Without a doubt, Singapore has well-established its status as the premier financial hub in Southeast Asia. With this comes the renown of being associated with high efficiency, yet not so much with creativity. This can be attributed to Singapore’s first prime minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and his vision of developing Lion City’s most prized […]
Do The Arts (And Artists) Have A Future In Singapore? Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Experience an audio-guided walking trail along Singapore’s historic Waterloo Street.
Experiencing a slice of life: Artist’s Block by ArtWave Read More »
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 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Text and Photos by Grace Baey Amidst the line-up of events at Singapore Art Week 2022, The Arts House is currently a site for three new installation works by artists Speak Cryptic, Jason Wee and WY-TO, and the National Library Board. We spoke with the artists and organisers to learn more about their works, beyond
Capturing The Imagination: Art Installations at The Arts House Read More »
There is no denying the spectacle that modern Hollywood blockbusters are capable of producing. However, I believe the action displayed in Asian cinema has consistently been a step above those we typically see in Hollywood, despite these movies more limited budgets. The shaky-cam technique and multiple quick cuts prevalent in many Hollywood action films, like
4 Movies That Showcase The Amazing Action Talent In Indonesia Read More »
Ever since the pandemic hit, the notion of travel in Singapore has manifested in a variety of forms. The word “staycation” is now commonly associated with a quick getaway from the same walls we’ve grown accustomed to in our HDB flats, as well as the offering of SingapoRediscovers vouchers. Since the beginning of the pandemic,
The Secret Life Of Haw Par Villa: How tours are bringing the arts to life Read More »
Below is a list of the top 10 ArtsEquator articles in 2021, in random order: The Substation: How many more canaries in the coal mine? by Hoe Su Fern Published on: 20 Feb 2021 “Although the current situation facing The Substation is not new or unique, its impending fate is emblematic of, and raises
The top ArtsEquator articles of 2021 Read More »
cw: Contains mentions of suicide There appears to be more local books and writing about mental health in the Singapore lit scene in recent years. In Mahita Vas’ book A Good Day To Die: Inside A Suicidal Mind, published this year, she details specific issues of discrimination in Singapore, such as being rejected by all
How the Singapore literary ecosystem tackles mental health Read More »
By Vithya Subramaniam, in conversation with Karthikeyan Somasundaram Why stage a piece about, and play your own father? What is Tamil Theatre in Singapore? And did Karthik really need to put on a full face of paint just for that one 12-minute scene? Vithya Subramaniam and Karthikeyan Somasundaram chat about Re Somma—a ‘bioplay’ on Singaporean
Re Somma and Tamil Theatre in Singapore Read More »
This article is published as part of the inaugural AE x Goethe-Institut Critical Writing Micro-Residency 2021/2022. Last year, I embarked on a two-month research that sought to sketch a possible genealogy of “Vietnamese contemporary art” that foregrounds female art practitioners. Spanning two print issues of a magazine, roughly twenty-one pages, the final essay celebrates more
Phuong M. Do: The Puzzle of Photography, or What Fits and What Does Not Read More »
A new interactive showcase is shining the spotlight on the 130 artists who have been conferred the Cultural Medallion, Singapore’s highest accolade for the arts. Titled Our Cultural Medallion Story, the exhibition consists of a physical exhibition–with artefacts, write-ups, books and multimedia components—and a companion website, which introduces the public to these renowned artists from
Our Cultural Medallion Story: 3 ways to explore this showcase of Singapore artists Read More »
We asked 11 writers and translators of poetry, fiction and non-fiction to participate in an exquisite corpse-like Q&A session, with each person answering a question and then asking one. These writers, who hail from countries in the Asia Pacific such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Japan, are part of the 2021 cohort of
WrICE 2021: Writers Ask Writers, Asia Pacific edition Read More »
By Wennie Yang (690 words, 2-minute read) There is a quiet and perhaps stubborn optimism that underlies the work of a producer. Perhaps one could call it an occupational hazard, always seeking new ways to do things. This spirit seemed to drive the most recent Asian Producers’ Platform (APP) open forum, which took place from
Rethinking contemporaries: Asian Producers’ Platform Speaker Series Read More »
In this edition of See What See, we review three films made by Southeast Asian directors and featuring Southeast Asia currently showing at the Singapore International Film Festival 2021 (SGIFF). SGIFF runs from 25 November to 5 December 2021 with over 100 films from more than 40 countries. Also check out Fiona Lee’s review of
SEE WHAT SEE: SEA AT SGIFF 2021 Read More »
By Wennie Yang (1,200 words, 4-minute read) Pandemic restrictions have put arts and cultural workers and institutions in a bind: choosing between sustaining their missions at times of a global pandemic or ceasing operations altogether. How have Southeast Asian arts managers survived? That was the question at the heart of the third ANCER Lab, formed
ANCER Lab 03 Manila: How arts managers are surviving COVID-19 Read More »
