For Art’s Sake

Annual charity fashion pop‑up, Pasar Glamour, raises money for an emergency relief fund to aid freelancers in the performing arts sector By Amelia Yeo

Following the nationwide closure of all entertainment venues and the cancellation of arts-related events, freelancers—who make up over 47 per cent of the labour force from the arts sector—have taken a rough hit.

To aid the community, actresses (pictured above, from left) Petrina Kow, Janice Koh and Pam Oei—the founders of annual charity pop-up, Pasar Glamour—announced an initiative, Pasar Glamour Art Aid, to raise $100,000, of which $50,000 has been committed to match any donation, dollar for dollar.

“While the government has stepped up to support the self-employed and freelance workers, there are some who fail to meet the eligibility criteria of these schemes and need our help,” shares Koh. She notes that “through the matched funding campaign, Art Aid is Pasar Glamour’s way of rallying everyone, together with our arts audiences, to contribute towards supporting those who are struggling financially during this period”.

The committed funds for Art Aid have been raised from its pre-loved clothing charity sale in 2019, along with a generous donation from an anonymous donor. It hit its target of $50,000 in three days and at press time is close to making the $75,000 mark. Successful applicants will receive a one-off grant of $500, with priority to those with heavier financial burdens.

“Our home-grown performing arts scene has always been proactive and resilient as a community,” says Koh. “We all need to play our part in ensuring the survivability of our cultural scene, so that Singapore will have a thriving and vibrant arts sector to return to.”

“We all need to play our part in ensuring the survivability of our cultural scene, so that Singapore will have a thriving and vibrant arts sector to return to”