SCCC’s annual flagship event Cultural Extravaganza (CE) showcased refreshing and innovative interpretations of local Chinese culture through commissioned works by local arts and cultural groups. The festival offered a total of 10 programmes, and free pre-show programmes for children were introduced for the first time to instil interest in arts and culture at a young age. The festival was held from 9 May to 7 Jun 2025, and attracted nearly 7,800 festival goers.
Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth & Trade and Industry, also presented the Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award (SCCCA) 2025 at CE 2025 opening ceremony to the recipients Mr Quek Ling Kiong, Principal Conductor of SCO (Individual Category); and Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal Carving, Calligraphy and Painting Society (Organisation Category). The opening ceremony was held on 9 May 2025, and attended by 214 invited guests.
Home Kitchen
SCCCA (Organisation) 2024 recipient Nine Years Theatre put up a heartwarming theatre production titled Home Kitchen, which revolved around a Chinese restaurant owner who clung onto tradition while his French-trained son tried to introduce bold new flavours. Showcasing a sizzling clash of food, culture and love, the performances attracted a total of 1,981 audiences. The post-show talks with director Nelson Chia and cast members attracted a total of 877 audiences.
“I really enjoyed the heartwarming story which was really moving. It helped me understand the nuances and feelings of the older generation and prompted me to think more deeply about the challenges and tensions between legacy and innovation.” – an audience member of Home Kitchen
Intersections
Dance Ensemble Singapore (DES), helmed by founder and artistic director Mdm Yan Choong Lian, presented Intersections, a multi-sensory performance set in an ever shifting nine-square grid formation that explored the connections between dance and eight other art forms such as opera, music, theatre, multimedia art, Peranakan fashion, photography, wayang kulit, art installation and calligraphy. The performances attracted a total of 828 audiences.
“手法新鲜，非常有创意，一新耳目！舞台设计很独特。” – an audience member of Intersections
LOVE Across Time: No Expiry Date!
SCCC and local radio station LOVE 972FM collaborated for the first time to present a time-travelling comedy LOVE Across Time: No Expiry Date!. Featuring the radio station’s DJs as cast members, the musical had audiences in stitches with its script featuring legendary lovers from four Chinese folklores navigating the quirks of modern living. The shows were sold out and attracted a total of 828 audiences.
Disappearing… Series: The Last Episode
In this last episode of its Disappearing… series, Ding Yi Music Company paid tribute to the artistry of lion dance head making, rattan weaving and Malay songkok making. The concert combined craft demonstrations by artisans with Chinese chamber music, making a moving case of why these traditional trades ought to be preserved. Led by Resident Conductor Mr Dedric Wong and directed by veteran producer Mr Jeremiah Choy, the concerts attracted a total of 456 audiences.
Reunion 3.0
Under the baton of conductor Lien Boon Hua, the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra Alumni Concert presented Reunion 3.0 which featured a diverse repertoire ranging from the majestic Celebration Overture to the cross-cultural Jewel of Srivijaya and Ghibli’s Delivery Service. The concert marked the third edition of this series and attracted a total of 408 audiences.
Symphony of Ink
SCCC and SCO co-presented Symphony of Ink: A Musical Tribute to Lim Tze Peng to pay tribute to the late calligrapher and painter Lim Tze Peng, recipient of the Cultural Medallion in 2003. Under the baton of SCO’s Principal Conductor Quek Ling Kiong, the concert featured a blend of music and visual elements, seamlessly weaving Lim’s life and artistic philosophy into the world of Chinese orchestral music. The concert attracted a total of 696 audiences.
(Image: SCO)
The Spice Mission
One of the free CE 2025 programmes was The Spice Mission by The Solitude Movement. The sensory-based children’s theatre performance brought audiences on a journey to find missing ingredients from a lost sambal chilli recipe, using the recipe as an example of how different races contributed different ingredients to enrich Singaporean cuisine. The performances attracted a total of 407 audiences.
