ArtsEquator

Stories of Hope – Help Someone Paint Their Story Today
2025-06-07 - 2025-08-10 | Online, Singapore
Auntie Julie’s mum was her best friend. She’d tell us how, growing up, her fondest memories were of the two of them devouring dumplings during their Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.
It’s been over ten years since Auntie Julie’s mum passed. Before that, she had been her caregiver for years and when her mum was gone, the rhythm of Auntie Julie’s life went with her.
Through art therapy, Auntie Julie’s life was turned around when she met a community of individuals who were navigating their own personal grief, and found in them friends who lifted her, and who she could help uplift. She began to reconnect with herself, with others, and with hope. She painted, she laughed, and years later on, she still greets her newfound friends every morning in their WhatsApp group chat.
This SG60, we tell the stories of strength and progress like Auntie Julie. She reminds us that growth doesn’t just happen in buildings or systems, it happens in people—and we want more people like Auntie Julie to have that chance at hope.
Join us as we do our part to honour the stories that don’t always make the headlines, but deserve to be told.
Let’s paint more stories of hope — together.

Happy Together: Visions of Gladness from Southeast Asia
2025-06-08 11:00 - 2025-07-27 19:00 (Asia/Shanghai) | whitestone gallery singapore, 39 Keppel Road, #05-03/06 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore, Singapore, Singapore 089065
Whitestone Gallery is pleased to present Happy Together: Visions of Gladness from Southeast Asia, an exhibition that brings the question of happiness to life through the eyes of five contemporary Southeast Asian artists, each offering a vibrant and imaginative take on joy. This captivating exhibition invites audiences to explore how happiness is expressed, shared, and celebrated across cultures. From immersive installation to bold visual expression, it captures the rich emotional landscape of Southeast Asia —where laughter, tradition, and togetherness converge.
Each artwork radiates a sense of joy, offering fresh glimpses into everyday joys and festive moments. Playful and poignant in equal measure, the exhibition is filled with humor, cultural reflection, and imaginative takes on what it means to be together. The featured artists reveal happiness not as a fleeting emotion, but as something intentionally nurtured – shaped by the strength found in unity, even and adversity.
Gathering five contemporary artists: Goldie Poblador, Krit Ngamsom, Kumari Nahappan, Mulyana, and Yuree Kensaku, the artists of Happy Together disclose a unique celebration of the human spirit and invites the audience to smile, reflect, and be reminded of how beautiful it is to be happy together.

Artist’s Proof: Singapore at 60
2025-07-13 - 2025-08-17 | ArtSpace @ HeluTrans, 39 Keppel Road, Singapore, 089065
Artist’s Proof: Singapore at 60 is a landmark exhibition and deeply personal tribute to Singapore’s founding leaders, told not through speeches or textbooks, but through art. Over the past decade, private collector Mr Chong Huai Seng has gathered artworks capturing Singapore’s transformation, from nostalgic street scenes to bold contemporary takes on identity and leadership. In celebration of Singapore’s 60th birthday, this ambitious exhibition features over 90 works by more than 50 artists, offering a fresh perspective of the Singapore story through the creative expressions of local artists from different generations. Featuring 11 new commissions by local artists and 1 brand new music piece, the exhibition underscores Chong’s passion in supporting young artists, seeking to inspire audiences to embrace local contemporary artists and invest in the growing potential of the future of Singapore’s arts through art collecting and patronage.

Chong’s love letter to Singapore traces its journey from a struggling young nation to a global city. Scenes of Singapore’s evolving cityscape unfold through paintings and photographs, while works inspired by Lee Kuan Yew and the founding fathers examine their legacy and impact on nation-building. The exhibition also looks inward, questioning the relationship between artists, the state, and its people.
Presented by The Culture Story and produced by Family Office For Art, Artist’s Proof: Singapore at 60 invites audiences of all ages and backgrounds to experience Singapore through the eyes of artists.

