Yvonne (CEO-Mgmt)

Wed, Aug 02, 2023 12:54AM • 58:15

SUMMARY KEYWORDS
board, management, years, issues, board members, ensuring, people, government, questions,
committee, panel, arts, pandemic, nrc, organization, business continuity, ministry, audiences, terms,
audit committee

SPEAKERS
yvonne, jill

yvonne 00:00
The institution can be sustained. And this varies obviously, between arts charities, and between
different arts charities or organizations, we are an institution, we're not just an arts charity that serves
the artistic vision of one person. And when it comes to an end, when a person passes away or decides
to continuous practice, it comes to an end, we are not an institution. So the longevity with which we
must be able to see our resources, longevity of that vision, and that mission needs to be supported by
sustainable management of our resources. So the current natural resources that is done, honestly, with
integrity, and, you know, in line with our vision and mission, the second is that there is a management
of long term risks in terms of whether it's still relevant to change our strategies. Long term sustainability.
So that's how I would define corporate governance, risk management and or, you know, because we
have professional management here, I guess, depending if you're from a much smaller charity, the
Board may play a more supportive role to mentor to provide corporate expertise. In an arts
organization, artists may not have the necessary resources to engage private expertise to help
manage, but in this case, we are a company that's set up with a wide range of functions, protection,
artistic functions, to, I would say, somewhat functions that are shared with the commercial sector, right,
managing the mall.

jill 01:55
Very different venues also, I know.

yvonne 01:58
That's right. So there is that broad range of the work we do, some of which do require commercial
expertise. So from that basis, we need a far more professional management team here. And so the
lines between board and management are not unlike any other public use company. The board is
entrusted by the shareholders, or in this case, the members of all subscribers of the company to ensure
that vision and mission are met. It then leaves all of the management to how it's done its execution to
the management, the check and balance. On a couple of areas, we have two major committees on
board: the audit committee, which picks up on risk. And the other committee that is on our board is the
nomination remuneration committee.

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jill 02:54
This is two committees.

yvonne 02:56
On our board, we have a third panel that's called an advisory panel for technical, digital, and
technology. It's called disruptive technology advisory panel. We set it up only two years ago from the
board and it also allows us to co op members outside of the board to join that panel. So that we call it a
panel because it doesn't have any fiduciary duties as the board. Whereas the audit and risk committee
and the nomination and remuneration committee obviously have fiduciary duties, right audit and risk,
obviously, overseeing our internal audit, external audits, and also ensuring the enterprise risk
assessment processes are kept every year because we also abide by the charities act. Also with the
Commission on charities, the audit risk committee also ensures that we meet all the checks. Well,
charity ought to be the audit risk committee. The nomination remuneration committee looks after the
sustainability of the board to make sure that the Board Member while it goes through an annual
evaluation of board effectiveness at board level, but also at the individual board members level. So they
are then responsible for ensuring their support. Currently our mandate by our major funder and parent
ministry, government ministries that we have a limit of six years for board members so no one stays for
more than six years. So the nomination duration committee looks after the issue. We had the right level
of representation or if the diversity of the board reflected on society, the remuneration aspect is
because we have a professional HR committee, a professional HR department, we serve that need,
that nearly looks after a tax position or II, the appointment of the CEO, and assistant chiefs if there are
any. And it looks at the remuneration of those roles. And it looks after any salary increments for the
organization broadly. So the broad approach for that, as well, if there are any bonuses to be paid. So
that's why I say it has a fiduciary, because it comes back to Financial Management and ensuring fair
payment, and there's no dispute over as a charity in particular.

jill 05:52
Are there certain standards in terms of payments from among government, or public institutions?

yvonne 06:01
Obviously, there are different approaches, whether you are a government, we are not. We don't follow
the government. So, you know, obviously, the remuneration committee is responsible for setting the
standards of assessment, we have metrics that we looked at that is tied to our KPIs as well as the
national economy, i.e. the entire kind of economic environment that you're in. I mean, if it's a very
buoyant environment and the labor market's very competitive, obviously, the remuneration committee
takes that into consideration when we set bonuses. So you know, our HR committee is responsible for
getting the information, the remuneration committee approves based proof matrix of volunteers, they
are not paid a set number of board members, or volunteers. But as the check and balance, they come
from different industries, so people to also provide that level of insight whether or not we are veering
away from other practice. So as is then ensuring that our board membership are filled with leaders from
different fields, complement what we already have, we obviously are very much in touch with the art
scene. The artists on the board, you do need from sectors who are not in the arts, to ensure that as a
national institution for the arts, we are able to benchmark in order to collaborate with what industries do

