By Gwendolyn Ng

THE economic crisis was certainly not kind to the Singapore arts scene, which saw donations dipping by $12.1 million last year.

The National Arts Council (NAC) announced yesterday that arts sponsors gave $22.1 million last year, down from $34.2 million the year before.

Arts groups my paper spoke to said that to cope with the effects of the recession last year, they dug into reserves and held performances without sponsors.

But the going was especially tough for newcomers like T.H.E. Dance Company, which started up in 2008.

Dancer Lee Mun Wai, who is also the company's public relations and marketing manager, recalls how he would make cold calls seeking support, only to have the phone slammed down on him.

Though 17-year-old Singapore Repertory Theatre lost "some sponsors", executive director Charlotte Nors said: "We're thankful for the patrons who had stood by us in good and bad times."

To honour generous arts patrons like Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), NAC handed out the 2010 Awards for Arts Patrons at two ceremonies on Tuesday and yesterday.

SPH received the Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award for the 18th consecutive year.

Another recipient of the same award was SPH UnionWorks Radio 100.3.

SPH's bilingual news and entertainment Web portal, omy.sg, received the Arts Supporter Award.

Ms Ginney Lim, executive vice-president of SPH's corporate communications and general manager of SPH Foundation, said: "The Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award is a testimony to our role as a responsible corporate citizen in engaging minds and enriching lives through our support for the arts."

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