DnA Fest
2025-07-16 00:00 - 2025-07-26 00:00, 2025-07-16 08:00 - 2025-07-26 17:00 | Home of T:>Works, 72-13, 72 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 239007, Singapore
DnA Fest, unfolding in Singapore from 16-19 and 23-26 July 2025, offers a fresh and dynamic interpretation of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Conceived by Ong Keng Sen, this multifaceted event blends opera with contemporary expressions through three distinct components. The House of Janus presents a deeply personal documentary film, while Dido & Aeneas The Belindas reimagines the opera with the energy of drag artistry and ballroom vogue, featuring performers from Singapore and Japan. The experience culminates on select nights with The Afterparty, promising a vibrant fusion of music and performance.

Through film, live show, and nightlife, DnA Fest explores the core themes of love, abandonment, and transformation found in the opera, offering a powerful contemporary lens. The festival not only showcases innovative artistic collaborations but also marks the launch of The AGEncy Fund on 10 July. This initiative will support the creative endeavors of artists aged 60 and above, adding another layer of significance to this unique and boundary-pushing event.

Open Call: BARCELONA CONTEMPORARY 2025
2025-07-18 08:00 - 2025-07-28 17:00 | Singapore
ITSLIQUID Group is pleased to announce the open call for the 5th edition of BARCELONA CONTEMPORARY 2025, an international exhibition of photography, painting, video art, installation/sculpture and performance art, which will take place in Barcelona, at ITSLIQUID Art Space – Barcelona (click here to learn more on this venue) from July 18 to July 28, 2025.
BARCELONA CONTEMPORARY 2025 provides artists and exhibitors with the unique opportunity to present their works to an international audience of professionals as curators, gallerists, collectors, editors and publishers who seek to acquire, publish and encourage the best contemporary art talents.
BARCELONA CONTEMPORARY 2025 analyzes the relationship between body and space, and the hybridization between identities and cultural/physical/social/urban settings in contemporary times, through two main sections: MIXING IDENTITIES and FUTURE LANDSCAPES.
MIXING IDENTITIES analyzes the hidden parts of our identities, through an immersive experience inside the fascinating universe of the complex labyrinths of our consciousness. The human body is a changing system that connects us with other bodies and spaces to perceive the surrounding reality; a strong communication system with its language and infinite ways of expression.
FUTURE LANDSCAPES are abstract, infinite and conceptual, associated with a sense of freedom and infinite extension. Primarily experienced with the mind, spaces redefine their limits and borders, transforming surfaces in an open flow of pure ideas. This section focuses on the concept of the borders and the structures between body, mind and soul, the human identity and the city, the space and the ground.

Finding the Writer’s Voice (Jul 2025)
2025-07-19 09:30 - 12:30 | Online, Singapore
a four-week workshop for writers seeking clear intention​
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What is the story within you that keeps running into roadblocks, whenever you try to bring it into fuller expression? Is there a deeper truth beneath it that is asking to be seen?
This four-week workshop aims to help you get in touch with, recognise, and develop your unique writing voice. Whether you are a beginner writer, or an experienced writer looking for a fresh approach towards your craft, this workshop aims to help you achieve greater clarity and purpose in your work.
During the workshop, participants have the option to submit up to six pages of creative work for detailed individual feedback.
This workshop is open to writers of poetry, prose and creative nonfiction.
Dates (1st Run): 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th Jul 2025, OR
Dates (2nd Run): 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th Dec 2025
Time: 9.30am – 12.30pm on Saturdays ​
Location: Online on Zoom.
Sign up at https://www.rainbowfictioneers.com/writersvoice
Reduced fees are available for students, as well as for those in need of financial assistance; please email rainbowfictioneers@gmail.com to find out more.
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Workshop Outline
Session #1 | The Writer’s Voice – What does it mean for a writer to have a “voice”?
Session #2 | The Politics of Voice – Whose voices are heard most often, and most loudly, in the systems we inhabit? Whose voices hold weight?
Session #3 | The Responsibility of Voice – How do we use our voices responsibly? Who and what are we responsible to?
Session #4 | The Freedom of Voice – What is your voice at its best and strongest?
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About the Facilitator
Stacy Ooi is editor of Voyage: A Literary Journal, and founder of the Rainbow Fictioneers, a literary platform based in Singapore. Her poetry has been published in Blue Heron Review, and the tide rises, the tide falls. Her fiction is published in Blue Daisies Journal and forthcoming in CALYX Journal. She dreams of a world where we are gentle with each other.

