Art has the ability to heal and emerging artists have the power to effect change through the act of creation – whether their medium is music, dance, multimedia, visual arts, design or technology. As Singapore emerges from the pandemic, LASALLE College of the Arts today celebrated the achievements of 810 graduates from the Class of 2022 at an in-person Convocation ceremony held at the Singapore Expo Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) — formed by an alliance between LASALLE College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) — will open its doors in August 2024.

This editorial in Lianhe Zaobao notes that the establishment of UAS is a milestone in the history of education in Singapore, and explores the significance of an arts university in Singapore.

The University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) — formed by an alliance between LASALLE College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) — will open its doors in August 2024, offering courses in fine arts, design and performing arts.

Professor Steve Dixon, President of LASALLE, said that LASALLE has made a significant impact in the local arts industry since its establishment 38 years ago. He expects the college to use its expertise in art and design education to help enhance the cultural industry in Singapore and the region.

The University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) — formed by an alliance between LASALLE College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) — will open its doors in August 2024 and start receiving applications in the third quarter of 2023.

UAS will provide some centralised services to both LASALLE and NAFA, which will remain distinct entities, enrolling and admitting their own students and conducting their own courses, though there will be modules offered across institutes.

Singapore’s first arts university will welcome its first cohort of students in August 2024. The University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) is being formed by an alliance between the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and the LASALLE College of the Arts.

Ilina Hattangady, an alumna of LASALLE’s BA(Hons) Music programme, said: “I think this University coming to life is going to be really beneficial and encouraging to aspiring artists.”

The University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) — formed by an alliance between LASALLE College of the Arts and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) — will welcome its first cohort of students in August 2024.

The new university will offer an expanded range of programmes in fine arts, design, media arts, performing arts and arts management, as well as in new and upcoming areas in the applied arts.

In this commentary piece published in The Straits Times, Professor Chan Heng Chee, Chairman of the Pro-Tem Committee to create a university of the arts, lists three reasons to establish a university of the arts now.

“The University of the Arts will play a crucial role to prepare our students to be confident in their skills and abilities, enrich our society with their artistic endeavours and make a contribution to the economic landscape,” she shared.