By Daniel Teo (1,018 words, 4-minute read) When the tour party assembles for Brian Gothong Tan’s The Swimming Pool Library exhibition, I realise I am likely the oldest person in the group. Our tour leader, Elijah Tay (pronouns “they”/“them”), introduces themselves and announces they had just turned 20. Just great, my mid-30s self thought. When […]
The Swimming Pool Library Exhibition: Mind The Gap? Read More »
An estranged father, a disillusioned employee, a human case study, those behind the scenes – all yearning for more in a collective plea for help. A joint collaboration between graduating students from NAFA’s BA (Hons) Performance Making cohort and directors Rei Poh and Goh Shou Yi, 0.01 is a non-linear exploration of interpersonal possibilities. The
0.01 at M1 Fringe 2022: The Space Between Read More »
Critics Live! is a critics-led programme series created by ArtsEquator to give arts audiences an insight into how critics formulate their responses to performances. In this session, join critics Lee Shu Yu, Matthew Lyon and Naeem Kapadia in a post-show conversation about three productions: The Essential Playlist by The Second Breakfast Company (Singapore), Being: 息在 by 微 Wei Collective
Critics Live (on Telegram!): M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2022 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 »
Let’s face it, 2021 in Singapore sucked harder than 2020. The waves of mildly inconvenient restrictions did more to chip away at everyone’s mental health than 2020’s “shut-everything-down” Circuit Breaker. Amidst the litany of changes to safe-distancing regulations though, the museums and galleries have remained open. Here’s my rundown of the highlights of Singapore’s museums,
2021: Singapore Visual Arts at Year’s End Read More »
Listen as speakers Ke Weiliang, Lee Shu Yu, Matt Lyon, Nabilah Said and Naeem Kapadia share their thoughts about Singapore theatre in 2021, including observations and shows they found memorable. Mentioned in this episode: ArtsWok, Brown Voices, Checkpoint Theatre, Double Confirm Productions/Sight Lines Entertainment, Drama Box, Eng Kai Er, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay,
Podcast 100: Singapore Theatre Year In Review Read More »
Where did 2021 go? As part of our annual event Year In Review 2021, statistics about 2021 shows were gathered, including those postponed or cancelled. These infographics are produced by ArtsEquator. Discuss, respond and listen as we unpack these statistics and more in Year In Review on 18 Dec 2021. [See details below] You can
Year In Review 2021: Singapore Theatre in Statistics Read More »
In this episode of the ArtsEquator theatre podcast, Naeem Kapadia, Matthew Lyon and Nabilah Said discuss two productions: The Mother by Pangdemonium, and ________ Can Change by The Necessary Stage. Stream Podcast 99: ArtsEquator · Podcast 99: The Mother and ________ Can Change Also available on Spotify. Podcast Transcript Nabilah Said (NS): Hello and
Podcast 99: The Mother and ________ Can Change Read More »
In this episode of the ArtsEquator theatre podcast, Naeem Kapadia, Matthew Lyon and Nabilah Said discuss Love & Information by Young & Wild, which is the youth arm of Singapore theatre company Wild Rice. Stream Podcast 98: ArtsEquator · Podcast 98: Love & Information by Young & Wild Also available on Spotify. Podcast
Podcast 98: Love & Information by Young & Wild Read More »
JENG JENG JENG…! Year in Review is back! Where did 2021 go? How did the year unravel, and where have we arrived at? In a year where the arts has had to acquiesce to multiple rules, hopeful for a return to normalcy, 2021 had us hurtling through an unknown abyss of multiple emotions best captured
JENG JENG JENG: Singapore Theatre Year In Review 2021 Read More »
While watching his pupil spar, the martial arts master instructs, “Trust your instinct, feel your own body. Only then you can express yourself…” “Sifu,” the pupil replies, “What is myself?” The scene above captures the premise of Barbarian Invasion, a film written and directed by Tan Chui Mui, who also plays its lead role. The
Barbarian Invasion: Malaysian New Wave’s return to self Read More »
ArtsEquator is five this month! To celebrate, we’ve trawled through our archives to select some of our past content that we think is worth a revisit! Also look out for more features in the next few weeks! 5 articles you should check out: To Biennale or Not to Biennale by Sunitha Janamohanan. Part 2 here.