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we have someone from the education field or industry of business, we have people who are from the
social sector, particularly because we work very closely with the community centers, where folks,
obviously with a legal background, and accountancy background so that we're well-governed, with a
broad corporate background, because we need that help in fundraising. So we need their corporate
networks, so they all have interest in the arts, so that we know that they're watching shows, they are
still in touch, but the board's role is not artistic direction, that is very, very clear, not artistic and
programming direction. And that is the role of management. You know, if not, there is a very high
tendency that you end up being somewhat corrupt, because, you know, the area of the arts is
somebody's personal taste, right. And you've got to be very sure that we are not ending up with a board
that's using their personal taste, to program what they like. So we've made it very clear that the board
does not get involved in artistic direction. But as management, our job is to present to the board, what
is our programming direction? Because they will check it against? Are you meeting your vision and your
mission? Is the diverse enough, you know, are we leaving the scene? Should we invest in more artistic
leadership? Should we invest a bit more in community? You know, they ask questions at that level, but
not in the selection of others, not in the actual programming strategies as well. You know, they point out
broad issues. So that's the difference between the role of the board versus the role of attention, one
very clear line we have drawn, that they are not involved in the artistic direction, or in the programming
of the arts center.

jill 09:49
I'm kind of curious, specifically since there's that identity also of Esplanade being also funded by the
government. So specifically for boards coming from the government. So are there like no limitations in
terms of, for example, if you really need to feature a discussion that would elicit sort of kind of
controversial topics, for example, politics, or is there any limitation or concern about that if you have to
provide a particular program that would have to answer these kinds of issues?

yvonne 10:42
You're saying, Are we subject to censorship? I mean, we work with the rules and the laws of Singapore.
Okay, so it's as simple as that same. Whatever other arts groups are subject to, we are subject to as
well, the only difference I would say, is that we actually have a very, very special dispensation. Most
arts groups need to apply for a license for every single song. We are probably one of two organizations
in Singapore, where we don't have to apply for any licenses, in order to put up a show. If we have a
show that we feel has content that's a bit sensitive, because, you know, there may be nudity on stage,
or they may be discussing issues that are a bit more controversial, such as gay rights, or they may be
taught, I mean, it puts me in contact with them. Our job as presenters is to make sure the right
advisories are there. So for full frontal nudity, male or female, that we actually have it in the way we
publicize, we make the document according to what is published by government as the rules or
licensing guidelines. We apply those and we go, okay, maybe our advice, it will be an advisory that is
best for audiences for 16, we make the decisions ourselves, whereas for most arts groups, they have to
go to the info common Media Development Authority, and they apply for a license from it. So that's one
big difference, we actually have more freedoms, if you will. And it's for very practical reason we do 4000
activities in Singapore. If we have to apply for that department will just be swamped. So it's just not
practical for us. And I think over the years, there's been a level of trust between government and us.
We're very mindful that we're a public institution that we know exactly who your audiences are. You

