Singapore, 7 March 2024 – Undergraduates at the National University of Singapore (NUS) will have more opportunities to enrich their learning experiences with artistic pursuits, and students may also choose to further develop their passion, skills and knowledge in various arts disciplines and gain academic recognition as part of their undergraduate studies.

These are new initiatives under the all-encompassing ‘Arts For All’ (AFA) framework, which is developed by the NUS Office of Student Affairs Centre for the Arts (OSA CFA) to further augment the University’s ongoing efforts to enhance experiential and interdisciplinary learning through greater participation in the arts. AFA has been piloted since August 2023 and will be progressively implemented where one of the highlights will be the launch of the Second Major or Minor in Performing Arts in the new academic year starting in August 2024.

Associate Professor Chan Tze Law, NUS Vice Dean of Students who oversees CFA, said, “Creative and performing groups have long been a part of the NUS experience, going back all the way to the 1940s. Many student interest groups have evolved into structured programmes and developed artists and creative leaders over the years. This new framework will further encourage students to explore learning in the creative space at a pace and level of involvement that suits their individual learning needs, with further avenues to gain academic recognition for their time and effort in honing their skills.”

‘Arts For All’ at NUS

The AFA framework aims to enhance the student life experience at NUS, as well as support and encourage greater participation in the arts, which is an integral component of the University’s push for interdisciplinary teaching and learning.

Designed based on the principles of collaboration and outreach, AFA provides a diverse range of artistic learning opportunities under four categories to enable students to experience the arts in a manner best suited to their developmental objectives, interests, and levels of commitment.

Under the AFA framework, foundational or exploratory learning opportunities are offered to bring arts-related activities to a wider spectrum of students. These include ground-up and student-led community initiatives as well as participation in various student arts groups on campus. For those who wish to deepen their artistic practice in a structured academic setting, credit-bearing performing arts groups are offered for students to further their practice-based skills in a variety of performing art forms that interconnect with other disciplines.

Please refer to Annexe 1 for more information on the AFA framework.