The mission of MICA is to develop Singapore as a global city for information, communications and the arts, so as to build a creative economy, gracious community and a connected society with a Singaporean identity rooted in our multi-cultural heritage. A total budget of $774m has been allocated to MICA in FY2008 to achieve this mission.

MICA aims to achieve the following strategic outcomes:

• A Vibrant and Sustainable Creative Cluster;
• A Thriving Infocomm and Media Cluster;
• A Gracious and Knowledgeable People, Appreciative of Arts and Culture;
• A Sense of Community, National Identity and Rootedness; and
• A Better Understanding of Singapore and its Policies.
  
  

Developing the Creative Industries

The Creative Industries is strategic to our future competitiveness as Singapore transits to a Creative Economy. $33m will be set aside for the following key initiatives under the Creative Industries Development Strategy:

• "Media 21", which aims to develop Singapore into a global media city by:

  -	Enhancing the capabilities of 1,000 local media professionals and students;
  -	Supporting the development of 20 digital media projects such as games and animation, applications and services for digital TV, digital audio, interactive TV and digital cinema;
  -	Helping 100 local media enterprise participants to expand overseas through developing new markets for Made-by-Singapore media content, co-productions with overseas partners and participation in international media trade missions; and
  -	Growing the 2 anchor media events in Singapore - Asia Media Festival and Broadcast Asia.

• "DesignSingapore", which aims to inspire design and develop Singapore as an international centre for design creativity in Asia where design improves capability, enhances quality of life, and drives national competitiveness. Key strategies include:

  -	Promoting and developing Singapore as a strategic node in the global network of design cities;
  -	Strengthening the competitiveness of Singapore SMEs through design and encouraging design research and development;
  -	Fostering design excellence through international exposure, mentorships, scholarships, competitions and awards;
  -	Stimulating design breakthroughs and new value creation through cross-disciplinary collaborations.

• "Creative Community Singapore (CCS)", which aims to unleash creativity and nurture entrepreneurship, while building demand and capabilities for the Creative Industries. It targets to:

  -	Engage 10,000 people through participation in CCS supported projects and events;
  -	Seed-fund 40 innovative projects that contribute to the Creative Industries; and
  -	Create 100 jobs through the supported projects and business start-ups.

Promoting the Infocomm Cluster

• $148m will be allocated to implement the Intelligent Nation (iN2015) Masterplan which aims to transform Singapore into an intelligent nation, and global city powered by infocomm. Key programmes under iN2015 are:

  -	Establishing Singapore’s Next Generation National Infocomm Infrastructure comprising the ultra-high speed Next Generation National Broadband Network and the pervasive Wireless Broadband Network (Wireless@SG programme);
  -	Spearheading the transformation of key economic sectors through infocomm innovation and adoption with projects such as the Integrated Clinic Management System, Infocomm@SeaPort, FutureSchools@SG and Infocomm@SME;
  -	Developing an infocomm-savvy workforce and globally competitive infocomm manpower through initiatives such as the National Infocomm Competency Framework and the National Infocomm Scholarships;
  -	Enhancing the capabilities of local infocomm enterprises to develop innovative products and services, and in expanding to overseas markets under programmes such as the Infocomm Enterprise Programme, and Internationalisation Programme; and
  -	Building an all-inclusive digital society through the NEU PC Plus programme to provide needy students with a brand new computer bundled with software and broadband access at affordable price, Infocomm Accessibility Centres (for the disabled) and the Silver Infocomm Initiative (for the elderly).

Nurturing Gracious and Knowledgeable People

• $178m will be allocated to develop Singapore’s cultural infrastructure and to enhance the artistic capacity of the nation. The key initiatives are:

  -	Developing the School of the Arts, Singapore to provide a 6-year arts and academic education for artistically talented students aged 13-18 leading to the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) Graduating Qualification at Year 6;
  -	Providing grants to over 600 local artists and arts groups, and subsidised arts housing for deserving artists and arts groups to develop their works under the Arts Housing Scheme;
  -	Organising and supporting 160 arts outreach programmes targeted at over 160,000 people;
  -	Assessing and endorsing 650 quality arts education programmes to reach out to 350,000 students, as well as carrying out arts education initiatives for pre-schools;
  -	Developing arts businesses through support for enterprise, professional capability and market development;
  -	Organising major arts events in Singapore such as the Singapore Arts Festival, Singapore Biennale, and Singapore Writers Festival, to promote artistic excellence and develop audiences.

• $85m will be allocated to foster nationhood, identity and creativity, and to develop a more vibrant heritage sector in Singapore. Key initiatives are:

  -	Enhancing museum curation and heritage outreach programmes in order to increase visitorship and community participation;
  -	Enriching Singapore’s heritage showcase diversity through a new Heritage Industry Incentive Programme (Hi2P) to support private heritage and museum partners;
  -	Redeveloping the former Supreme Court and City Hall Building into a National Art Gallery;
  -	Opening a new Peranakan Museum and contemporary galleries of the Singapore Art Museum to enhance our heritage presentation;
  -	Promoting the preservation of Singapore's built heritage, and organising outreach programmes to promote public awareness of national monuments;
  -	Improving the Heritage Conservation Centre to support the housing of the national heritage collection.

• $173m will be allocated to our libraries to support life-long learning among Singaporeans, and to promote a knowledgeable and engaged society, through the provision of:

  -	A national library that aims to become a one-stop centre for Asian collections and materials;
  -	A network of 3 regional libraries and 19 community libraries, which serve over 37 million library visitors and approximately 2 million library members;
  -	Rich on-line information sources and content at National Library Board's digital library which aims to serve 9 million on-line users;
  -	Rare materials and documents of historic significance which have been digitised for easy accessibility and the promotion of our heritage; and
  -	Digitised artistic heritage materials for greater accessibility so as to raise awareness of Singapore's many arts and cultural icons.

Fostering National Identity and a Better Understanding of Singapore and its Policies

• $15m will be allocated to nurture a sense of rootedness among Singaporeans, and create affinity for Singapore amongst Singaporeans and the international community, through government’s information programmes, including:

  -	Enhancing programmes that strengthen journalists’ understanding of Singapore and creating new opportunities for bilateral journalist exchanges and cooperation;
  -	Hosting cultural diplomacy programmes which leverage on arts and culture to showcase the softer aspect of Singapore, increase awareness of Singapore as a cultural and business global city, as well as to create networking opportunities for Singapore companies in the target city;
  -	Strengthening emergency preparedness by enhancing the public’s access to knowledge and skills;
  -	Encouraging initiatives to foster a stronger sense of pride and national identity among domestically based and overseas Singaporeans.