Ep 1: “Right Time, Right People” feat. Arun Mahizhnan (Part One)
About
In the first part of Episode 1, host Serene Chen joins Mr Arun Mahizhnan on a trip down memory lane, tracing the evolution of the Singapore Arts Festival and the crucial role that corporate sponsorship played in its growth, not just financially but in its operations and organisational management.
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[00:05:29] Mobil Oil: Mobil was an American oil company that merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Its presence in Singapore spans over 125 years and has been one of the pioneering corporate sponsors of the arts. Today, Mobil continues to be a sponsor for the arts, including for the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, the ExxonMobil Campus Concerts series (since 1986), and the NAC-ExxonMobil Concert in the Park.
[00:05:37] The notion of Singapore as a cultural desert: First quoted in a Straits Times article on 25 August 1946, “Is Singapore To Remain A Cultural Desert?”
[00:07:15] Singapore as a Global City: a vision for the future of Singapore espoused in 1965 by then-President S Rajaratnam, who described the Global City as an urbanised one that may "shape and direct … a worldwide system of economics."
[00:07:24] South East Asia Cultural Festival: The South East Asia Cultural Festival was held in Singapore from 8 to 15 August 1963.
[00:08:10] The notion of the arts as a luxury: A local saying that became popular and modelled after the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s infamous remark, “poetry is a luxury we cannot afford,” made at a conference with students at the National University of Singapore in 1968.
[00:08:49] UOB Painting of the Year: Annual art competition launched in 1982, the longest-running of its kind in Singapore, and also held in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
[00:09:20] Radio Television Singapore: Radio and television service run by the Ministry of Culture in Singapore that was in operation from 1966 to 1980
[00:11:03] Singapore Festival of the Arts 1959: The first arts festival held in Singapore, funded by an association of performing and visual arts societies named the Singapore Arts Council. Schools, consulates and cultural organisations participated in the festival.
[00:11:36] The National Theatre: Public performing arts venue located in River Valley, opened in 1963 and demolished in 1984
[00:14:40] Victoria Memorial Hall: Singapore’s oldest performing arts venue now known as Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (VTCH)
[00:26:46] The Singapore Cultural Foundation: Endowment fund established in 1978 before amalgamating with Cultural Affairs Division of Ministry of Community Development, Festival of Arts Secretariat and the National Theatre Trust to become the National Arts Council
[00:43:23] Private Parts: 1992 play written by Michael Chiang and staged by Theatreworks at the World Trade Centre auditorium
[00:48:30] Singapore Airlines: Sponsor of several arts events and institutions such as Singapore Symphony Orchestra
[00:48:35] Singapore Tourist Promotion Board: Statutory board now known as Singapore Tourism Board
[00:51:03] Singapore Writers’ Festival: Annual literary festival featuring local and international writers and publishers, established in 1986
[00:51:19] Practice Performing Arts School: Drama school founded by artist Kuo Pao Kun and Goh Lay Kuan, renamed The Theatre Practice in 1997
[00:51:40] Theatreworks: local theatre company established in 1985, renamed TWorks as of 2020
[00:51:41] World Trade Centre Auditorium: Now-defunct convention centre that served as a performing arts venue
[00:52:13] The Necessary Stage: non-profit local theatre company established in 1987.
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[00:36:22] Little White Sailing Boat: Play staged by multiple companies at Victoria Theatre from 19 December 1982 to 21 December 1982
[00:42:59] The Finer Side of Life: A song written by Mary Tan introduced to promote the Arts Festival, performed by the National University of Singapore Choir at an open-air event on the opening day of Singapore Arts Festival 1984
[00:43:08] Bumboat! : an English language musical at the Singapore Arts Festival 1984 directed by American Tzi Ma, and Singaporean Lim Siauw Chong presenting vignettes of contemporary Singaporean life in a series of stories conceived by a group of writers – Michael Chiang, Catherine Lim, Jacintha Abisheganaden, Rebecca Aquilla, and Kate James – and the cast. Dick Lee was the composer and musical director.
