Art: UOB Painting of the Year set to elevate artistic excellence in its 45th edition with a festival and more

For decades, the UOB Painting of the Year competition has quietly shaped the careers of some of Southeast Asia’s most respected artists. Now, as it enters its 45th edition, the long-running art prize is stepping beyond the traditional competition format — and into the wider community. This year, UOB will launch its first-ever arts festival in Singapore, transforming what was once largely an industry-facing awards … Continue reading Art: UOB Painting of the Year set to elevate artistic excellence in its 45th edition with a festival and more

bakchormeeboyMay 11, 2026Leave a comment

Arts, Preview, Singapore, Theatre

Preview: Scaredy Kat Presents by Gateway Arts

There’s something quietly powerful about watching your fears play out in front of you—especially when they’re wrapped in story, light, and imagination. This May, Singapore audiences will get exactly that with Scaredy Kat Presents, a new youth theatre production by Gateway Arts. But this isn’t just another stage show, it’s an immersive, multimedia experience that transforms anxiety into something tangible, and ultimately, something hopeful. Inspired … Continue reading Preview: Scaredy Kat Presents by Gateway Arts

bakchormeeboyMay 11, 2026Leave a comment

Arts, Circus, Comedy, festival, Preview, Theatre

Preview: Flipside 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Flipside 2026 returns from 29 May to 7 June as a bold celebration of risk, play and artistic daring. Known for its vibrant mix of circus, physical theatre, puppetry and comedy, the festival invites audiences into a space where uncertainty becomes part of the experience and the thrill. Flipside has always been a festival built on the … Continue reading Preview: Flipside 2026 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

bakchormeeboyMay 11, 2026May 20, 2026Leave a comment

Arts, Chinese Theatre, NAFA Theatre Studio, Review, Theatre

Theatre Review: Pulau Rindu by Emergency Stairs x NAFA Industry Project 2026

Finding the shape of yearning through deconstructing a city and all the lives and stories within it. What does it mean to belong, and what happens if that belonging is tied to a place that exists only in memory, imagination, or longing? Pulau Rindu, directed by Tan Shou Chen and presented as part of the NAFA Industry Project by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and … Continue reading Theatre Review: Pulau Rindu by Emergency Stairs x NAFA Industry Project 2026

bakchormeeboyMay 6, 2026Leave a comment

Arts, Preview, The Necessary Stage, Theatre

Singapore Fringe Festival presses on and returns in January 2027

There’s good news for lovers of boundary-pushing, socially conscious art: the Singapore Fringe Festival is officially set to return from 13 to 24 January 2027. Organised by The Necessary Stage (TNS), the Festival’s comeback reflects not just resilience, but the strength of a community that continues to rally behind meaningful artistic expression. Following a three-month fundraising campaign, the Festival raised $59,592 through the generosity of … Continue reading Singapore Fringe Festival presses on and returns in January 2027

bakchormeeboyMay 1, 2026May 2, 2026Leave a comment

Arts, Chinese Theatre, NAFA Theatre Studio, Review, Theatre

Theatre Review: Backstage Protocol 后台协议 by Emergency Stairs x NAFA Industry Project 2026

Demystifying the backstage and paying tribute to the unseen parts of production In line with Emergency Stairs’ ethos, Backstage Protocol, part of the NAFA Industry Project 2026 by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Emergency Stairs, leans fully into uncertainty, trading narrative clarity for process, and polish for possibility. As a showcase, it feels less concerned with delivering a cohesive theatrical product and more invested … Continue reading Theatre Review: Backstage Protocol 后台协议 by Emergency Stairs x NAFA Industry Project 2026

bakchormeeboyApril 30, 2026Leave a comment

Dance with Me, Preview

Singaporean Aaron Tan Crowned Red Bull Dance Your Style Regional Champion

By weekday, Aaron Tan Jian Yong works in financial wealth management. But under stage lights and pounding beats, the 32-year-old Singaporean transforms into a commanding street dancer, and now, the newly crowned Red Bull Dance Your Style Southeast Asia Regional Champion. On 25th April , Aaron made history as the competition’s first-ever regional winner, capping off a journey defined by instinct, resilience, and a willingness … Continue reading Singaporean Aaron Tan Crowned Red Bull Dance Your Style Regional Champion

bakchormeeboyApril 26, 2026April 29, 2026Leave a comment

Arts, musical, Review, Theatre

★★★★☆ Theatre Review: [title of show] (2026) by Sing’theatre

Metatheatrical musical pokes fun at the Broadway dream with charm and twee humour. Few musicals are as self-mythologising or as beloved within musical theatre circles as [title of show]. Since its debut, the meta-musical about two writers racing to create a musical has earned a kind of cult status, not just for its wit, but for how closely it mirrors the aspirations, anxieties, and inside … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Theatre Review: [title of show] (2026) by Sing’theatre

bakchormeeboyApril 22, 2026April 22, 2026Leave a comment

Arts, festival, Malay Theatre, Review, Singapore, Theatre

★★★★★ Theatre Review: Randai Macbeth by ASWARA

Shakespeare meets the Nusantara in a bold, visceral Macbeth reborn through randai. It’s no small feat to make a 400-year-old play feel fresh, but Randai Macbeth achieves exactly that, and then some. Presented by Malaysia’s ASWARA and directed by Dr Norzizi Zulkifli, this bold adaptation reimagines Macbeth through the cultural lens of the Nusantara, transforming Shakespeare’s tale of ambition and moral decay into something visceral, … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: Randai Macbeth by ASWARA

bakchormeeboyApril 20, 2026Leave a comment

Arts, festival, Malay Theatre, Review, Singapore, Theatre

★★★★★ Theatre Review: PUNO – Sewing Memories by Papermoon Puppet Theatre

A universally affecting, timeless tale of love and loss by masters of the puppetry form. PUNO: Sewing Memories is, in many ways, a ghost story. Or perhaps more precisely, it is the story of a ghost, though not in the way we might expect. From the very outset of the show, which played as part of the Esplanade’s 2026 Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: PUNO – Sewing Memories by Papermoon Puppet Theatre