School
of Creative
Industries

Mieke Song

Mieke Song

BA(Hons) Arts Management
2017 — 2020

Mieke Song is a nonbinary, queer arts manager in the visual and literary arts industry in Singapore. Their love for the arts is fueled by an insatiable appetite for illustration, comics and poetry, and a strong belief in the power of arts advocacy and research. They are happiest when deep in the madness of executing an arts event, and thrive on the satisfaction of bringing people together and seeing all the late nights of hard work come to fruition. As an arts manager, they hope to always highlight underappreciated artforms and convince more people to give money to the arts.

Work

Research interests: niche arts documentation, social activism in the arts, capability and audience development, cultural statistics.
Past projects: Asian Festival of Children’s Content (2019), MeshMinds 2.0: Art x Tech For Good (2019), M1 Fringe Festival's Revisiting a Line Walked (2017 – 2018).

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Thesis abstract

In support of illustration: an inquiry into the state of illustration in Singapore

Although there is a developing illustration scene in Singapore, there remains a dire lack of research and documentation on local illustration and the needs of local illustrators. The significance of the artform goes unrecognized and state agencies grapple to classify the practice of illustration. This research paper investigates the scope of the illustration practice in Singapore to assess the career sustainability of the local illustrator. A mixed method approach combining literature and quantitative data is employed to understand and situate illustration in a local context. One hundred illustrators were surveyed and the results demonstrate a diverse and vocal community of artists that is undervalued, underpaid, and underappreciated. The findings of this study indicate areas where more research can be conducted into supporting the growth of Singapore’s unique illustration scene.

Work experience

2019
Singapore Book Council
Programmes Assistant

2018 – 2019
MeshMinds: Art x Tech For Good
Programmes Manager