Culture curators

By Hong Xinyi
Publisher:The Straits Times - Publication Date: 06-12-2007

The movers and shakers in Singapore's arts scene delivered both bracing blockbuster bluster and refreshing indie cool this year.
Life!'s 2007 Power List for the arts industry continues to highlight groups and individuals who made significant contributions to the arts scene this year, and whose projects next year signal a continued commitment to developing home-grown culture.
Reflecting the diversity of artistic developments during this boomtown year, seven out of the 10 featured are first-time power players.
The increasing prominence of the visual arts sector can be seen in the debuts of National Heritage Board chief executive Michael Koh and ARTSingapore fair director Chen Shen Po on the list.
The former jazzed up local museums with initiatives like celebrity ambassadors, ahead of the much-anticipated 2012 opening of the National Art Gallery.
The latter drew some of the most prestigious artists and collectors yet to the well-attended art show, bolstering Singapore's growing reputation as a collecting hub.
"I sensed a greater interest in the buying and selling of art this year, which I believe has been fuelled by a booming economy," says Audrey Wong, 39, artistic co-director of The Substation. "The success of the recent auctions added to the buzz. At some events, you could almost hear the sound of money talking."
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra's well-received China tour and collaborations with top international soloists put it on the List for the first time this year.
Also brimming with global ambition is first-time Power Lister Gaurav Kripalani from the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), who made Shakespeare the talk of the town by presenting Ian McKellen in the Royal Shakespeare Company's King Lear.
Singapore became the first stop on the company's high-profile world tour, paving the way for more prestigious international productions to come.
At home, comedienne Selena Tan made the list for the first time by making the Dim Sum Dollies one of the hottest tickets you could score this year.
The cabaret comedy was one of many locally produced shows (including SRT's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Toy Factory's Titoudao, Wild Rice's Blithe Spirit and The Theatre Practice's If There're Seasons) which stormed Sistic's list of the top 10 best-selling arts shows this year.
"Local companies have become increasingly confident about mounting big, risky shows,' says JP Nathan, 52, director of programming at the Esplanade. "As recently as three years ago, this sort of energy was not apparent."
But as returning Power Listers from the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and theatre groups The Necessary Stage (TNS) and Wild Rice show, it's not just impressive sales figures and cool trends that get our attention. These groups get our nod for their sustained commitment to creating a distinctly Singaporean repertoire in the field of music and theatre.
The arts scene also saw the loss of several promising young practitioners this year. Dennis Tan, 27, who founded community theatre group Wayang Warehouse, died of cancer of the lymph system. Production and stage manager Pierre-Andre Salim, 26, died after an accident in the United States. Most recently, composer Reuben Kee, 23, was one of five men who died in the dragon boat tragedy in Cambodia.
But more new faces look set to inject fresh energy into the arts scene next year, with practitioners like Aidli Alin Mosbit and Jeffrey Tan entering the fray with their own arts groups.
"New blood is a good sign," says Alvin Tan, 43, artistic director of TNS.
"It helps us all get our act together and feel more secure on our own turf before moving on to the next phase."