Juliana Lim

Member of the Programme Sub-Committee

Juliana Lim joined the Singapore Government Administrative Service in 1973. After postings at the Ministries of Education, Communications and, National Development, she fell into the world of arts policy-making and management where she chose to stay for 19 years from 1978 till 1997. In the 1980s, she published “Singapore Artists”, the first coffee-table book on Singapore artists and “Zubir Said: His Songs” containing our National Anthem composer’s songs. She also founded the inaugural Singapore Heritage Week and conceptualised the Arts Housing Scheme securing buildings like the Stamford Primary School and the Armenian Street Substation for use as affordable working spaces for artists. She also hatched the Heritage Link project, securing historical buildings like St Joseph’s Institution and Tao Nan School for the housing of museums. From 1986 till 1997, Juliana played a pioneering role in developing the Esplanade Theatres, serving as the founder General Manager of the Singapore Art Centre Company from 1992-97. 

Upon leaving the arts sector in 1997, Juliana became the Community Affairs Director at Singapore Pools where she anchored its Corporate Communications and Community Funding programme focusing on sports and charities. In that capacity, she also served on the Tote Board Art Fund, enlarging its scope beyond performing arts to embrace the visual arts. 

Juliana retired from corporate life at end -2013, as soon as her first granddaughter turned one!  In 2014, Juliana was elected the first Singapore President of the Richard Wagner Association (Singapore) where she served four years and produced “The Flying Dutchman”, the first fully-staged Wagner opera in Singapore. She also intensified her volunteerism at the National University or Singapore Society (NUSS) where she created a Legacy Wall of Presidential Portraits and established an on-going series of art exhibitions. She has also sat several years on the scholarship panel of the Tan Kah Kee Foundation. Her arts volunteerism prior to retirement included stints on the Council of the Southeast Asian Ceramics Society and the boards of Art Fission, Drama Plus, Fifth Passage, Operaviva, The Finger Players and Very Special Arts. 

These days, Juliana enjoys arts events in Singapore, travels to watch operas and engages in family research about which she blogs. 

She was named “NUSS Outstanding Member” by the National University of Singapore Society in 2017.  In 2019, the University of Essex (UK) awarded Juliana the Honorary Degree of the Doctor of the University for her work in arts advocacy and her contribution to arts scene in Singapore.