PRISM 48 (Singapore International Festival of Arts 2025)

More Than Ever we seek dialogue.

In 2025 Singapore marks its 60th year of independence. How has our cultural identity evolved and what can we learn from the evolutions of other cultural narratives and strategies? This conversation series reflects on these questions through the lens of SIFA.

How do we take the measure of the yawning gulf and uncanny symmetries between a self-perceived cultural desert and a key global node? What is the relationship between festival-making and nation-building? What are the hallmarks and impact of Singapore storytelling? Decades into our post-colonial existence how has our relationship with Asia’s traditions changed? How do we master the art of plugging into global circuits and what does participation in such circuits mean for art-making in Singapore? What new forms have we invented to make space for difficult conversations? What are the imperatives and challenges of incubating new creative voices in the post-pandemic landscape?

In 1977 the first Singapore Arts Festival kicked off with performances from 77 groups over seven days. In the festival’s 48th year these six conversations take stock of how far we have travelled and the journey ahead.

Also check out other Festivals in Singapore, Arts events in Singapore.