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know, you may have a community that you serve, and that community may enjoy certain things may be
of a certain background. Here, we serve people, all backgrounds, where we are ticket, we literally don't
know who made by the show, with an exhibition in public space, anyone can come through those
doors. So we take that responsibility level very seriously, that if we put a show out, and it's one, our
website is publicly ticketed, it must abide by the rules of the land. And there's a need for an advisory.
We warn you. If I didn't put that advisory out there, then there may be somebody who will be unhappy.
But what we have done over the last 20 years is to make sure that, given the diversity of people come
into the art center, that we must do our part, which is to say, I will tell you that this has distinct issues.
Please, if you're easily offended, don't come in. Yeah, but it will be we will have to warn you, and
partially because we also have a lot of very young audiences. So we do speak to teachers. If it's a topic
that they feel the kids may ask them difficult questions after that we want them to say Are you prepared
to take the discussion? The other things that we do is oftentimes for very difficult topics we tend to have
after social talk so that we never had anyone leave the room with, you know, questions that actually
create tensions that are not healthy. So there are difficult topics, we tend to have participants, we tend
to sometimes also do entire panels with we've had plays about violence, kameez of particular ethnic
backgrounds, that is a potential of racial stereotyping, or there may be sensitive issues within a
community that the community acknowledges is always an issue of violence. But we then, in fact, I'm
using that play as an example, that most of the productions or performances of that play, either had a
talk back session is a panel with the sociologists, the customer with the artists so that audiences can
ask questions about those issues. The other thing that has come up very recently, in recent years, our
trigger warnings for trauma because that's, that's been, I think, I've observed that it's really only in the
last few years that these trigger warnings are very popular. Therefore, we also provide calm spaces
outside of our, of the theater, for many of these works, if we anticipate some of it. We are mindful that
there will be topics that according to the guidelines that the government stipulates for all arts groups
equally. But unlike most arts groups, we don't have to apply for a license, which means we have to
make the judgment ourselves how we advise the public. And because we are very porous and do a lot
of stuff, we have all kinds of people come through, we really take special care to make sure that we
communicated correctly.

jill 17:19
And these are the choice of these materials are tabled during your board meetings, if you think there
will be particular shows. Programming direction, it's not. So it's up until you as president

yvonne 17:37
yes, that's right. It's internal management decision. I think there's no end to what people may find
offensive, constantly changing. So it's the job of the programmers, the programming heads, who they
have learned over the last five years, how to manage, how to anticipate some of these things. The
responsibility, there is a controversy that is blown up in the media, is that as I answer to the media, or I
answer to whoever my job, of course, is to keep the board informed. Because when that happens, one
of the risks we always mind is reputational risk. So my job to inform the board if there's a reputational
risk, and it's the job of the chair of the board together with me to inform the ministry, if we think it may
have an impact on views on the government. So we discuss and we say, Yeah, we should we should
inform the ministry and have them anticipate some of these issues.

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jill 18:49
Yeah, so before everything happens, yeah, before everything happens.

yvonne 18:53
We already know that something may happen. But we almost never ever flat out things if we can
manage it. There is a very professional demand. So the reality is that there must be ownership from the
management team. And the relationship between management and board only becomes tricky.
Number one, management's not delivering, but management's delivery, there really is no, that there
should be no reason for the board to intervene on executive matters. But it's also dependent on the
management making the right judgment, to surface, long term mid term issues to the board. If it feels it
needs the board's help, you know, so one example is that because of the Ukraine war and everything
else, electricity bills have been skyrocketing. And the energy contract that we signed is very high value.
So very rapidly, the commitment of that value goes up to the board, I can't approve up to a million
dollars, anything like that, there is a few members of the board who have been entrusted to view that
contract. So obviously, we know that they have to be involved in approving the contract. But beyond
that, because the energy bills are just so high, the management is to try to find a way to resolve this.
Okay, but I'm not the expert. I'm not the Chairman used to be x terminal shell. I may have board
members who are privy to other kinds of information. My job is to make sure that I get the advice so
that they don't have to step in and ask me questions. If I go to them with things that I think taps on their
corporate knowledge is never puts them in a spot where they have to question the executive. So the
judgment that the management has to make is surface things timely, don't be asking for advice,
because these are folks who are in different industries. And if you do that your, your board never needs
to bear down on you, or depressed decisions. So what we also do is that every three years, two or
three, have an opportunity for the board members in the full day or half a day to talk about issues of the
future that they do from their various industries, there are some of them are content industry to give to
say, maybe we should start thinking on this, because this thing could be happening. We do a kind of
like long term, other trends that they feel managed to keep my foot off. And we also take the chance to
surface things that we think you know, what we want want to do more insight, for instance, we know
classes writing, more fundraising help. So we also go to the board during the retreat to say, You know
what, as board members, now, we actually need to take a more active role. So what you can do to help
us fundraise. So it's always a to and fro. But it's really for both the chair and the executive, to define that
relationship, and to be on the same page. So that each can manage outside of the house. So I would
say the most critical thing is the relationship between the chairman and the CEO. That is proof, the rest
of it will be fine.

jill 23:08
Let me go now to the different sections of governance. And some, I'd like to ask for some description of
how it's done. So for example, in the routine that you're seeing, so that's where you also do your
strategic planning, or it's a yearly thing.