Radiance • Flourish
Another free programme was Radiance • Flourish, a dance showcase by DES Performing Arts Academy which featured its young talented students who put up a vibrant blend of music, drama and dance, demonstrating the cultural vibrancy of the different art forms. With the aim of promoting the local dance scene and engaging young audiences through dance, the performances attracted a total of 804 audiences.
When the Storm Comes
The last free programme was When the Storm Comes by Bitesize Theatre, an interactive children’s theatre performance that brought audiences back to kampong days and showcased Singapore’s efforts to improve and modernise public housing. Performed in Mandarin, Cantonese and some Malay, the production aimed to instil interest in Singapore’s housing history and promote a sense of community amongst neighbours. The performances attracted a total of 291 audiences.
SCCC and NAC co-organised the inaugural Chinese Opera Festival to showcase and celebrate the diversity of Chinese opera in Singapore and to promote and raise the profile of local Chinese opera troupes. The festival featured performances by five local Chinese opera troupes, namely Chinese Opera Studio (Teochew), Chinese Opera Ensemble (Hainanese), OperaWorks (Singapore) (Cantonese), Tian Yun Beijing Opera Society (Peking) and Tang Renaissance (Yue), and three of its five performances were sold out.
The Mistake of Justice Bao
Presented by Chinese Opera Studio and graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr David Neo, then-Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Senior Minister of State for Education, The Mistake of Justice Bao was the festival’s opening show. The Teochew opera performance told a thrilling tale of betrayal, justice and redemption, while following Justice Bao as he endeavoured to restore order and honour. The performance was held on 21 Jun 2025 and attracted a total of 326 audiences.
The Peacocks Flying Southeast
Presented by Chinese Opera Ensemble, The Peacocks Flying Southeast is often hailed as the Romeo and Juliet of Chinese opera. The Hainanese opera performance recounted a tale of love torn apart amidst feudal pressure and family control, defiance against oppressive traditions and a yearning for freedom in love. The performance was held on 5 Jul 2025 and attracted a total of 314 audiences.
The Betrothal Sword of Love
Presented by OperaWorks (Singapore), The Betrothal Sword of Love is a tale about loyalty, courage and justice in the face of betrayal. The Cantonese opera performance revolved around Mei Anxiang, a general’s daughter, who was forsaken by her betrothed Wei Chaoren after fighting bravely by his side. The performance was held on 12 Jul 2025 and attracted a total of 432 audiences.
Mei Yu Pei
Presented by Tian Yun Beijing Opera, Mei Yu Pei is a rediscovered classic of Peking opera from the late Qing dynasty, which was revived in 2014. The Peking opera performance told a tale of how a couple escaped societal constraints before being accepted by their families. The performance premiered in Singapore on 19 Jul 2025 and attracted a total of 352 audiences.
Marshal Lim Bo Seng
Presented by Tang Renaissance, Marshal Lim Bo Seng is based on the true story of Singapore’s war hero Lim Bo Seng. The Yue opera performance recounted Lim’s heroism and unwavering sacrifice during World War II so that audiences were able to gain a deeper understanding of his role in the anti-Japanese resistance. The performance was held on 26 Jul 2025 and attracted 417 audiences.
To increase touchpoints for audience participation and engagement, a series of fringe activities were also organised which included the Chinese Opera Roving Exhibition which focused on the history of Chinese opera in Singapore, as well as interactive Chinese opera movement workshops and practitioner talks featuring veteran opera performer Joanna Wong, dedicated educator Cai Bixia, and cultural scholar Su Zhangkai. The workshops and talks attracted a total of 155 participants.
