are also taken into consideration. For example full-time students, may have lower spending power hence more affordable ticket prices would be desirable for them.

Stakeholders of Singapore Arts Festival

The host organization of the SAF 2009 is the National Arts Council (NAC), a governmental agency which has a mission to cultivate the arts culture, making it a vital part of Singaporeans’ lives.

The media includes MediaCorp Pte Ltd, with Channel 5 as the official TV station and okto being the supporting TV station.
The co-workers of the event are those directly working in the event, this includes paid event helpers at the various programmes such as the opening of the festival.
The participants are the performing artists of the SAF, be it local or overseas. The spectators are those who view the performances be it free or ticketed.
The sponsors of the SAF include the major sponsors like Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Lee Foundation, Hong Leong Foundation, etc. As well as the sponsors like Yahoo!, Starhub Cable Vision, etc.
Main Purpose of Singapore Arts Festival

The main purpose of the Singapore Arts Festival is to celebrate the local arts activities of Singapore’s diverse community, which has acted as an icon and catalyse in the growth of the artistic and cultural life of Singapore. It has supported in the makeover of Singapore’s cultural landscape, transforming it into one of Asia's main cultural capitals today. The SAF has also inspired and shaped the work of artists and has since created a budding demand from the public for the arts, initiating additional cultural platforms, events, and movements that facilitate the strengthening of the dynamic cultural landscape in present-day Singapore.

Tourism Benefits

The SAF acts as a temporary attraction in Singapore, attracting tourists’ who would like to be part of the festival. This in turn increases the visitor spending and the length of stay in Singapore.

From the post Edinburgh Contest Winners At ArtsFest on the SAF’s Festival blog, winners of a seven-night trip to SAF 2009, from the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) contest, the pair of father and son will also be catching up on the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) 2009 which happens together with the SAF. They will also head down to Raffles Hotel to try the Singapore Sling. The SAF has thus proven itself to be a catalyst, stimulating business for other industries in the market, and as a platform to other attractions in Singapore.

In addition, the SAF acts as an animator, encouraging first and repeat visits to Singapore as well as the facilities and attractions. The winners of the EIF contest are first time visitors to Singapore. Hence the SAF their main purpose of visit is stimulated by their passion for the arts, encouraging their first visit to Singapore.

An image maker is also another role of the SAF. It being an arts festival has helped to create an image for Singapore as one of Asia’s major cultural capitals. In a response by Ronan Paterson, one of the winners of the EIF contest, he has pointed out Singapore’s ideal geographical and cultural location, allowing the exploration of cultures between the various states. In addition the SAF has helped him recognize Singapore as a place to which shows Asia to the world and the world to Asia.

The SAF helps to create a positive image for Singapore, whereby the arts culture is nurtured and celebrated. This encourages more works by local artists as well as overseas artists, to be showcased in Singapore, allowing the people to gain more exposure. This positive image would also attract investors in Singapore, especially investors with plans of setting up a new business for or with correlation to the local arts scene.