yvonne 23:29
Are we obviously have to plan for budgets every year. Management also have to, you know, we have
our own management timeout. in every department head is expected to set on yearly basis. But once

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every three years at least, minimally, we also have a retreat with the board between management and
the board. But we review it more frequently, obviously.

jill 24:01
Okay. And then for strategies. So in general, how do you do this? Is it management that provides like
the initial document for strategic planning, and then it's being presented to the board before approval,
or feedback? How does it work?

yvonne 24:22
Our annual budgets are created by the board because they have to approve our annual budget, they
have to approve also our annual target. whether there are any major investments, we will also have to
go to the board. So this is done every year, before we submit our budget request to the government as
well. So there is a process but what needs four times a year. So, you know, one of the board meetings
is devoted to present the board certified for the next year. But when it comes to the strategy review
once every three years, it really depends on what's needed. so, as with any strategic review, you know,
is it presentation? Do we invite external speakers when necessary or relevant to the topics that we
have, but the session is planned by management is not planned by the board. We may send a
questionnaire to the board to say, you know, are there issues or topics that you would like to discuss,
you know, first, but the planning is by management.

jill 25:39
How about organizational culture, culture building in general for Esplanade? Is it an initiative of the
management? If there will be like new policies or whatsoever? Or how what's the role of the board in
that particular area? Culture building ethics, the corporate ethics, stuff like that?

yvonne 26:05
Well, obviously, with ethics that have to do with governance, that's very clearly set. You know, in terms
of, it's all set out in the HR policy, right? Issues of integrity, conflict of interest issues, whistleblowing
issues, those things are clearly articulate defined policies that are available to review we do once every
two years training, every new person who joins us are briefed on these matters. But when it comes to
culture, that's the prerogative of the executive. the organization, I stepped at all together with the
management. The board, must appreciate it and if they are not happy with the culture, and it's, it's then
exhibited in poor performance. I mean, we just naturally results in poor performance in short, no, there's
no way you can hide it right? one of our indicators, one of our KPIs is turnover. So that's an indicator
that is useful for the board if the stock turnover is too high. So those, I think, are all measures of
management and organizational health. We do a start engagement survey once every two years, every
year, we do a more serious one, once every two years. And in between years, we do a more casual
survey. And those results are shared with the board. If the board is not happy, it should change his
executive. that I would say is the main role of the board. When it comes to picking intervention. It is to
switch out the executive.

jill 28:06
All right. Well, it's a sort of like two way thing, right?

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yvonne 28:11
Because to top the board, I mean, obviously, it gets disrupted board members, we will. But you know,
it's also the job of the management to think about what you want to compose together with the
chairman. You know, it has to be we must direct and guide the chairman also in this matter. You know,
we are all volunteers. So I don't expect them to MWC they are probably some of them are still working,
some are retired, but majority of them are all working professional. So everybody, and we sit on three,
at least three other boards. So that's a limit to the amount of time they can they can give us so we have
to make sure that we're making the best use of their time, and that we're getting the most from them in
terms of advice or contribution or the networks that they bring. That's our job.

jill 29:09
Okay, so, I think I'm getting it that NRC, the nomination. So that's the committee composed of boards,
right. And then the the management team, so you have this sort of meeting in terms of who to invite. So
the board is taken into by invitation or some applied?

yvonne 29:37
So we have a board of, for example, 15. You can see it on our annual report. You know, we we try to
make sure that every board member is involved not just in board meetings, but we also ensure that
board members are involved in at least one committee. So we look at the expertise the accountant is
always an audit and risk committee. That's by default, you know. And we then look at the folks in the
nomination and remuneration, the person who is the representative from government, our current
industry will always be on NRC. Because one of the rules of NRC is to think about renewal board, and
we have to clear the members with the ministry. So for very practical reason, that person is always on
the NRC. So, there is a few of these individuals for whom they have very particular roles. but the entire
board, they're all on either the audit or the nomination and remuneration committee and on the Digital
Advisory Panel. (inaudible 31:00)

jill 31:20
Okay. Um, I'm quite curious about the technology, I forgot the name of the panel, the other panel about
technology? What? What's the composition of that? Both management and board?

