The Little Arts Academy
The Little Arts Academy (LAA) was created and managed by The Old Parliament House Limited to ensure that beneficiaries of the Business Times Budding Artists Fund have access to a sustained and systematic education in the Arts. The well-equipped facility at PoMo opened in November 2008 and is specially designed to support the LAA’s multidisciplinary curriculum covering Music, Dance, Theatre, Multimedia, Culinary Arts and Visual Arts. A key feature of the LAA’s programming is its ability to give students opportunities to stage public performances.
Mission
To provide a creative learning environment and a broad-based arts curriculum where all children can discover their artistic potential and develop skills and personal values that will enable them to transcend personal, social and financial circumstances.
Vision
To be recognised internationally as an academy where all children can enjoy a better start in life through an arts education regardless of personal circumstances.
Values
Compassion
Courage
Respect
We believe in…
- Equal Opportunity
Through the Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF), the Little Arts Academy works with government agencies, schools, children’s homes, volunteer welfare organisations, charity organisations and non-profit organisations in identifying children from economically-distanced families who need support to realise their potential in arts. The BT BAF offers subsidies for all children to receive training and believes that no child should be left behind in arts education.
2. Open Doors
The Little Arts Academy will work with all individuals and companies who share the same belief – that art has the potential to help those in need and that every artistically talented child should be given the opportunity to nurture that talent to its fullest, regardless of the child’s financial background. Their assistance will help keep the school sustainable in supporting those in need.
3. Giving every child a stage to perform.
Where most educational institutions emphasise graded qualifications, The Little Arts Academy focuses on providing performance platforms for our students to build their confidence, develop their performance skills and encourage compassion through sharing the joy of the arts with all.
4. Children helping children, artists giving back
In our belief of education as an occasion to give back to the community that has nurtured us, The Little Arts Academy will invite gifted and talented children to share their experiences with our students through junior master-classes at The Little Arts Academy. Through similar platforms, The Little Arts Academy will invite scholars, artists and established practitioners to share their love of the arts with our students.
The Business Times Budding Artists Fund
The Old Parliament House Limited
Engaging Arts, Enriching Lives
For more information, please visit www.toph.com.sg
Our People
Aminah Hussein
Centre Manager
Wong Yunjie
Manager (Curriculum Development)
Wong Yunjie (Jacky) graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2007 majoring in Political Science. He discovered his strong passion for art and pedagogy, and his belief in their potential for empowering and enhancing lives, as a student whose life-condition was transformed with the help of great teachers at the University Scholars Programme, NUS. After graduation, his passion and conviction were conveyed and further nurtured as a teacher in Catholic Junior College, Raffles Institution and Singapore Piaget Academy, Medan, Indonesia. Jacky identifies profoundly with the mission of the Little Arts Academy (LAA), and is proud and grateful for the opportunity to express himself as a creator of pedagogically innovative programmes that could enrich, and perhaps potentially transform, the life-condition of disadvantaged children.
Janice Zhang
Executive, Communications and Partnerships
Janice’s first contact with the fine arts started when she got into her school’s Art Elective Programme (AEP), a four-year programme of exploratory art-making which eventually stirs up a life-time interest in the arts. Prior to joining the Little Arts Academy, Janice was teaching Geography and Visual Arts at a secondary school. She is now involved in communicating to audiences like you through various forms of media.
Ko Ya Huay
Assistant Administrator
Ya Huay is the warm and friendly lady who sits at the front counter of The Little Arts Academy attending to your enquiries about our programmes and venue hires. What is this course all about? When is the date of that workshop? Ya Huay is the person to go to.
Before joining the family of The Little Arts Academy, Ya Huay had been working as a nurse at Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Thomson Medical Centre.
She enjoys baking and photography, which she indulges in during her free time. She also has a deep interest in the Japanese culture and its language.
Susan Lee
Assistant Administrator
Ashrik Bin Yusof
Operations Executive
Adelina Ong
Associate Producer, LAA Productions
Adelina Ong has been active in theatre scene since she was in her teens. Since her beginnings as a founding member of SRT’s Young Company in 1997 and as company manager from 1998 – 2001, Adelina has acted widely on stage and television and was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Life! Theatre Awards for her role in Postcards from Persephone (2000) which she also co-produced. Adelina also co-organised interdisciplinary festival such as the digital film project Digital Compassion 02 (2002) and Pulp (2003) which focused on creating respect for street arts. In 2004, she was honoured to be one of fifty international female theatre practitioners selected to participate in TRANSIT IV: Roots – an international theatre festival in Holstebro, Denmark. She acted, directed and produced When The World Was Green, a play about the malleability of memories, forgiveness and loss from 20 – 23 September 2010.
Working closely with non-profit organisations through the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre from 2005 – 2007, she has learnt much from the social sector and hopes to combine this knowledge with her experience in theatre to benefit the children of The Little Arts Academy and help them achieve their dreams.
Work with us!
We are constantly looking out for arts educators and practitioners who share our beliefs to making the arts accessible to all children and nurturing their potential to the fullest.
We’re currently looking for Artists-Educators with practice/training in any field:
- Theatre
- Ballet
- Hip-Hop
- Contemporary Dance
- Visual Arts
- Piano
- Guitar
These candidates should possess the following:
- Experience teaching children aged between 7 and 12.
- Enthusiasm and love for working with children, regardless of social background; yet
- Identify with the social cause of The Little Arts Academy/The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, and is keen to reach out to the financially disadvantaged.
- Performance experience will be considered favourably.
- Fresh NAFA/LASALLE/NUS/NTU graduates are also welcome to apply.
If you’re keen to teach at LAA, please email Aminah Hussien at aminah@toph.com.sg with your latest curriculum vitae.
Volunteer with us!
Volunteers are important to The Little Arts Academy.
Volunteers should be:
- above 16 years old.
- responsible and able to handle young children.
- willing to participate during dancing, singing and acting sessions to set an example and motivate the children.
If you love children and think you’d like to help us, please email Aminah Hussien at aminah@toph.com.sg for more information on upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Help us to raise funds!
Each year, The Business Times Budding Artists Fund needs to raise $800,000 to fully-sponsor the arts training of about 500 underprivileged children at The Little Arts Academy.
If you would like to assist us in raising funds for The Business Times Budding Artists Fund so that more underprivileged children could have a chance at the arts, please contact:
The Business Times Budding Artists Fund
PoMo
1, Selegie Road, #05-01/02
Singapore 188306
enquirieslaa@toph.com.sg
Cheque should be made payable to: The Budding Artist Fund – OPH
For donations above $100, please provide the following information so that we can prepare the tax-exemption receipt:
For Individuals
- Name
- NRIC No.
- Address
- Contact number and email address
For Corporations
- Company name and contact person
- Company registration number
- Company address
- Contact number and email address
- Amount donated
- Cheque number
Alternatively, you may wish to donate to The Business Times Budding Artists Fund via
Give2Arts.sg Portal