Life Lessons with Ah Gong and Ah Ma
As part of our Grandparents’ Day celebrations, SCCC organised the second edition of Life Lessons with Ah Gong and Ah Ma which featured speakers from a wide range of fields who shared their unique life experiences with participants. They were Lee Swee Har, disciple of the late storytelling master Lee Dai Sor; Jalyn Han, theatre actor and director; Huang Qing Yuan, a local evergreen singer with over 50 years in the music industry; Pung Lu Tin, renowned culinary mentor and TV personality; and Ng Wai Choy, whose artistic pursuits inspires audiences across multiple disciplines. The five sessions were held on 22 and 23 Nov 2025 and attracted a total of 191 participants onsite.
Project GLAMParents
SCCC also partnered one of our Youth Force members to co-present Project GLAMParents for our Grandparents’ Day celebrations. Project GLAMParents is a digital photo exhibition featuring six seniors who underwent makeovers and a photoshoot. These seniors, aged 65 and above, were nominated by their children and grandchildren for making a positive difference in their lives and selected from an open call from 16 Jul to 6 Aug 2025. The exhibition was displayed at SCCC Level 7 Foyer from 22 Nov to 22 Dec 2025 and attracted a total of 7,806 visitors.
（Image：Project Obscura）
Singapore Writers Festival
SCCC collaborated with Arts House Limited (AHL) to co-organise four programmes for Singapore Writers Festival 2025. These programmes showcased selected Chinese Singaporean writers and their literary works through parent-child competitions, storytelling sessions, a songwriting workshop, and a local music seminar. All tickets were sold out and the programmes, which were held on 8 and 15 Nov 2025 attracted a total of 335 participants across five sessions.
SG:SW 2025 I Write the Songs
Jointly organised by SCCC, Composers & Authors Society of Singapore and Ocean Butterflies Music, the ninth edition of this annual song-writing festival attracted 250 song entries from 131 songwriters. The top 24 finalists presented their original works to 23,220 attendees over two days at Bugis+ Atrium – the largest turnout to date for SG:SW’s Live Showcase. The finale concert, which was graced by Guest of Honour Mr Baey Yam Keng, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Transport, Mayor, North East District, was held on 12 Oct 2025 and attracted 321 audiences.
TGIF Music Station
Dedicated to giving local and regional singers and groups a stage to showcase their music and grow their audiences, SCCC organised eight sessions of TGIF Music Station concerts at the Concourse and live-streamed them online. The session in Mar 2026 featured a Campus Superstar homecoming for contestants of the singing competition and attracted 964 audiences, a record high since the programme started in 2018. In FY2025, the free concerts attracted a total of 4,067 onsite audiences and more than 151,000 online views.
Happy Sing-Along
SCCC continued organising monthly sessions of Happy Sing-Along for seniors to enjoy evergreen Mandarin and dialect songs performed by local artistes. Following successful collaborations with public service agencies to disseminate public service messages, SCCC collaborated with new partners such as Land Transport Authority, Agency for Integrated Care, Central Provident Fund and Ministry of Social and Family Development. SCCC also partnered Culture Pass Office to present skits about Culture Pass and how to use Culture Pass credits to purchase tickets to eligible arts and culture events. A total of nine concerts were held, attracting 4,108 onsite audiences and 745,121 online views.
Rediscovering Chinese Music
To commemorate SG60, SCCC presented the Rediscovering Chinese Music concert to commemorate the passion, resilience, and artistry of our pioneers in the local Chinese orchestral music scene during the 1950s to the 1970s. First presented digitally in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, this concert was performed by three generations of Chinese orchestra musicians. The concert was held on 24 Aug 2025 and attracted a total of 439 audiences.
Filming screening of The Last Dance (Extended Version)
As part of SCCC’s efforts to promote Chinese language and embrace dialects as part of local Chinese culture, we partnered Clover Films to hold two special screenings of the award-winning Hong Kong film The Last Dance (extended version) in Cantonese. The film spotlights traditional funeral rituals, practices and beliefs in Hong Kong’s funeral industry and response was overwhelming with over 90% of tickets sold. The screenings were held on 22 Mar 2026 and attracted a total of 931 audiences.