The Studios: Scenes from the Climate Era
2025-07-19 20:00 - 21:15 | Esplanade Theatre Studio, 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore, 038981, Singapore
From an Australian playwright known for whip-smart works at the crossroads of science and art, comes a dazzling and provocative reflection on the biggest crisis in human history.
A couple discusses whether it’s ethical to have children. Scientists try to bioengineer a new coral reef. A Chinese team works to contain a glacier by building an Antarctic seawall. The last frog of its kind calls into the abyss for a mate.
Scenes from the Climate Era is a dizzying stream of conversations. Snapping between the absurd and the comic, the domestic and the global, the past, present and possible futures, the play distils the big ideas into intimate snapshots that bristle with urgency.
Working alongside director Ellison Tan, playwright David Finnigan adapts this work to reflect a warmth and sensibility unique to this region. This Singapore edition is a brand-new take on the original play, with scenes re-written or moved around, and brought to life by a stellar, multigenerational cast.
Scenes from the Climate Era is a stark reminder that time is no longer running out but merely passing, and that the consequences of generations past are the inevitable reality of those to come.
Creative Access: Embedded Narration
Embedded Narration in the context of this production has descriptive lines embedded seamlessly into the dialogue. Soundscapes and amplified movements give important key information on environment, atmosphere and intention of each scene.
This is an access feature provided for more inclusive appreciation of the play, created with Creative Access collaborator and performer, Claire Teo.
Pre-show notes will be available at a later date.
Production credits
Playwright: David Finnigan
Director: Ellison Tan
Costume Coordinator: Loo An Ni
Lighting Designer: Adrian Tan
Movement Director: Yvan Karlsson
Sound Designer: Bani Haykal
Creative Access Collaborator: Claire Teo
Cast: Siti Hajar, Tay Kong Hui, Ali Mazrin, Vishnucharan Naidu, Lian Sutton, Gloria Tan, Claire Teo, Teo Pei Si
Producer: Shridar Mani (The Public Space)
Production Manager: Cindy Yeong
Stage Manager: Woo Hsia Ling
Assistant Stage Manager: Cristabel Ng

Jazz in July: Immanuel Wilkins Quartet
2025-07-20 17:00 - 18:30 | Esplanade Recital Studio, 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore, 038981, Singapore
Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins is one of the foremost voices in a new generation of contemporary jazz interpreters. Known for his deeply expressive sound and emotionally resonant compositions, Wilkins’ music captures the complex textures and tensions of modern-day urban life. His work speaks to both the spirit of tradition and the urgency of the present moment.
Since bursting onto the international scene with his acclaimed 2020 debut album Omega on Blue Note Records, Wilkins has become a powerful force in jazz. His follow-up albums—The 7th Hand and 2024’s Blues Blood—have cemented his reputation, earning widespread critical acclaim and numerous awards, including honours from The New York Times, NPR, DownBeat Critics Poll, and the German Deutscher Jazzpreis.
Wilkins and his dynamic quartet have captivated audiences across the globe, headlining major jazz festivals such as the Montreal Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz, North Sea Jazz, and Newport Jazz Festival, and performing at world-renowned venues including the Kennedy Center, SFJAZZ, and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.
Expect a performance of emotional depth, sonic exploration, and breathtaking interplay—jazz at its most vital and visionary.
Immanuel Wilkins Quartet line-up:
Alto saxophone: Immanuel Wilkins
Piano: Micah Thomas
Bass: Ryoma Takenaga
Drum: Kweku Sumbry

Singapore launch of EKE, by Wahidah Tambee
2025-07-23 19:00 - 20:30 | The Projector at Cineleisure, 8 Grange Road, #05-01, Singapore, 239695, Singapore
We’re inviting one and all to the launch event of EKE in Singapore!
A visual enactment of attempts at articulating, Eke, by Wahidah Tambee (Gaudy Boy, July 2025) is the at-tempt-ation towards meaning. The reading will be accompanied by multimedia responses to EKE by various artists.
Event Details:
📅Wednesday, July 23rd, 7.00-8.30 pm
🎤Featuring Wahidah Tambee, Yeow Kai Chai, and Noor Iskandar
📍No Spoilers Bar at The Projector at Cineleisure (8 Grange Rd, Level 5)
Free and open to all
Don’t miss this opportunity to meet the author of Eke and our featured writers. We thank The Projector at Cineleisure for hosting us.
We look forward to seeing you there!

