In line with this multiculturalism push, NAC, supported by the Ministry of Education, will launch an Ethnic Fusion Dance Programme for all secondary schools from March 2026 to August 2027.
The programme will provide students with training in three traditional dance forms - Chinese, Malay, and Indian - and their relevance to contemporary dance.
It will involve established dance practitioners trained in traditional and contemporary dance, and all students will receive foundational training in the dance forms and have a chance to audition for the final showcase at local dance competition platform Super 24.
NAC will also pilot a Sustained Arts Education Programme for preschools that aims to integrate arts learning into early childhood education through programmes focused on music, creative play and Singapore’s cultural heritage.
"Around the world, we see how social diversity leads to fragmentation. It is therefore critical that we strengthen our cross-cultural understanding and deepen our shared identity," said Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng.
"This is where the arts can be a powerful catalyst. Through the arts, we get to know ourselves and where we came from. More importantly, the arts encourage us to look beyond the differences and value our commonalities."
The ministry on Thursday also announced the formation of a new Indian Engagement and Development Initiative (INEI) committee, which aims to strengthen the Singapore Indian identity, coordinate community uplift efforts and develop youth leadership over the next five years.
This follows a series of engagements and focus group discussions with various stakeholders and community groups, including representatives from more than 150 Singapore Indian organisations and more than 240 Singapore Indian youth leaders aged 35 and below.
The INEI committee will be chaired by Senior Minister of State for Transport and Law Murali Pillai, as well as Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Dinesh Vasu Dash.
It will comprise leaders and representatives from the Indian community organisations and promising youth leaders, said the ministry.
"This will be a committee by the community, and for the community," said Mr Dinesh in his speech.
"Its aim is to build strong networks across the Indian community, bringing together partners who are already doing good work on the ground, including SINDA and Narpani."
The committee will focus on three key areas – driving community upliftment, strengthening social cohesion and fostering a “We First” spirit, as well as developing a pipeline of Indian Singaporean youth leaders.
An annual INEI forum will be established, with the first dialogue next month, said Mr Dinesh.
