The Visual Arts Development Association (Singapore) (VADA) was conceived in response to the growing need for an independent, not-for-profit arts organisation to service the needs of the burgeoning Singapore visual arts industry. VADA's in-built capability allows it to take the lead in developing platforms and opportunities for those individuals who will represent Singapore nationally and internationally in the visual arts.
VADA programmes are intended as “incubator initiatives” designed to identify and cultivate artistic and curatorial talent by providing developing arts practitioners both the exposure and practical experience required to establish sustainable careers in the arts. All programmes include presentation and sharing components, from exhibition and blogs, to publications and talks, artists and curators have opportunities to present their work to private and industry audiences as well as the community-at-large. VADA initiatives provide participants valuable first-hand experience with the processes, details and interactions that take place behind-the-scenes, allowing them to better understand the practical components of bringing creative projects to fruition.
Programme participants are identified through a variety of channels (art schools, open calls, etc.) and vetted by VADA Mentors and/or the VADA Advisory Committee. VADA Mentors and members of the VADA Advisory Committee represent a collection of established Singapore-based artists, curators, academics, arts writers and arts administrators. By including these industry experts into the key oversight positions within initiatives, VADA ensures that applicants are thoroughly considered, and both programmes and participants consistently strive for artistic excellence. Additionally, engaging these individuals in such an integral way in VADA programming facilitates a level of awareness and ownership of its projects within the local arts community.
Most significantly, VADA programmes are devised to engage those who support the arts in this nurturing process. VADA programmes include opportunities for collectors to directly support local artists beyond the standard commercial relationship, thus fostering the next generation of Singapore's arts patrons. By presenting opportunities for deeper participation on the part of those who seek to support the arts, be they individuals or corporations, hobbyists or connoisseurs, these programmes strive to forge new levels of engagement between artists and patrons, encouraging fresh connections and symbiosis within Singapore's visual arts scene.
VADA is a not-for-profit arts organisation and registered association with the Registry of Societies.
MISSION
VADA designs and facilitates programmes for the emerging sectors of Singapore's visual arts community, engaging both the arts industry and arts patrons in the process.
We build capacity for Singapore visual arts practitioners to realise excellence in their practice by providing platforms for presentation along with practical experience and mentoring by industry experts.
We connect artists with arts patrons, creating new levels of awareness and support within the Singapore's visual arts ecosystem.