The Studios: Haribo Kimchi
2025-08-01 20:00 - 21:10 | Esplanade Theatre Studio, 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore, 038981, Singapore
★★★★
“Haribo Kimchi is both a refined as well as a raw performance about life in a country that isn’t yours.”
– De Standaard
“A performance that inimitably blends Korean cooking with personal stories and reflections on comfort food, identity and migration.”
– pzazz
The surprising flavour of seaweed soup, the sharp sound of a knife slicing cucumber, the hiss and sizzle of mushrooms on a scorching fire.
In Haribo Kimchi, we find ourselves in a pojangmacha, one of the typical late-night snack bars found on the streets of South Korea. There, we meet three characters—a snail, a gummy bear, and an eel—who take us on a culinary journey, exploring food as shelter for those dislocated from their culture. In a series of intimate, absurdist anecdotes, they recount the evolution of kimchi culture, the bitter pain of unadulterated racism, the shame of trying to blend in, and the deep umami taste of home.
This work comes from South Korean theatremaker and composer Jaha Koo, whose practice oscillates between multimedia and performance, encompassing his own music, video, text, and robotic objects. He rose to international prominence with his Hamartia Trilogy (2015 – 2021), a series of critically-acclaimed works which delved into the far-reaching imperialism in East Asia. The first two works of this trilogy, Lolling & Rolling and Cuckoo, were presented to packed houses at Singapore International Festival of Arts 2023, receiving rave reviews from audiences and critics alike.
Employing a hybrid style that combines music, cutting-edge video, and robotic performers, the artist reflects on cultural assimilation with all its conflicts and paradoxes. In an exceptional performance that plays with all the senses, he serves up personal stories marinated in sweet-and-sour melancholy.
More food for thought—how do you express your artistic values through theatre? Check out Jaha Koo’s masterclass on Valid Languages for the Intersection, perfect for performance-makers, arts students and practitioners.
Concept, Text, Direction, Music, Sound & Video Jaha Koo
Performance Gona, Haribo, Eel, Jaha Koo & Two Guests
Dramaturgy Dries Douibi
Scenography, Research Collaboration & Media Operation Eunkyung Jeong
Artistic Advice Pol Heyvaert
Technical Coordination Korneel Coessens
Technique Bart Huybrechts, Babette Poncelet & Jasse Vergauwe
Production Coordination Wim Clapdorp
English Proofreading Jason Wrubell
Snail Animation Vincent Lynen
Production CAMPO
Co-production Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels), Rideau De Bruxelles, Theater Utrecht, SPRING Festival (Utrecht), Festival d’Automne À Paris, Théâtre De La Bastille (Paris), Tangente St. Pölten – Festival Für Gegenwartskultur, &Espoo Theatre (Espoo), International Summer Festival Kampnagel (Hamburg), Sophiensaele (Berlin), Meet You Festival (Valladolid), Bunker (Ljubljana), National Theatre And Concert Hall Taipei, The Divine Comedy International Theater Festival / Teatr Łaźnia Nowa (Kraków) & Perpodium
With the Support of The Taxshelter Of The Belgian Federal Government Via Cronos Invest & The Flemish Government
The prototype of the eel was developed as part of Innovation:Lab’s funnel in co-production with Theater Utrecht and creative technologists Adriaan Wormgoor & Willem Vooijs.