yvonne 31:36
Well, the panel itself is the board says that we can take up to three members from the board. And then
we can invite up to three members from outside the board. So because of the pace of change in the
digital and tech area, and cuts across both infrastructure networks, and obviously platforms, and kind of
the overall digitalization we feel that it was important to also bring in people from outside the board.
Because you can't have a board of tech people, being has some background, or at least from a
marketing perspective. We had one other board member who he hits up tech startup. So he's also on
the panel. So we had another guy who was from the marketing field, but now is a angel investor in tech
startups. So we have three board members who obviously had a pulse on the industry, we didn't invite
anybody from outside of the sector of the board yet. So we will eventually depending on the topics of
discussion, bring maybe other people from outside. This panel doesn't have any fiduciary duties, but
the board felt that since digitalization is such a big thing, that they've asked this panel to be a second
pair of eyes for all the digital infra and initiatives we have. So what we do is that we think of this panel

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as a sounding board. For some of our developments, we're going to be redeveloping our three values,
we're going to reload the digital infrastructure, we're in the midst of closing the tender right now is a
very big project, right, it's maybe $30 million over the next three years. So it's essential investment. So
for that, we we had tabled our approach to this panel. So that we also hear from them, we table to them
our marketing or digital marketing plans, and what we may do to do a data warehouse issues and we
seek their views and you know, they can tell us, are you on the right track? Many companies are doing
this or they could tell us something like, oh, no, no, no, based on what I seen other companies do is
younger, so don't do that. So that's one of the rules. The other rules that they have is that we also table
like, more random stuff to them, I would say random insofar as we're not doing it, but the future ideas
that maybe something colleagues have. So you know, we for instance with some of our younger
colleagues did some research on whether we would buy land in the books In the digital space, and you
know, would that be a kind of a virtual estimate of issues? We're looking at some of these issues. And
obviously, we just will have the young ones table this and let them have a chance to talk about it. And
it's not necessarily even something that we will do. But it's more exploratory.

jill 35:32
When it comes to monitoring and review, How involved are the boards in terms of monitoring and
reviewing performance, in terms of programming, marketing, development and funding, or financial
aspects?

yvonne 35:52
they don't review the specifics of this because we do 4000 activities, there's no way. But what we do is
that every month they receive a monthly video. And that that gives them what is our total visitorship,
what's our audiences, it also shows them, if they really want to read it, there's an annex that gives the
breakdown of our programs and the attendance and all our program highlights what we are in the news
for and some of the key programs that month. So every month, we receive a report that's maybe kind of
four or five page long. Every quarter, they also receive a quarterly report that are performance based
on our KPIs. And then every year there is, you know, the year-end review of our performance every
quarter as well, the audit committee meets. So every quarter, we also run through one or two internal
audit reports. I mean, you're constantly under audit. so they monitor that. They also monitor our
quarterly financial performance. And every quarter board meeting aspects of the audit committee, it's
also tabled at the board. Okay, yeah. So, actually, there's a lot of monitoring.

jill 37:33
it's really initiated by management.

yvonne 37:43
There is a system and a structure that we built up. What's called the KPI report, is a finance by the
audit committee, and also a governing board itself.

jill 37:57
Last few questions. Specifically on resiliency and about risk management, crisis management, how
does both management and board look into this? Are there like, processes? I understand from what
you have been answering a while ago about you're having retreats and talking about these things. But

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when it comes to having actual plans, for example, a crisis management plan, a response strategy or
readiness strategy? Are these laid out by management?

yvonne 38:43
Yes, yes. Yes, it's core duty, it's not the role of the board in this case. Two things, obviously, at the
enterprise risk level, we have an annual enterprise risk review together with the board. It's done first by
management, and we present the our assessment to the board, and that's more on enterprise level
risk, it could cover everything. Then on business continuity plans and crisis management, which is a
subset of overall business continuity. Those are all internal policies that management have developed.
As part of enterprise risk, obviously, being able to manage crisis and being able to continue business is
one of many things. So audit committee also ensures that we have a plan in place and that we are
testing those plans.

jill 39:35
So testing the testing involves also your employees like you you have exercises or run throughs.

