Articles Archives

Opposition: Cycles of Love, Forces of Change

Faezah Zulkifli dissects Opposition – a multilayered narrative of the relationships people have with one another, with themselves and the spaces they inhabit. This performance is the last of a trilogy of collaborations between The Necessary Stage and Drama Box. Light versus darkness, regularity versus irregularity, stability versus fluidity—from deconstructing binary oppositions to reconciling differences, […]

Opposition: Cycles of Love, Forces of Change Read More »

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away

“You walk into a black room. Right in the middle of that room, a laptop gleams dimly. A voice beseeches you to explore further.” What is WINDOW? WINDOW by ATTEMPTS Or try clicking ANOTHER WINDOW WhatsApp Video 2022-03-03 at 5.44.45 PM Tags: attempts Mental Health online performance Singapore Theatre Video

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away Read More »

RED LINES: 60 Global Cartoonists Talk Fear And Favour

“If satire is so toothless, then why are cartoonists so often badly bitten?” Ann Lee reviews RED LINES: Political Cartoons and the Struggle Against Censorship by Cherian George and Sonny Liew. The distribution of this book, which examines the boundaries of free speech, has been banned by the Singapore government under its “Undesirable Publications Act”.

RED LINES: 60 Global Cartoonists Talk Fear And Favour Read More »

Schooled by Singapore Youth Theatre: Teens Tell It Like It Is

Azura Farid reviews Schooled, the play about the concerns of young people devised by the inaugural batch of the Singapore Youth Theatre ensemble, Wild Rice’s educational programme for youths aged 13-17 years old. The piece was first staged in 2020, and puts youths centrestage to be listened to by the adults, for once. As I

Schooled by Singapore Youth Theatre: Teens Tell It Like It Is Read More »

8 Picks from the Dreamy, Mind-Bending SIFA 2022

Singapore International Festival of Arts 2022 is just around the corner, with a slate of offerings that are as multidisciplinary, dreamy and mind-bending as they are spectacular and thought provoking. ArtsEquator recommends 8 shows to catch. SIFA 2022 takes place from 20 May to 5 June 2022. With the much anticipated upcoming edition of the

8 Picks from the Dreamy, Mind-Bending SIFA 2022 Read More »

Podcast 102: CITRUS Practices & Library of Care

Adib Kosnan chats with arts practitioners Corrie Tan, Elizabeth Chan and Chong Gua Khee, who are members of CITRUS practices. The group is interested in cultivating better practices around care and intimacy in artmaking in Singapore, and are developing an online resource to help practitioners with that. In the latest episode of the ArtsEquator podcast,

Podcast 102: CITRUS Practices & Library of Care Read More »

COVID-19 and the Arts in Southeast Asia – 2 years on

In March 2020, we spoke to 10 arts and culture workers from across Southeast Asia, in a bid to capture the sentiments on the ground as it shifted during the early days of the pandemic. Now two years later, we revisit the same artists to see what has changed, and what has stayed the same.

COVID-19 and the Arts in Southeast Asia – 2 years on Read More »

Dalam kenangan: Rahman B.

Shahrul Mizad Ashari berkongsi luahan tentang Tokoh Seniman Negara, Rahman B, seniman bangsawan ikonik yang meninggal dunia pada 2 Mac 2022. “Jadi, Cikgu rasa Bangsawan ni sebenarnya…,” kata-kata ini tidak akan kedengaran lagi setiap kali memulakan bicara. Kata-kata seorang adiguru Bangsawan, setiap kali bermula kelas praktikal di dalam Studio Tari Utama di Akademi Seni Budaya

Dalam kenangan: Rahman B. Read More »

A Tribute to Santha Bhaskar From a Student

Aparna Nambiar pays tribute to her late teacher, Singapore dance pioneer Mrs Santha Bhaskar, who passed away on 26 February 2022 at the age of 82. She sheds light on Mrs Bhaskar’s multicultural practice, that both celebrated her roots in Indian classical dance, while innovating the form in more contemporary ways, in this intimate piece

A Tribute to Santha Bhaskar From a Student Read More »

Empathy is of the essence: Order On The Go by Erwin Shah Ismail

Singaporean performer and playwright Erwin Shah Ismail shares stories of food delivery riders in the promenade theatre piece, Order On The Go, which will see audiences moving around Kampong Gelam. Erwin hopes to make people more aware of their experiences, and calls for more empathy for these essential workers.

