SIFA 2025 wasn’t just a festival, it was a movement that brought the arts closer to the people than ever before. Over three vibrant weekends, the Singapore International Festival of Arts made bold strides in accessibility, inclusivity, and connection, reminding us that art is at its most powerful when it’s for everyone, everywhere.Organised by Arts House Limited and commissioned by the National Arts Council, this 48th edition of the Festival wasn’t just a celebration of Singapore’s creative spirit, it was also a milestone moment, coinciding with SG60 and the conclusion of Festival Director Natalie Hennedige’s visionary four-year tenure.
Though the festival has ended, the sense of awe lingers - from sharing unforgettable moments with others to witnessing art in its most diverse, accessible forms.
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| Umbilical drew audiences into a multimedia journey through identity and the emotional legacy of Singapore’s 1965 separation from Malaysia |
Art in the Heartlands: A Festival Without Walls
In a bold reimagining of where art can live, this year’s Festival made its debut in Singapore’s heartlands through the brand-new SIFA Pavilion at Bedok Town Square. For the first time, large-scale multidisciplinary works unfolded right in the everyday paths of residents, shoppers, and commuters, transforming a familiar public space into a site of discovery, beauty, and wonder.
Opening night featured The Sea and the Neighbourhood - a cross-disciplinary collaboration helmed by composer Philip Tan, choreographer Christina Chan, video artist Brian Gothong Tan, and visual artist Wang Ruobing. With over 70 musicians, dancers, and artists, the performance invited passers-by and arts lovers alike to gather, reflect, and connect.
“This installation was never meant to remain still – it was alive,” shared Wang Ruobing. “Its heartbeat came from the community itself — from hawkers and visitors to the curious passer-by.”
The Festival's closing weekend at the Pavilion brought the community full circle, with Sing Song Social Club leading a joyful, all-voices-welcome choir under the stars, fronted by well-loved local artists Benjamin Kheng, Aarika Lee, Sandra Riley Tang, and Daphne Khoo. It was a powerful reminder that art doesn’t need velvet seats or ticketed halls to move people, just an open space and an open heart.
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| COLONY – A True Colors Project challenged audiences to rethink inclusion and reimagine ability within the landscape of contemporary performance |
Breaking Barriers, Building Belonging
Accessibility wasn’t just about location. SIFA 2025 also led the charge in making the arts more inclusive for all abilities and backgrounds. This was most poignantly felt in performances like:
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LEAR is a multi-sensory theatrical work that reimagined Shakespeare through inclusive design.
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COLONY – A True Colors Project explored the beauty of imperfection through an international cast of diverse-abled artists.
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A moving appearance by The Purple Symphony, Singapore’s largest inclusive orchestra.
“Creating COLONY was illuminating and humbling,” shared artistic director Remesh Panicker. “It reminded me that joy — not perfection — is the true measure of meaningful art.”
From start to finish, SIFA 2025 championed art without barriers, offering captioned and relaxed performances, wheelchair-accessible venues, and works that actively welcomed neurodiverse and disabled audiences.
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| Set against the backdrop of Empress Lawn, The House Between The Winds invited families into a whimsical, participatory world where imagination met performance |
Little SIFA: Big Impact
For younger audiences and families, Little SIFA returned in full colour to Empress Lawn, transforming the green space into a playground of stories, movement, and imagination.
Children and their grown-ups wandered through The House Between The Winds, a whimsical kinetic sculpture by artist Yang Jie, and enjoyed a free, accessible adaptation of Animal Farm by The Finger Players that was performed under the open sky.
“Its themes sparked dialogue across both intimate and grand settings,” shared director Oliver Chong, whose full version of Animal Farm also ran at SOTA Drama Theatre. “It proves that theatre really can transcend boundaries — now more than ever.”
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| A striking SIFA installation, LATTICE, transformed a daily path into an unexpected encounter with light, sound, and movement |
Homegrown Voices, Global Conversations
Even as SIFA embraced its homegrown roots, it continued to create space for cross-cultural dialogue and international exchange. The Festival presented works from six countries, including:
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HOME by Geoff Sobelle (USA) is a poetic exploration of memory and place.
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Told By My Mother by Ali Chahrour (Lebanon), a moving tribute to maternal love.
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Vampyr by Manuela Infante (Chile), a sharp, surreal take on climate politics.
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LATTICE, a site-specific commission by Japanese artist Karyn Nakamura, transformed Funan’s underground walkway into a living canvas.
These offerings weren’t just showcases, they were conversations, weaving Singapore’s artistic voice into the global tapestry.
“It was a heartwarming, caring, and more than ever needed exchange,” said Chahrour of his SIFA experience.
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| LEAR unfolded through bold imagery and physical storytelling, exploring universal themes of the human condition and emotion in a visually arresting performance |
Looking Back, Moving Forward
SIFA 2025 wasn’t only a success in numbers, with over 90 events across 9 venues, 15 local commissions, and 70,000+ Festivalgoers, it was a success in spirit. It proved that the arts can thrive outside traditional venues, that local stories have global resonance, and that when access is prioritised, connection follows.
As Natalie Hennedige takes her final bow, she leaves behind a legacy that expanded what a festival could be - not just an event, but a lived experience.
“I’ve kept the Festival in close relationship with the land, the artists, and the people,” she said. “I’ve returned again and again to the same questions: How do we push the boundaries of Festival making? How do we remain generous, imaginative, and true to the artists we believe in?”
The baton now passes to incoming Festival Director Chong Tze Chien, who will lead SIFA into its next chapter from 2026 to 2028.
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| Hossan-AH! In The High Arts took audiences on a heartfelt and humorous journey through the nation’s artistic evolution (left), while stray gods (right) by weish enraptured them with an elemental soundscape reflecting the artist’s exploration of her Hakka heritage. |
One Festival, All of Us
Whether it was singing with strangers in a Bedok Square, watching theatre on a city lawn, or seeing one’s heritage brought to life through myth and sound, SIFA 2025 reminded us that art belongs to everyone.
From heartland to global stage, this year’s Festival didn’t just bring the arts closer, it redefined what closeness can look like. I'm definitely looking forward to the 2026 edition, which is slated to run from 15 – 31 May 2026. Stay tuned for my updates ~~~
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