The Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award
The Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award aims to recognise practitioners (both individual and groups) of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) who are dedicated to the promotion and transmission of their practices, and have made outstanding contributions in their field.
This award is conferred by the National Heritage Board (NHB) and is one of NHB's key ongoing efforts to safeguard ICH in Singapore.
ICH elements practised by the nominated practitioners need to be part of NHB's ICH Inventory, which consists of six categories:
- *Social Practices, Rituals and Festival Events
- Knowledge and Practices concerning Nature and Universe
- Oral Traditions and Expressions
- Performing Arts
- Traditional Craftsmanship
- Food Heritage
*The scheme excludes practices that are overtly religious or spreads the teachings or beliefs of any one religion.
How and when to apply?
Applications for the Stewards of ICH 2024 Award cycle have closed. More details of the next open call for nominations will be announced soon.
Each recipient (individual or organisation) will be presented with a trophy, certificate of award, and S$5,000 cash prize.
Each recipient will also have the option to tap up to S$20,000 in project funding. This is subject to the approval of the proposed project.
Individuals:
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Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents, 18 years old and above.
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Must be a practitioner with minimum 10 years in vocation and a respected member of the practising community.
Note: Award will only be conferred upon individuals who are ICH practitioners - researchers, advocates, and/or managers of ICH organisations who do not themselves possess ICH knowledge and practice ICH skills are not eligible for the Award.
Groups/Organisations
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Must be based in Singapore and headed by a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident
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The group must have been practising for a minimum of 10 years.
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The group must be a formally registered society or company.
Note: Awards will not be conferred posthumously.
Self-nomination and public nomination
Nominees are evaluated according to how they have demonstrated the following criteria:
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Active Transmission of Skills and Knowledge
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Mastery of Skills and Knowledge
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Long-Term Dedication to Transmitting Practice
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Positive Impact and Influence
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Individual and group/organisation applications will be evaluated as separate categories of applicants, although all applications will be assessed based on the above criteria.
Nominations will be reviewed and assessed by an Evaluation Panel, which comprises ICH practitioners, academics, leaders of community organisations, and representatives from NHB.
For the 2024 Award cycle, the members of the Evaluation Panel are:
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Chair
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Ms Yeoh Chee Yan
Chairman, National Heritage Board |
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Deputy Chair
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Ms Chang Hwee Nee
CE, National Heritage Board |
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Members
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Dr Azhar Ibrahim
Department of Malay Studies, NUS |
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Mr Chan Kian Kuan
Vice-President, Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations |
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Ms Julia D’Silva
Representative, Eurasian Association |
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Dr Koh Keng We
Department of History, NTU |
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Mr Alvin Tan
CEO, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre |
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Dr Norshahril Saat
Chairman, Malay Heritage Foundation |
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Mr Rajakumar Chandra
Advisor, Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association |
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Ms Serene Lim
Director (Sector Development – Performing Arts), NAC
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Mdm Som Said
Artistic Director, Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts
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Ms Sunitha Janamohanan
Lecturer, LASALLE College of the Arts |
Applications for the 2024 Award cycle have closed. More details of the next open call for nominations will be announced soon.
For any queries or questions regarding the nomination process, please refer to the FAQs below. For any further clarifications, please reach out to NHB via the contact details provided at the end of this page.
Frequently Asked Questions