Empathy is of the essence: Order On The Go by Erwin Shah Ismail Read More »

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away

What is this show? Rei Poh (Rei): During the Circuit Breaker when we had a sudden lockdown, we decided to start online game nights where we could just play games, and actually give ourselves a reason to check in with one another, make sure everybody is okay. During that period, there were articles and reports

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away Read More »

Podcast 101: M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2022

ArtsEquator’s theatre podcast is back in 2022, with critics Lee Shu Yu, Matthew Lyon and Naeem Kapadia in a post-show conversation about three productions at M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2022: The Essential Playlist by The Second Breakfast Company (Singapore), Being: 息在 by 微 Wei Collective and Collaborators (Singapore) and OK Land by Circle Theatre (Thailand). This episode is part of

Podcast 101: M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2022 Read More »

Witnessing is political: Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring

A new collection of poems and essays bears witness to the bravery of ordinary citizens since the brutal military coupe of Feb 2021 in Myanmar.

Witnessing is political: Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring Read More »

Jamie Chan

UNHEARD: Hearing Singapore women composers loud and clear

In the notoriously male-dominated classical music sphere, seven Singaporean women composers take centre-stage. “When do women get to be heard for who we are?” That was the question raised by Rachel Lim, a Singaporean soprano and UNHEARD’s founder at the start of the concert. Lim started the UNHEARD concert series back in 2019 in Boston

UNHEARD: Hearing Singapore women composers loud and clear Read More »

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away

Who is SARA? Cheryl: There’s a SARA that me and Rei talked about, when we were just bouncing ideas. And initially we thought anybody can be SARA. That was our starting point. When I first went into the rehearsal process, I wanted to know what the actors thought SARA was like. We went quite in-depth

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away Read More »

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away

How does the folder game work? I’ve never played it before. Cheryl: It’s like if you’re not an organised person and your folders are everywhere. And there are many things inside the folder. Sometimes you will have pictures next to official work folders – they don’t actually work together but it’s on the computer and

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away Read More »

Witnessing is political: Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring

A new collection of poems and essays bears witness to the bravery of ordinary citizens since the brutal military coupe of Feb 2021 in Myanmar.

Witnessing is political: Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring Read More »

Zinkie Aw

Experiencing a slice of life: Artist’s Block by ArtWave

Experience an audio-guided walking trail along Singapore’s historic Waterloo Street.

Experiencing a slice of life: Artist’s Block by ArtWave Read More »

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away

How would you describe WINDOW? Rei: Recently I described it as a theatrical video game. Or is a video game performance? Or is it a theatre with video game elements? Then I got confused (laughs). Cheryl: I recently described it as visual storytelling. It’s a genre that is increasingly popular in a lot of indie

WINDOW by ATTEMPTS: A click away Read More »

Disability Arts: Critical Conversations between South Korea and Singapore

Disability Arts: Critical Conversations between South Korea and Singapore Presented by ArtsEquator, Equal Dreams and Taeyoon Choi Studio Disability Arts has emerged as a powerful and dynamic area of practice within the wider arts and cultural landscape regionally in recent years. Yet, the work of rethinking and rebuilding disability-centred arts ecosystems is an ongoing process

Disability Arts: Critical Conversations between South Korea and Singapore Read More »

Exploring The End Of The Golden Era Of Singapore Cinema

Once dubbed the Hollywood of Southeast Asia, Singapore has a rich and proud place in Southeast Asia’s cinema history. Films as a medium and art form have always possessed great potential to convey crucial messages and influence the cultural zeitgeist of their times. Take a look at today’s pop culture and how Hollywood and its

Exploring The End Of The Golden Era Of Singapore Cinema Read More »

