A continuous exploration into the Singaporean climate inspired by thoughts, conversations and events to encourage discussion via free speech.
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ISSUE #02
FIRST WORLD STATUS: Are we progressing too prematurely, or are we ready to embrace our (self-proclaimed) First World Status? Click HERE to participate in the discussion.
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ISSUE #01
WHAT IS OUR CULTURE?: A necessity at this point, the struggle to find our own identity is crucial if we were to start believing in our local products. Click HERE to participate in the discussion.
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ABOUT XIV
XIV {fourteen}:
Article 14 of the Singapore Constitution- The right to free speech
“The idea for RCGNTN as a platform for local talent sparked off in 2009 after learning about the lack of exposure for Singaporean creatives and their work. At that point, it was created to shine a spotlight on lesser-known individuals who were not given good gigs; not that they were not good at what they did, but rather were not given the time of day. It has been a never-ending learning journey ever since.
Throughout the course of the magazine, I’ve met numerous people and have had the privilege of interviewing them about their work, their feelings and thoughts about being a local creative in this country. Many have expressed their disdain about politics in their respective scenes, the issue of appreciation, of acceptance among the general population, the authorities, and the world. I then came to realise that even established acts were not recognised for their efforts by people outside their communities.
It was the issue of the lack appreciation that struck out the most to me. Was it because there was not enough exposure of local talent?
The idea to unify all the different disciplines in the creative industry- art, design, music- into one blog focusing on solely Singaporean content came to be as the RCGNTN that you see today. I wanted to offer someone interested in one discipline a look at another, increasing exposure for the other disciplines. I believed that with unity, there would be appreciation.
But I came to learn that exposure was not enough. I needed people to believe.
I started to recount the experiences I had with friends who were creatives. Their work was amazing to me, and it was through understanding their intent and sincerely giving a shit about what they did that made me believe in their work, their talent- it created a bond. With each post, there was an explanation to their work as well as an indication of how much effort they put into their craft. Which led to another learning point: we needed more art appreciators; friends of artists/ musicians or viewers who chanced upon their work to believe in them the same way I did (or hopefully more) so more bonds could be fostered between the artist and the viewer. Anyone, when empowered with knowledge of these local works as well as genuine interest through understanding could encourage a viral effect of spreading the word to others who could potentially give a shit the same way they do. We could foster a big change.
Using the same model and applying it to the general public, XIV was created as a pro-active approach to narrow down to the different factors that related to appreciation both inside and outside the respective communities. It is through this that I want to bring to your attention the different issues that call out for your understanding, such as the Singaporean identity, quality, and the importance of recognising that we, though young, are at an exciting point to help mold our culture, our identity, and ultimately create history.
It was through free speech in my interviews that I have learnt this, and I hope I can share it with you through XIV.”
- Sam Lo, founder of RCGNTN