[00:43:41] The Oolah World: Chinese play directed by Kuo Pao Kun, Han Lao Da and Hua Liang
[00:43:51] Pileh Menantu: Peranakan play commissioned for the Singapore Arts Festival 1984, written by Felix Chia and directed by Cecilia Ong, and staged at the Drama Centre
[00:50:55] Writers’ Week: literary programme of the Singapore Arts Festival
[00:51:16] No Parking on Odd Days: Play written by Kuo Pao Kun and staged by Practice Performing Arts School.
[00:51:37] Beauty World: commissioned musical comedy presented by TheatreWorks
[00:52:52] Lao Jiu: Play by Kuo Pao Kun
[00:52:52] Lanterns Never Go Out: Play by The Necessary Stage
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[00:07:05] S. Rajaratnam: One of the co-founders of Singapore's People’s Action Party, he served first as the Minister for Culture from 1959 to 1965. Apart from his literary prowess, his contributions include drafting the Singapore National Pledge, and pushing for the importance of Singapore to be a multiracial and multicultural society as well as a global city.
[00:24:55] Robert Iau: the first Executive Chairman of the committee set up to steer the development of what was then known as the Singapore Arts Centre, and today known as The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay
[00:30:41] Anthony Steel: Anthony Steel is an English arts administrator who was the first general manager of the Adelaide Arts Festival, after which he was appointed as the director for the Singapore Arts Festival 1982
[00:31:44] Liew Chin Choy: Former Cultural Affairs Officer, Ministry of Culture; Director of Singapore Arts Festival 1985; Programming Director of Singapore Arts Festival and Festival of Asian Performing Arts from 1990 to 1999
[00:41:05] Jessieca Leo: Festival Fringe coordinator for 6 years from 1983 to 1988
[00:43:14] Lim Siauw Chong: artist, director and founding member of Theatreworks
[00:43:22] Michael Chiang: Singaporean playwright
[00:43:24] Catherine Lim: Singaporean novelist
[00:43:27] Jacintha Abisheganaden: singer, actress and theatre practitioner who was a founding member of Theatreworks
[00:43:30] Dick Lee: Singaporean singer-songwriter and composer of musicals
[00:43:44] Kuo Pao Kun: theatre practitioner and founder of The Theatre Practice and The Substation; co-founder of the Intercultural Theatre Institute
[00:43:48] Han Lao Da: Singaporean playwright in Chinese-language theatre
[00:43:49] Hua Liang: Singaporean artist and theatre practitioner in Chinese-language theatre
[00:50:51] Robert Liew: the first Singaporean artistic director of the Singapore Arts Festival, who helmed the festival from 1985 to 1988
[00:51:59] Lucilla Teoh: theatre practitioner with Theatreworks from 1987 to 1997
[00:52:04] Tisa Ho-Ng: former Assistant Director, Cultural Services Division, Ministry of Culture; Artistic Coordinator for Singapore Arts Festival 1990; member of board of directors for The Substation and The Necessary Stage
[00:52:37] Nellie Har: former arts administrator for the Singapore Arts Festival
[00:54:05] Lee Suan Hiang: Former non-executive director of National Arts Council
[00:54:06] Goh Ching Lee: Former director of the Singapore Arts Festival under the National Arts Council from 1999 to 2009; current director of CultureLink Singapore
About our Speakers
Serene Chen is a bilingual actress, host, voice artist and lecturer. She spent the first 3 years of her professional career as an Producer-Presenter in Singapore’s first arts radio station, Passion 99.5FM.
Arun Mahizhan is Special Research Adviser at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). Before joining IPS in 1991, he had worked in both the public and private sectors for 20 years, mostly in public communication fields. During his time at Mobil Oil Singapore, he played a critical role in the growth and strategic direction of the Singapore Arts Festival.