ARTSEQUATOR TURNS 5: Here’s 5 articles, podcasts and videos to check out. Read More »
By Lainie Yeoh I grew up in an era where queer films were rare exceptions and it was your holy gay-af duty to watch all the ones you could access. Yes, even if they’re mostly about white people processing their feelings; or painfully slow art films by gay Asian men thinly disguising their personal journeys;
SEE WHAT SEE: BOYS’ LOVE (BL) DRAMAS Read More »
By Faezah Zulkifli (921 words, 3-minute read) The setting is familiar—every Sunday night, my family gathers in the living room to watch TV. Tonight, we are watching Checkpoint Theatre’s Keluarga Besar En. Karim (The Karims). It was déjà vu; versions of this image of the TV in the living room have greeted my Instagram feed
Keluarga Besar En. Karim: Pressing play on family drama Read More »
Who do you want to be when you grow up? At the end of the play AIR CON, the character William (Nick Davis) asks the character Asif (Ryan Lee Bhaskaran) this question. This stuck with me because I found myself asking the question: What happens when a play grows up? Does it? Are plays allowed
Air Con: Who Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? Read More »
By Nabilah Said (1,800 words, 6-minute read) I’ve never actually attended the Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting (BIPAM). This year, the pandemic allowed me to, as BIPAM offered a five-day digital programme full of showcases, talks and other activities. It brought me, a Singaporean, a world of imagination – colourful and joyous in parts, provoking
BIPAM 2021: Delight, despair, dialogue and the despot Read More »
By Naeem Kapadia (800 words, 2-minute read) Two strangers meet on gay dating app Grindr and share an encounter in a hotel room. Except it’s not just fast, meaningless sex. Budding playwright and theatremaker Theo Chen’s assured two-hander, presented by Bridging the Gap Collective, is a deceptively simple play that slowly draws one into its
Bedside Banter: Cyril & Michael by Bridging the Gap Collective Read More »
Singa-Pura-Pura boasts an eclectic collection of short speculative fiction from a minority ethnic group in Singapore, exploring worlds where robots are therapists, prayers are read from preloaded cards, and humans are migrating to Mars. Edited by Nazry Bahrawi, the stories consider various spiritual, social, and economic themes, with many leaving me with questions about where we
Where are the Malays?: Locating the Singaporean Malay in Singa-Pura-Pura Read More »
In this episode of the ArtsEquator theatre podcast, Naeem Kapadia, Matthew Lyon and Nabilah Said discuss Three Sisters by Nine Years Theatre and _T0701_ by Zeugma, which were both part of SIFA 2021. Stream Podcast 95: ArtsEquator · Podcast 95: Three Sisters & T0701 at SIFA 2021 Also available on Spotify. Podcast Transcript Naeem:
Podcast 95: Three Sisters and _T0701_ at SIFA 2021 Read More »
By Patricia Tobin (1,382 words, 4-minute read) Led by artistic director Noorlinah Mohamed, this year’s online edition of the Festival of Women N.O.W. 2021 explores issues pertaining to women that are often forgotten or overlooked. There is Not Grey: Intimacy, Ageing & Being, a series of livestreamed and pre-recorded virtual performances featuring 15 women aged
Festival of Women N.O.W. 2021: Bold claims on identity Read More »
My phone vibrated one night, with a notification that Singapore political party Workers’ Party (WP) was premiering a live video on Instagram. Curious, I tuned in – digital and social media being the default, on-tap mode of infotainment during the pandemic. It turned out to be an “office tour”, via live video feed, of LO
The frenemy’s handshake: The Singapore Trilogy as political theatre Read More »
In the episode of the ArtsEquator theatre podcast, Nabilah Said, Matthew Lyon and Naeem Kapadia discuss The Singapore Trilogy by The Second Breakfast Company, which ran from March 11 to March 21 2021. Stream Podcast 94: ArtsEquator · Podcast 93: The Singapore Trilogy Also available on Spotify. Podcast Transcript Matthew Lyon (ML): Hello, everybody,
Podcast 94: The Singapore Trilogy by The Second Breakfast Company Read More »
In the episode of the ArtsEquator theatre podcast, Nabilah Said, Matthew Lyon and Naeem Kapadia discuss Girls & Boys by Pangdemonium, which ran from 25 Feb to 14 Mar 2021. Stream Podcast 93: ArtsEquator · Podcast 92: Girls & Boys by Pangdemonium Also available on Spotify. Podcast Transcript Naeem Kapadia (NK): Hello everyone, and
Podcast 93: Girls & Boys by Pangdemonium Read More »
Critics Alice Saville (UK), Amitha Amranand (TH), Matthew Lyon (SG) and Taisuke Shimanuki (JP) discuss OIWA: The Ghost of Yotsuya by The Finger Players, presented at Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA). The performance took place from 28-30 May 2021 at Victoria Theatre, and from 5-20 June via video on demand. Critics Live! is
Podcast 92: Critics Live: OIWA by The Finger Players at SIFA 2021 Read More »
By Jocelyn Chng (1,180 words, 4-minute read) Existence is the third instalment in the Southern Bough series commissioned by Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). As its title implies, this third piece closes the full work with a more philosophical tone than in the previous two. The first instalment, The Beginning (2018), introduced the first
End of an epic journey: A Dream Under the Southern Bough: Existence Read More »
By Vithya Subramaniam (1,600 words, 6-minute read) Though cancelled last year amid the developing pandemic, Singapore International Festival of Arts has done well to lean into the possibilities of small-group, distanced programmes for this year’s line-up. I attended three of its immersive experiences—Gardens Speak, As Far As Isolation Goes, and en route—and found my body
The Body Witness: Gardens Speak, en route, As Far As Isolation Goes at SIFA 2021 Read More »
By Eugene Tan (1,503 words, 5-minute read) As has become customary for every review of a Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA) 2021 show (or as the festival programme now calls them, “content”), we should applaud the fact that these shows are happening at all. After all, COVID-19 restrictions are wildly challenging for artmaking
The Commission: Why do these three meet again? Read More »
Singapore critics Clarissa Oon, Lee Shu Yu, Nabilah Said and Naeem Kapadia discuss The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage, presented at Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA). The performance took place from 21-22 May 2021 at Victoria Theatre, and from 5-20 June via video on demand. Critics Live! is a critics-led
Podcast 90: Critics Live: The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage at SIFA 2021 Read More »
Critics Corrie Tan (SG), Elisabeth Vincentelli (US), Jose Solís (US) and Sharaad Kuttan (MY) chat about Three Sisters by Singapore’s Nine Years Theatre and SITI Company from New York, presented at Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA). The performance took place from 20-22 May 2021 at Victoria Theatre, and from 5-20 June via video
Podcast 89: Critics Live: Three Sisters at SIFA 2021 Read More »
Critics Ben Valentine (US), Kathy Rowland (SG), Michael HB Raditya (ID), Sharmilla Ganesan (MY) chat about The Journey by UK-based illusionist and mentalist, Scott Silven. The performance took place from 18-30 May 2021 as part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts. Critics Live! is a critics-led programme series created by ArtsEquator to give arts
Podcast 88: Critics Live: The Journey by Scott Silven at SIFA 2021 Read More »