The Studios: FOOD
2025-08-06 20:00 - 21:30 | Singtel Waterfront Theatre at The Esplanade, 8 Raffles Ave., Singapore 039802, Singapore, Singapore, 039802, Singapore
“But it is safe to say, at this dinner party, even though you won’t be eating much, Sobelle will give you plenty to chew on.” – Playbill
“For all its playfulness, this brilliant show has the power to make you look with fresh eyes at a daily act that you probably take for granted — a surefire sign of its worth as a work of genuinely thought-provoking art.” – Theatermania
Do we need what we eat? Do we eat what we need? What does it really cost? Chew on these questions in this theatrical gastronomy experience unlike any other.
At the centre of the performance space lies a comically large banquet table, encircled by audience members. The host of the evening, Geoff Sobelle, conducts this multi-sensory experience with deft hands, animated expressions and impressive physicality. Activating the senses through a myriad of sounds, scents, sights and textures, this acclaimed theatremaker stitches together a conversation about personal memories, consumption and the evolution of food production over generations. You are invited to be a guest at the dinner party—whether around the table or from the surrounding seats.
Concocted and performed by American actor, producer and innovator Geoff Sobelle, FOOD features his signature flavour of theatricality, combining rigorous design, onstage magic and subtle humour to create a participatory experience. Connecting the universal to the personal and distilling the absurd from the seemingly mundane, FOOD invites the audience to explore their place within this exploration of food and consumption.
FOOD is the third part of a performance trilogy that explores the abnormal corners of ordinary topics. Each installment—The Object Lesson (2013), HOME (2017), and FOOD (2022)—encourages the audience to ponder their personal connections with objects, spaces, and food. Following its acclaimed selection as an invited work for the prestigious Edinburgh International Festival, FOOD sold out performances in 2023 and went on to tour in countries like Australia, Korea and now, Singapore.
It will be a dinner party to remember: gather round and feast on questions and contemplations surrounding society’s relationship with food and sustenance.

The Studios: Escape to Batam
2025-08-21 20:00 - 21:30 | Singtel Waterfront Theatre at The Esplanade, 8 Raffles Ave., Singapore 039802, Singapore, Singapore, 039802, Singapore
Two of Singapore theatre’s most formidable multi-hyphenates craft a lyrical spectacle of the past and present, speaking to all who have known the harsh bitterness and gentle longing of awaiting a new normal.
What do stories of war tell us about human resilience and how we care for those closest to us? How does telling these stories help us to comfort and to heal?
Created by Claire Wong and Huzir Sulaiman, Escape to Batam is a delicate tapestry of the past and the present, weaving the remarkable lived experiences of Ming, who spent his boyhood on the rural island of Batam to escape the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, with his daughter’s personal stories of family, loss and grief felt in the years since her father’s passing. Drawing parallels from their different life journeys, daughter Claire finds herself discovering what it means to live with the pain of loving those who have left us, and how to carry on for those who are still with us.
Director-Playwright Claire leads a phenomenal ensemble cast of Adib Kosnan, Chaney Chia, Genevieve Tan, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, and Neo Swee Lin. Poignant and humorous by turns, Escape to Batam draws deeply on Claire and Huzir’s mastery of the written word and the theatrical medium to create a powerful new play that transcends generations.

Phinny & Wally: Echoes of Home《豚豚与鲸鲸：家的回声》
2025-08-22 - 2025-08-31 | Drama Centre Black Box, Singapore, Select a Country:
Dive back into an underwater adventure with Phinny and Wally!
When Phinny, a gentle dolphin, and Wally, an enthusiastic whale, meet Arlo, a young bowhead whale lost in the vast Arctic Sea, they set out to help in the search for Arlo’s family. Together, they brave shifting ice, passing ships, and uncharted waters—facing danger with heart and hope.
Along the way, they learn about courage, friendship, and discover that home is more than just a place. It’s the sounds, the safety, and the love we carry with us.
Phinny & Wally: Echoes of Home is a heartwarming tale that inspires young hearts to care for the ocean—a place full of life, love, and stories worth protecting.
一起跟随豚豚和鲸鲸，再次潜入神秘的海底世界吧！
在一次北冰洋探险中，温柔的小海豚“豚豚”和热情的小白鲸“鲸鲸”遇见了迷路的小弓头鲸 “阿乐”，并决定陪伴阿乐一同寻找回家的方向。途中，它们穿越浮冰，避开船只，勇敢面对未知的海域与危机。
随着旅程展开，豚豚、鲸鲸和阿乐学到了勇敢与友情的重要性，并渐渐明白：家不只是一处住所，而是那些熟悉的声音、温暖的守护，以及彼此之间的爱。
《豚豚与鲸鲸：家的回声》是一段温馨动人的旅程，带领孩子们感受友谊的力量，并唤起他们对海洋的珍惜与守护。让我们一起聆听大海的回响，守护这片充满生命与故事的蓝色家园。

