6 More Tips for Lovers of the Arts
Once you’ve hit up the major cultural icons of the island, it’s time to start digging a little deeper for those smaller spaces and places where Singapore’s arts scene plays out. Here are some suggestions!
#1 Alfresco entertainment
Evening performances at outdoor venues such as Fort Canning and the Botanic Gardens can be particularly pleasant, and they’re often free. Bring a picnic blanket, a bottle of wine and a can of mozzie spray, and you’re all set! The Esplanade’s intimate Outdoor Theatre is another spot that often plays host to live music gigs spanning all kinds of genres – from jazz to pop and rock. It makes for a great chill-out spot by the bay, too.
#2 More cool galleries
When you’ve had your fill of the National Gallery, try one of the city’s many popular contemporary art spaces, which include REDSEA, Chan Hampe Galleries, 11.12 Gallery, Art Plural Gallery, Opera Gallery, Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Livingwithart, Righetti Arte, The Gallery of Gnani Arts and Talking Textiles. There’s also Gillman Barracks, a cluster of international galleries, including the Centre for Contemporary Art, set in conserved British army barracks near the West Coast. A good place to find the most up-to-date gallery listings is singaporeart.org or the art gallery guide at sagg.com.sg.
#3 Niche museums
From the Vintage Camera Museum to the Air Force Museum, there are loads of interesting collections beyond the big names we mentioned a few pages back. MINT, for example, is the world’s
first museum built solely for toys, with Tintin collectables, exclusive teddy bear collections and Astroboy figurines. And stamp collectors will love the Singapore Philatelic Museum, whose collection dates back to the Straits Settlements.
#4 Groups and troupes
Singapore offers an array of entertaining performances by local and international arts groups such as orchestras, dance troupes and theatre companies. Some established performing arts groups include the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Dance Theatre, Singapore Lyric Opera, Singapore Repertory Theatre, Wild Rice and Pangdemonium.
#5 Reading hub
The main campus of the National Library ( nlb. gov. sg) at 100 Victoria Street houses an impressive collection of books, DVDS, magazines and newspapers, and a seven-storey reference section. Libraries in Singapore regularly offer fun and educational activities for children including storytelling, movie screenings and live performances.
#6 More places for bookworms
The Early Literacy Library, located in the Jurong Regional Library, offers over 60,000 books and audio-visual materials in four languages – English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil – catering to the reading needs of children six and under. Also notable is the performing arts library, Library@esplanade, with everything from sheet music and theatre scripts to music CDS and instructional dance videos. Finally, if you’re seeking a bit of self-improvement, The Llibrary in Paya Lebar is Singapore’s first public library with materials to help visitors upgrade their skills, find self-help and more.