Singapore has embraced art, design and music as viable economies, and has executed various incentives and programmes to develop local creative talent. For would-be artists, musicians and filmmakers, it means more money. And if that isn't enough, what’s cooler than telling your friends that you’re a creative?

By Edwin Tam

Jeremy Monteiro and Olivia Ong; Royston Tan and :phunk studios.

One’s a jazz pianist and another’s a singer; he’s a filmmaker and they’re a graphic design collective.

You might have seen, heard or experienced their works in movies, concerts, posters, or even on television. That’s not too surprising as they are part of Singapore’s creative industries – defined as “industries which are inspired by cultural and artistic creativity and have the potential to create economic value”.

Singapore has embraced art, design and music as viable economies, and has executed various incentives and programmes to develop local creative talent. For would-be artists, musicians and filmmakers, it means more money. And if that isn't enough, what’s cooler than telling your friends that you’re a creative?

By Edwin Tam

Jeremy Monteiro and Olivia Ong; Royston Tan and :phunk studios.

One’s a jazz pianist and another’s a singer; he’s a filmmaker and they’re a graphic design collective.

You might have seen, heard or experienced their works in movies, concerts, posters, or even on television. That’s not too surprising as they are part of Singapore’s creative industries – defined as “industries which are inspired by cultural and artistic creativity and have the potential to create economic value”.

It was these industries that helped countries such as China, the United Kingdom and United States to grow. As such, Singapore has recognised the need to groom these industries and our people. This is why Neo Jiet Shern, 27, and Chok Kerong, 25, received scholarships to pursue their creative passions.

Most scholars go for a university education in Australia, America or Europe. But Cheng Chek Lim took the less-travelled route and chose to study in Beijing. We find out about his choice scholarship and how it benefited him.

By Edwin Tam

Candidate description
Cheng Chek Lim
FIREfly Scholar (STB)
Designation: Management Trainee, STB
Studied: International Relations, Peking University

“I still jaywalk, but only when there aren’t any cars,” says Cheng Chek Lim, on bringing his jaywalking ways from Beijing back to Singapore.

The 25-year-old FIREfly scholar had spent four years in Peking University pursuing a degree in international relations. He is currently a management trainee with his sponsor agency – the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

Say “Nightlife” and naturally, Singaporeans think of “bars and booze”. That’s just the tip of the things-to-do-at-night iceberg though, as we uncover other nightlife alternatives to bars, dance music and beer goggles.

By Edwin Tam

Q: What’s worse than a hangover?
A: Waking up hungover and next to a dog. Naked.

Of course, this will never happen to us. It might happen to a friend of a friend or your cousin’s dog groomer.

Just never to us.

Fires, trapped people, toxic spills, collapsed buildings… When things go wrong, you can rely on the specialists of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to save the day.

By Edwin Tam

Chances are that you might know someone who describes his job with one of these three words—routine, monotonous, lifeless. Second Warrant Officer Eric Lee Kar Kiat describes his job as “colourful”...

Why splash out tens of thousands of dollars and spend two years getting a degree in a foreign land when accredited foreign bachelor degrees are available locally? Career Central finds out more from two degree students studying at the Technology, Management and Communications (TMC) Educational Group.

By Edwin Tam