yvonne 39:45
If they have a whole business continuity framework, which is obviously a CEO I have to chair the
discontinuity, but there are plans that go from crisis incident all the way to, you know, like COVID. there
are many layers, we also have an incident reporting. So actually, every day, even if somebody trips and
falls along the report that is recorded. So it's at the level of incident report, obviously crisis would be
elevated, then, you know, there will always be an alert that is sent out by a to a group of us who are on
the business continuity task force team. It's just an alert, if it's just a crisis is managed, you know, the
different layers of managing that. But when there is business continuity challenge, then, of course, the
committee has to quickly assemble and meet and work through all the plans, including the
communications etc. So what we do is that testing is on various levels, it goes from fire drills, terror
evacuations, which are done every year, fire drills four times a year, or three times a year. And then
every year, we have a business continuity exercise of different nature. So like, for instance, this year,
we had tabletop, but extensive tabletop exercise that is done together with the ministry. Previous years,
we would have done maybe a management callback, and check, not where you know, all your staff are
exercises with different departments, scenarios that we have set. And then we also did cybersecurity
tabletop this year. So this is focus was other than the coordination and ministry was a cybersecurity
tabletop exercise to kids. So those are the kinds of exercises that we have. I mean, the plan is that we
always will have one type of exercise of different complexity.

jill 42:29
As an institution, what have you learned about governance, right after the major disruption of
pandemic? What do you think were the key points that you think led to you being a resilient
organization? Since you've weathered, and then I think I ever heard from Rachelle and Eunice that
you've had good figures, even comparing even from before the pandemic, now it's even higher. So, for
you, as the leader of the organization, what do you think were the factors that led to this kind of results?

yvonne 43:24

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Yeah, I mean, although the visitorship numbers are higher, I mean we were lucky to do that. I mean,
cost is a lot higher after COVID. So it's not that we have bounced back quite well, in terms of like
people coming out. But, but that's not unique. Everybody else has bounced back. I think the challenge
is still that because cost structures are very different post COVID. And consumption patterns have
changed, even though people are out any access to their wallets is a slightly different thing. So I think
many people, especially us, we're still trying to figure out, what are some of these new revenue
models? Market? Although we are very, very busy. We have even more visitors than before. Yeah, so I
just wanted to put that in context. Because, you know, it's rosy. There continues to be challenges. But
when it comes to resilience, you had earlier spoke about culture. So I think part of it, the foundation has
to be culture, right? So the foundation is ensuring as a leader, what is your organizational culture? And
how do you continue to reinforce that all through difficult times? Difficult times is when you call upon
culture, right? Is your sense of purpose as an organization strong? If it isn't, then during difficult times,
like we have people falling off ,people questioning where we are headed or should we be doing this or
not, you know, or being discouraged or demotivated, but if there is a strong sense of purpose and the
culture is built on the sense of purpose, then moments of crisis, nearly reinforce purpose, you will find
that moments of crisis would be the best location for you to reinforce purpose. You know, so I would
say, because estimate sense of purpose is kind of like every new person who joins us, you kind of
drilled on, why are we here? What role do we have to play for society? You know, what do we do the
kind why do we do the kinds of what we do? And if that is, so, then during, say, like COVID, the
purpose is what is people kind of United, right. The other is, of course, communication. Especially
during controversies. How do you ensure that there's clarity and direction and that people know why
something has happened? And often, what next. so communication is probably, I mean, it's still
challenging, it's always challenging. But one of the practices that we have had in Esplanade that the
was, daily morning meetings. You may have heard of this at 9 am, all the heads of department meet for
10. Sometimes they're short as five minutes 10, 15. We meet every day just to run through what's
happened the day before, if there are any issues that we need to address, as well as on the date itself.
Who's meeting who, you know, the fact we are having this conversation today is all that you showed
yesterday, all of us know that. So there are no secrets, who are our guests? What are the activities
there in the center, you know whether there's going to be renovation in this space, so please watch out
for it. And also, like somebody growing on me, you know, that is based every morning so that
everybody knows what's happening. And also, what's clear is that the job of the heads is there to share
that with their teams. Most teams share it every day. So watch out for on shift, and all very, very big.
They can get one, they may do that once a week, or you know, but all those teams, they they do it via
zoom, they do this every day. So there is no excuse that if something important is going to happen. We
plan it or you know, for instance, we're going to have a restructure or, you know, to talk about a
promotion, it's the season for that, you know, the communication is very clear. It starts from me with the
sales, promotions for the year, it starts from me and the HR department and all that. But then at one of
these morning meetings with the hits, we will share it ahead of time we agree when we share with
everybody who, when, what time we coordinate to make sure that I got to hear it from me first, or
sometimes we will go Yeah, you will hear from Yvonne about the whole organization. But we allowed
him and heads to share about their departments first that morning. So that there's no shock. The
committee is very much thought through everything is kind of plan as much as we plan the
communication. So I would say culture, but also ensuring that there is clarity of communication and feel
like they know enough to be part of the daily life of an organization. these are the two things, financial,