Via The Star

Jit Murad: Your Imagination Will Make Us Smile

In examining the legacy of the late, celebrated Malaysian playwright Jit Murad, Fasyali Fadzly identifies the shoulders that Jit stood on, and the way his works, in turn, provide pathways for future theatre makers. Even though I am a Malaysian theatre practitioner, I am not friends with Jit Murad. We are divided by differing practices,

Jit Murad: Your Imagination Will Make Us Smile Read More »

Via The Star

Jit Murad: Imaginasimu Akan Buat Kami Tersenyum

Walaupun saya bergiat di dalam bidang teater di Malaysia, saya bukan kawan Jit Murad. Perbezaan praktis, latar belakang dan generasi menjadi jurang antara kami. Mungkin beliau juga tidak mengenali saya. Mungkin. Banyak perbezaan antara kami dan mungkin inilah yang menjadikan peluang untuk kami bertembung di lapangan yang sama, tipis. Melihat rakan-rakan seniman yang lain menceritakan

Jit Murad: Imaginasimu Akan Buat Kami Tersenyum Read More »

Courtesy of the organisers

re:walk Telok Ayer: Not so secret walks hidden in plain sight

A walk in Telok Ayer becomes a journey that spans hidden pasts and new futures. There has been no shortage of art walks happening in Singapore. My fellow writers Vithya Subramaniam (who has practically turned researching about walks into an art) and Dia Hakim wrote about it here and here for ArtsEquator. I myself was

re:walk Telok Ayer: Not so secret walks hidden in plain sight Read More »

Courtesy of The Finger Players

The Maker’s Project: What does it take to sustain the puppeteer?

Defying the outcome-driven impulse that dominates our culture, Daniel Sim shares his vision of an ecosystem that supports the maker and the process, rather than only the product. What would it look like if makers had the space and time to reflect, research and incubate outside of working on a production? What benefits would it

The Maker’s Project: What does it take to sustain the puppeteer? Read More »

Why Is Southeast Asian Cinema Still Lagging Internationally?

In Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries, it is common to find Hollywood blockbusters dominating our movie conversations. Even if we were to exclude the major film exports from the West, the Asian film landscape is still greatly dominated by the likes of India, China, Japan, and South Korea. However, since the 1970s, Southeast Asian

Why Is Southeast Asian Cinema Still Lagging Internationally? Read More »

Bound Theatre

Screen. Shot. at M1 Fringe 2022: Starve a fire, feed a flame

Rebecca G. reviews Bound Theatre’s newest work, which explores the darker elements of our always-connected lives : cancel culture, fake news, and modified behaviours, in an interactive performance that involved the audience to varying degrees of success. Our journey into the all-too-real world of Screen. Shot. starts before any audience member has even stepped foot

Screen. Shot. at M1 Fringe 2022: Starve a fire, feed a flame Read More »

5 Artists Who Influenced Contemporary Southeast Asian Art

These pioneers and rule breakers will change the way you view the regional arts scene. Throughout history and up to the present day, it has been a challenge to define contemporary Southeast Asian art. One such roadblock comes in the form of a lack of proper archives and documentation. Another issue is that Southeast Asia’s

5 Artists Who Influenced Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Read More »

10 Things You Should Know About: Baju Melayu

10 Things You Should Know is a series of short animated videos on aspects of Malay culture and heritage, made in partnership with Wisma Geylang Serai. In the second video of this series, we share 10 things you should know about Baju Melayu, a form of traditional wear worn by the Malay community. The video

10 Things You Should Know About: Baju Melayu Read More »

20220102_photos_Somewhere In Bedok blooms the blushing rouge of embroidered roses (35 of 35)

Third Street Studio

Singapore Art Week 2022: Returning to form, not FOMO

The Singapore Art Week (SAW) officially runs from 14th to 23rd January 2022. With over 130 physical and online events running across the island, it is a mammoth task to cover all the offerings available. Nevertheless, here are four shows – big and indie – that caught my eye. Hawker! Hawker! 13 collaborators from Singapore,

Singapore Art Week 2022: Returning to form, not FOMO Read More »