TMJC GP InfoPack Arts & Culture Package (JC1 2023)

GP@TMJC 1 Arts & Culture Tampines Meridian Junior College JC1 General Paper 2023 Understanding the Arts: Value and Functions Culture & Identity Reading Set 1: Primer- Definition and Functions of the Arts Page 3 Reading Set 2: Change and Continuity – Technology’s Impact on the Arts Page 7 Reading Set 3: Power – Singapore as an Arts Hub Page 11 Reading Set 4: Primer- What is Culture and its Impact on our Identity Page 18 Reading Set 5: Change and Continuity- Cultural Globalisation Page 24 Sample Essay: Is spending on the arts really necessary in today’s world? Page 38 Relevant Essay Questions Page 40

GP@TMJC 2 ● An Overview ● Unit Title: Arts and Culture Inquiry Questions: • ‘The arts cannot change the world but they make it more beautiful.’ Discuss this view with reference to one of the following: painting, sculpture or music. (2007, Q3) • ‘The arts are nothing more than a luxury.’ How far is this true of your society? (2021, Q9) • How important is it for people in your society to retain a sense of tradition? (2010 , Q10) • Is cultural globalisation to be welcomed or feared today? (Adapted from A Level 2019 Q9) Unit Strand 1: The role and functions of the arts for individuals and societies Unit Strand 2: The challenges faced in developing Singapore as an Arts Hub Unit Strand 3: The role of culture and the impacts of globalisation Conceptual lens: Power, Identity Conceptual lens: Power, Identity Conceptual lens: Power, Change and Continuity Concept: Freedom of Expression, Activism, Heritage, Commercialisation Concept: Freedom of expression, Censorship, Identity, Commercialisation Concept: Identity, Heritage, Globalisation, Soft Power, Cultural Appreciation Topics: Visual, Performing & Literary Arts History of Art Topics: Singapore as an Arts Hub Renaissance City Plan Topics: National Identity Cultural Imperialism Cultural Heritage Possible Generalisation(s): Possible Generalisation(s): Possible Generalisation(s):

GP@TMJC 3 Before delving into the benefits of the Arts, we first need to consider what makes something Art. Let’s begin by defining the Arts and then move on to a consideration of what exactly constitutes the Arts. ⚫ Art Vs the Arts ⚫ Art is the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as paintings or sculptures, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. The Arts, however, is now commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to the various aesthetic mediums and modes through which ideas and emotions , oftentimes compositionally satisfying, are skillfully designed and presented to an audience . The arts thus refer to any creative product including visual arts (paintings, installations, sculptures), music and dance performances,