Our arts ecosystem

A connected arts ecosystem, rooted in Singapore

Our arts ecosystem is more than the sum of its stages, studios and stories. It's a living network of artists, art forms, venues and communities, each shaping how the arts are made, shared and experienced across our island and beyond.

From world-class festivals to neighbourhood encounters, from centuries-old traditions to bold experiments with technology, we work to make sure the arts have room to grow and room for everyone to be part of them.

Where the arts take form

Every art form tells its own story, in its own language. Visual arts turn the everyday into a moment worth pausing over. Performing arts bring music, dance and theatre together in shared experiences that cross language, culture and generation. Literary arts hold the stories that make sense of who we are, across our four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.

We support artists and arts organisations in finding their form and, through our companies, the audiences to match.

We work our artists and arts organisations to sharpen their craft, create new local works and reach wider audiences. We stand behind Traditional Arts practitioners, keeping cultural and artistic traditions alive and evolving alongside contemporary practices.

Browse our collection of stories celebrating #OurSGArts excellence.

Our Companies

Singapore's arts landscape has never been more alive, and we're proud to play a part in that. Together with our companies, we support artists, connect communities, and bring more Singaporeans closer to the arts — while also taking Singapore's stories and talent to the world.

Arts House Group (AHG)

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Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO)

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Singapore Symphony Group (SSG)

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Connecting audiences, communities and the arts

Alongside a rich tapestry of events that fills the year, three flagship Art Festivals anchor our annual calendar: Singapore Art Week ↗ (opens in new tab) in January, the Singapore International Festival of Arts ↗ (opens in new tab) in May and the Singapore Writers Festival ↗ (opens in new tab) in November.

Not every arts experience needs a ticket. Some happen on your walk to work, on a neighbourhood wall, or at a bus stop when you look up.

Through Art In Public Places and ArtsEverywhere programmes, we bring the arts into the everyday, weaving them into the fabric of where people live, work and play. Every event experience is a small invitation; a chance to pause, feel and connect with something bigger than the moment.

Because the arts are at their most powerful when they’re within reach. When they don’t ask people to seek them out, but meet them where they are.

How our arts scene innovates

Every era of the arts has been shaped by the tools of its time. Ours is being shaped by technology. Explore the various initiatives below that aim to drive and sustain sector growth by strengthening digital capabilities and championing innovative experimentation at the intersection of art and technology.

Arts x Tech Lab

A dedicated, open and welcoming space for emerging and mid-career artists and practitioners working in the intersection of arts and technology.

Arts acceleration programme

Building the business and digital capabilities of arts practitioners and organisations for greater sustainability and growth.

Project Arts Metaverse

An industry-led Alliance for Action (AfA) that brings together stakeholders from the arts and technology sectors to develop arts experiences in virtual spaces.

Reaching a global audience

The world deserves to experience the creativity that inspires us at home. Across every art form, we help Singapore’s artists present their work to a global audience, whether that’s on stages abroad or at gateways at home.

Singapore Stand at Frankfurt Book Fair

The National Arts Council supports Singapore's participation at key international trade fairs to build a long-term presence for our literary arts on the world stage. The Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse), the world's largest trade fair for the book publishing industry, is one such platform.

At the 2025 edition, a delegation of 12 Singapore publishers met with international literary agents, publishers and industry professionals — conducting 165 meetings and establishing 256 new professional contacts. Local publishers Felicia Low (Difference Engine), Ang Jin Yong (Trendlit Publishing) and Edmund Wee (Epigram Literary Foundation) spoke at six industry panels, bringing Singapore's literary titles to an international audience.

International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) 2026 Singapore Congress

Singapore hosted the ISPA 2026 Singapore Congress from 19-22 May - the first time the Congress returned to Southeast Asia in over 20 years, welcoming over 500 arts leaders from 40+ countries.

Theme: Creative Convergence: Same Same, And Different - exploring how the performing arts connect us across cultures through shared humanity and distinct identities. Find out more about the programme. [PDF, 6.37 MB] ↗ (opens in new tab)

Explore the Congress summary by Centre 42, commissioned by NAC. ↗ (opens in new tab).

Singapore Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia

Photo of curator Selene Yap (L) and artist Amanda Heng (R). Image credit: Singapore Art Museum

The National Arts Council promotes and profiles Singapore's arts and artists overseas, and Singapore's participation at the International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia (Biennale Arte) is an extension of this commitment.

The Singapore Pavilion
Located in the Sale d'Armi within the Arsenale, the Singapore Pavilion occupies a 250 sqm space in a cluster of four 16th-century brick and stone barracks. Centrally positioned and easily accessible, it sits at the heart of one of Venice's most iconic sites.

Singapore at The Biennale
For the Singapore Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, Amanda Heng Liang Ngim transforms the historic Sale d'Armi into a space for rest and observation. A Pause brings together photographs, video and an architectural intervention centred on ordinary actions such as sitting, waiting, and watching. The work is a culmination of Heng's four-decade practice, drawing on her sustained attention to the body, everyday gestures, and unscripted social encounter. The presentation reflects a shift from the charged immediacy of her early public performances to a quieter, more interior mode of attention. The Pavilion is curated by Selene Yap.

The 61st International Art Exhibition, titled In Minor Keys, runs from 9 May to 22 November 2026. Past Singapore Pavilion artists include Robert Zhao Renhui (2024), Shubigi Rao (2022), Ho Tzu Nyen (2011), and Ming Wong (2009), who received a Special Mention at the 53rd edition.