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but we've been lucky over the 20 years that built up some reserves, I would say to all organizations and
to major funders, do not begrudge your organization when they make a surplus. Don't say, you know,
we gave you too much money. There's no such thing. If a company has saved or has a decision to
save or has done well. It's a good thing to have as much supply or if it's not for a rainy day to make to
have independence to make an investment in something strategic that is necessary for the continuity of
your company. So I would say that thing is like prudence in years. If it's not about the input years, don't
waste your money. You know, really save as much as you can, so that you can reinvest it at the right
time. We were very lucky to have a government gave us money, but we will get that if not, we have
reserves to back us up. So culture, communications, and you're building for rainy day when it comes to
reserves. So I would say these are the three things.

jill 50:36
When the pandemic came, at the onset? What were the initial steps taken by the management team
and the boards to initially set, like, Okay, what's going to be our strategy this time? I think I heard from
some of the interviews that there were some preparations from before, of course, when you were
having like risk management stuff. And I know that this is not the first time that Esplanade has
weathered a pandemic, because when you opened Esplanade, this was a problem. So I just like to
know, the initial reaction and actions, especially that you've had this from before and how were you
able to tackle this concern?

yvonne 51:33
The very, very start, nobody knew that it will be so long drawn and so serious, right? At that very start,
we treated it the way we treated it. We resurfaced all our SOPs that we had for SARS, temperature
screens, you know, contact spacing, and all the communications, you know, that something sanitizing,
but it was, we thought, of course, that that will be enough, and then it will grow, but at some stage. So
that's one phase, the initial phase? Yes, because we had these SOPs, we respond in a manner that
gave people a sense of assurance. For instance, we have masks, thermometers. Take the
temperatures, stickers that were printed from sounds that were to say that, you know, but that was
initial, the initial phase. But obviously, COVID is a different creature, when the cases were more
serious, and government announced a shutdown. So at some stage, we had to restate we were already
reporting to the board Every time we introduced something, we will give assurance that this is what
we're doing. Of course, there were some board members who were even more conservative, because
they may have heard news that was more scary about the virus. So this is where we had to assure
them that whatever we put in place was still deemed responsible. And it was only when I think the
government set the tone, that things needed to be even more careful. That was when we had to scale.
But in the case of Singapore, quite a fair bit of it was driven by the government. Because we are one of
the major public institutions. We were one of the tools, if you will, of the Ministry of Culture to set the
tone for the rest of the art sector. So we will coordinate very closely with them, and with the Arts
Council as to really be open. How many people performance so those rules and guidelines, if you will,
very much top down from the ministry, and then we gave feedback, or we adapted it. Because this went
on for two years or so. Right? A lot of things that we introduced towards, especially after the first year,
we started to teach, give workshops for the rest of the sector as well. You know, and we continued to
every time there was a change or a new thing. We update the board and the email will come from the
board. This is what's happening. So that was the practices during COVID. In terms of programming and

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all that. There was no question that, because we're the National Center, we have to ensure that the arts
was present in people's lives. So obviously, all the digitalization or the digital programming being done,
we were very lucky in that just before COVID hit us, we had already launched off stage, which is online,
kind of. So we were very lucky that during COVID, we could use that platform to read original content,
we could use it for that with our more content. Again, we were also very lucky to have a government
that was encouraging schools to do the same. So quite a fair bit of financial support. And then what we
could do was to make sure that we could provide the technical support wherever possible for the rest of
the arts groups. And that when things came back, even if we were for small audience, we continued to
make sure that we provided employment for artists essentially, you know, when they are shows
continue to train people. The only people I think, who suffered the most were the technical people,
because they couldn't come back to the venue and because we had full time technical staff. We use
technical staffers. We didn't use the partial staff, so freelancers they did suffer during the pandemic, we
couldn't do as much.

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