The November school holidays draw closer, and with the kids still fresh from school and exams, why not recharge the family with some of the arts? Singapore has a wide variety of creative and colourful events and exhibitions lined up, all sure to expand your family’s horizons! Here are some of our suggestions for the most artsy November possible.
Singapore Art Museum
Image source: Singapore Art Museum
The most obvious place to start is Singapore’s very own art museum. With many of its exhibitions free to view, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) offers many intriguing and modern art displays for your benefit. With artificial intelligence being such a talking point these days, check out the Proof Of Personhood exhibition, which explores our place as humans in the face of increasingly complex technology.
The museum also has everyday galleries like The Everyday Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark or Singapore Deviation: Wander with Art Through the Rail Corridor as additional avenues you can explore.
Visit the museum's website to check out the many exhibition options they have on offer, and pick those that most interest your family for a day out of art and wonder.
Deepavali celebrations
Image source: Indian Heritage Centre
The Festival Of Lights has come again, so for this year’s Deepavali, take a trip around Singapore to appreciate the art and culture behind this Indian festival. Plan a path through Little India, preferably at night, to see the fantastic decorations and lights. The glowing installations will surely be a sight to behold, and you can make the experience even better by enjoying some authentic Indian cuisine while you are there.
Other activities include the Indian Heritage Centre Deepavali Open House 2023 where you can join in the workshops and exhibitions showcasing Indian culture.
Singapore Writers Festival
Image source: Singapore Writers Festival
If your kids love to tell yarns, or harbour dreams of writing their own little stories, then the Singapore Writers Festival 2023 may be an option for you. Held from 17-26 November, it is a multilingual literary arts festival that embraces the unpredictable with its theme for the year, “Plot twist”.
The festival features panel discussions, presentations, workshops and performances, catering to all your writer's needs and embraces local influences and culture. This could be a great chance to get your kids interested in the world of writing as well as hear from
experts in the field. A great and informative way to start the holidays!
Esplanade is the place to be
Image source: Esplanade
You cannot talk about arts in Singapore without mentioning “the Durian”, that is the Esplanade. The iconic-looking building houses a diverse line-up of performances and rotating visual arts exhibits, acting as Singapore’s premier hub for creativity.
Enjoy its free installations such as Wax and Wane, a sculptural mural that explores the changeability of the moon and nature, or Fracture, a look at how human behaviours that trace back to prehistoric times resonate with present-day lived realities.
There is a wide array of exhibitions, recitals, and performances on offer, so pick what your family would prefer and brave the Esplanade’s spiky exterior to reap the fruits within.