SINGAPORE: The long-awaited redevelopment of Stamford Arts Centre (SAC) will begin next month, and by the middle of next year, it will reopen as an arts space fully dedicated to traditional arts, it was announced on Tuesday (Apr 25).
Located on Waterloo Street opposite the Sri Krishnan and Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho temples, the redeveloped arts centre will include a new multipurpose hall for performances and rehearsals, a shared studio, an artist-in-residency space, and new lifts and walkways connecting the three blocks within the compound.
There will also be some shops and F&B outlets on the ground floor.
The arts centre will be managed by Arts House Limited, which also manages other arts housing spaces such as Goodman Arts Centre and Aliwal Arts Centre.
The redevelopment project will cost S$7 million. This is on top of the S$25 million that is being pumped into the traditional arts scene over five years, as announced by the Government in 2015.
ENCOURAGING COLLABORATION AMONG ARTISTS
Apart from improvements to infrastructure, it’s hoped that the new spaces at SAC will encourage collaborations among artists, including those in the wider Waterloo area, said Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng.
“Beyond providing the physical space, we now want to promote more interaction among the groups based there, but also the wider community,” he said, pointing out that Arts House Limited will be doing in-house programmes as well.
“In a way, it’s arts housing plus – moving beyond just a space to the softer aspect of groups and the wider community coming together,” he said.
Mr Baey Yam Keng, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth (2nd from right), at the launch ceremony. (Photo: Mayo Martin)
The chief executive officer of Arts House Limited, Sarah Martin, added that SAC will have its own distinct identity: “The Arts House is a literary centre, Aliwal Arts Centre is focused on urban subcultures, while Goodman Arts Centre is family-oriented, which will also have a children’s centre. (For SAC), we hope to build an ecosystem with the 100 (traditional) groups we have in this country, which is pegged around this building.”
The redevelopment project is helmed by Multiply Architects, which will take into consideration SAC’ status as a conservation building.
Before it was transformed into SAC in 1988 as part of NAC’s Arts Housing Scheme, the compound previously served as various schools. First, as a Japanese school in the 1920s and later on, as Gan Eng Seng School, Stamford Girls’ School, and Stamford Primary School, which vacated the premises in 1986.
Artist impression of Stamford Arts Centre, facing Middle Road. (Image: Multiply Architects)
TRADITIONAL ARTS FOR THE FUTURE
Last year, redevelopment plans were temporarily delayed, partly due to requests for an extension by its previous tenants, the majority of which stayed on until the end of last year.
Before it was closed, eight performing arts groups had occupied the premises, including Singapore Lyric Opera, The Theatre Practice and Bhaskar’s Arts Academy which have since moved to other locations.
Mr Baey said that the arts centre is open to welcoming some of its former tenants back, as well having newer groups come in. Among those keen on applying for a space is Ding Yi Music Company, which is currently based at Goodman Arts Centre.
“Since it’s near NAFA and LASALLE, it’s a prime area where we can work with arts groups and students. Performing outdoors here can also attract audiences,” said Ding Yi general manager Dedric Wong, who added that they’re hoping to get a bigger space for the growing company that includes 20 musicians and five full-time staff.
But it’s not just practical reasons that make SAC an appealing place for him.
“When I was in my secondary school years, I actually practiced for the Chinese orchestra here – but I always thought the space was very old,” he said, with a laugh. “But if Ding Yi is able to move here, it’ll be a new milestone for us, since we’re celebrating our 10th anniversary this year.”
While SAC will be dedicated to traditional arts, it is also looking at how to grow these forms of art for the future.
“We’re not looking purely at preservation per se,” said NAC’s director for sector development (traditional arts and dance) Elaine Ng. “Our vision is for traditional groups that also think about contemporisation – collaborations that may be interdisciplinary or looking at contemporary versus traditional forms.”
An open call for arts groups interested in becoming tenants will be announced later this year.