A Date With Friends: Mel & Joe Ferdinands’ 55th Anniversary Party
2025-08-23 19:30 - 21:00 | Esplanade Concert Hall, Esplanade Concert Hall, 1 Esplanade Dr., Singapore, 038981, Singapore, Singapore, 038981, Singapore
Mel & Joe, beloved pillars of Singapore’s music scene, have captivated hearts since their television debut in 1971.
Celebrating 55 years of their musical journey, this anniversary party will take you on an unforgettable journey through their remarkable career, divided into three nostalgic chapter: their Talentime days and early beginnings, the vibrant ’80s and ’90s with Gypsy and the journey from 2000 to today.
Each chapter will be brought to life with visuals and photos that transport you through time.
A heartfelt segment will also celebrate their incredible milestone with messages of love and admiration.
With a full band and backup singers, their timeless passion for music shines brighter than ever.

The Studios: Pickle Party
2025-09-11 20:00 - 21:15 | Esplanade Annexe Studio, 1 Esplanade Drive, 038981, Singapore
“I enjoyed the ways it connects to the systems and limitations we all have to contend with as people who live in Singapore. I liked watching the ‘behind the scenes’ aspect, the VJing was very fun and the live camera work too. The kitsch-ness worked well with a cyberpunk visual aesthetic!”
— Shaw En, Audience (Closed-door presentation, 2023)
“It challenged the typical usage and code of conduct of a typical theatrical space… and created a wonderful sense of community or intimacy. The text was also really powerful, and the fear of being overly dependent on others really hit home. I hadn’t previously thought about this in relation to food sustainability and pickling before.”
— Elle, Audience (Closed-door presentation, 2023)
“My grandfather was a durian farmer, back when they lived in a kampung. But in those 10 years, most Singaporeans were forced to relocate to public housing. Even after he moved, my grandfather was still trying to grow everything he could from a sixth floor concrete corridor. Everything he knew about growing durians was made obsolete so that knowledge was never passed down.”
A show disguised as a pickling workshop, Pickle Party is a multidisciplinary, multi-species performance. Set against the backdrop of Singapore’s rapid development from farmland to modern city, it dives into how humans, microbes and food security are connected—where does our food come from? What will we be eating next?
Led by directors Ang Xiao Ting (Extinction Feast, ECOncert) and Kuo Jian Hong (All The World’s A Sea, Four Horse Road), Pickle Party features award-winning livestream technology (XIMI), live VJ-ing, live performance and community pickling. The production will be staged within a Singapore version of Tanja Beer’s critically-acclaimed The Living Stage, which combines stage design, permaculture and community engagement to create a recyclable, biodegradable and edible performance space.
Experience Pickle Party your way! For each performance, participants can choose to be Picklers (get hands-on with pickling on stage, limited slots) or be part of the General Audience (watch the performance from a different perspective). Kindly select your preferred audience experience at the point of ticket purchase.
Discover the power of edible hope.

One @ the Ballet - Cinderella
2025-11-15 13:00 - 14:00 | Bugis+ Mall, 201 Victoria St, Level 7, Singapore 188067, Bugis+ Mall, 201 Victoria St, Level 7, Singapore 188067, Singapore, 188067, Singapore
In the last session of the year, we will focus on our production of Cinderella. This new production was first brought to our stage it featured a unique combination of Singaporean talents with costume designs, stage settings and lighting design. What goes into staging a full-length ballet with costumes, story telling through choreography of this ballet will be the highlight of this One @ the Ballet.
