The ONEº15 Marina Club at Sentosa Cove, one of four marinas in Singapore able to berth superyachts, has 22 berths for such craft

Not too long ago, a superyacht would have been an uncommon sight in Singapore waters.

These days, the scenario is quite different. A superyacht, according to the Superyacht Singapore Association (SSA), is a professionally-crewed leisure vessel of at least 24 metres in length — and an increasing number of these can be spotted here, either berthed for a substantial period of time or docked on a stopover.

SSA figures show that last year, 19 of these vessels were based in Singapore, a substantial increase from just six in 2006. Traffic has increased as well, with 81 superyachts passing through in 2010, a massive jump from the 16 that did so five years ago.

“This growth comes from a combination of [there being] more local owners, and [more] businessmen who have made Singapore their home or business base,” explains Jean-Jacques Lavigne, SSA’s Executive Director.

“Some [superyacht] owners don’t even live here. But because they enjoy cruising around Southeast Asia, they base their vessels here.”

Singapore’s proximity to Thailand — where island-cruising is an established tourist attraction — is also a factor, says the 43-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident.

Currently, there are four marinas in Singapore that can accommodate boats of such size: the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, Raffles Marina Club, ONE°15 Marina Club and Marina at Keppel Bay.

Each superyacht berth comes with a suite of services including refuelling and fresh water points as well as 24-hour security.

A hub for superyachts
The increase in superyacht numbers is also due to the concerted efforts of various organisations to raise Singapore’s profile as a hub for such vessels.

In April this year, the inaugural Singapore Yacht Show (SYS), billed the only one of its kind in the region, was jointly organised by ONE°15 Marina Club and yachting events organiser Informa Yacht Group.

The three-day event to showcase superyachts as well as related products and services such as insurance and interior furnishings attracted more than 4,000 visitors from Singapore and overseas.

Two years ago, the first-ever Asia Superyacht Conference — organised by the SSA — was attended by more than 150 delegates from the industry worldwide.

Both the SYS and the Asia Superyacht Conference are scheduled to be held concurrently in Singapore in April next year.

The SSA was formed in 2007 by a founding group of 11 companies in superyacht-related businesses such as marinas, yacht-building and charters to promote Singapore as a superyacht destination, and to create a boating culture.

“An example of a country with a boating culture would be Monaco,” says Jean-Jacques.

“There, sailing along the coast is a regular affair, with spots to drop anchor about every three nautical miles [around 5.5km], whether to refuel and resupply, or to explore a scenic harbour.”

Being on the open sea is very different from the usual team building camps

Kiran Sujanani

To achieve its vision of such a boating culture in the region with Singapore as its hub, the SSA is working with the relevant authorities in neighbouring countries to ensure that Singapore- based yachts have ease of passage.

The development of a superyacht refit and maintenance centre is also on the SSA’s agenda.

It is currently exploring with the Singapore Maritime Academy the possibility of offering courses such as marina management. With the nearest one in Phuket, Thailand, having a refit and maintenance centre here will add to Singapore’s reputation as a superyacht hub, says Jean-Jacques.

The Rising Tide
A Bloomberg Businessweek report in June this year labelled Singapore the ‘Monaco of the East’.

Singapore, the report stated, has at 11.4 per cent of the population the highest proportion of millionaire households in the world. Is there a relation between this and the country becoming a key player in the luxury boating industry? The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) thinks so.

“The SYS is a clear illustration of this. It marked a pivotal point in our growth [as a superyacht destination] as such shows are traditionally held in Monaco and Abu Dhabi,” says Tony Lai, Assistant Chief Executive for Industry Development I Group, STB.

Riding on the crest of this development is the superyacht charter business. About 10 companies are operating here, and the charters they offer range from a 15-minute cruise to Lazarus Island off the southern coast of Singapore to longer trips to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia and Ko Samui in Thailand.

The growing business has prompted one company, Aqua Voyage, to add the Seabear — a 40-metre craft owned by professional golfer Jack Nicklaus — to its existing fleet of four luxury yachts by year-end.

“Plans for cruises with Jack Nicklaus on board to golf resorts in neighbouring countries, where passengers can then play a round with him, are in the works,” says Ong Chih Ching 42, Group CEO of the KOP Group, Aqua Voyage’s owners.

Weekend Alternatives
Superyachts are now chartered for a variety of purposes — business presentations to potential clients, wedding receptions and birthday celebrations.

Even schools and organisations see a day out at sea on a superyacht as a good opportunity to foster team building.

Ms Kiran Sujanani, Head of Operations and Marketing of chartering company MSV Projects says its superyacht, the 27-metre trimaran Long Ranger, has been chartered for educational purposes.

A trimaran has a main hull and two smaller outrigger hulls, and its design is derived from the proaconstructed and used by native Pacific Islanders.

“We’ve conducted educational trips on the Long Ranger where youths and adults are taught [under supervision] how to navigate the sea, steer the yacht, and man the sails,” says Kiran, a 36-year-old Indian citizen.

“Being on the open sea is very different from the usual team building camps. Participants really have to learn to work together to make it a safe, successful voyage.”

Republic Of Singapore Yacht Club
52 West Coast Ferry Road
www.rsyc.org.sg
Raffles Marina Club
10 Tuas West Drive
www.rafflesmarina.com.sg
Oneº15 Marina Club
11 Cove Drive, Sentosa Cove
www.one15marina.com
Marina At Keppel Bay
2 Keppel Bay Vista
www.marinakeppelbay.com

The rooftop garden at Central Horizon, Blk 79 Toa Payoh Central

Patches of greenery in Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates are popping up on the top decks of multi-storey car parks and on the rooftops of some residential blocks.

Landscaped with turf, shrubs and trees, the green roofs also help to reduce temperature, glare and noise levels by reducing the reflection of heat, light and sound.

Taking sky-rise greenery literally to new heights are the Sky Gardens at Pinnacle@ Duxton, Singapore’s tallest public housing building at 50 stories. These distinctive gardens, located on the 26th and 50th floors, are said to be the longest continuous sky gardens in the world, linking seven residential tower blocks together.

In the works are plans to implement nine hectares of extensive green roofs – low maintenance rooftop greenery – over the next three to five years in existing HDB estates where rooftop gardens are not feasible.

The HDB is also looking into incorporating vertical landscaping for building facades to enhance the appearance of housing estates, citing a pilot project at Sembawang Close.

The indoor roof garden at Six Battery Road feature a 184-sqm vertical gardens

Almost 50 per cent of Singapore is covered by greenery and the republic – named Asia’s greenest metropolis in the Asian Green City Index in February this year – is set to up the ante by encouraging the development of more green skyscrapers.

Cash incentives of up to 35 per cent have been awarded by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) since 2009, to offset the cost of installing eco-friendly improvements in existing buildings. And the National Parks Board (NParks) is now subsidising up to half the cost of dressing up buildings with plants, be they on rooftops or walls.

According to Mr Ng Cheow Kheng, Deputy Director of Horticulture and Community Gardening at NParks, skyrise greenery is increasingly being recognised as a valuable tool for sustainable development in cities.

“Besides enhancing the aesthetics of buildings, the green spaces lower surface and ambient temperatures and enhance biodiversity in urban areas,” he says.

Another incentive to go green is the BCA Green Mark scheme. Launched in 2005, it rates buildings for their environmental impact and performance. Buildings are rated, in descending levels of merit, Platinum, GoldPlus, Gold and Certified.

Six Battery Road won the Green mark Platinum Award in 2010

A prime example of the green movement in Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) is Six Battery Road, owned by CapitaCommercial Trust Management Limited. The building won the Green Mark Platinum Award in 2010, the first pre-existing office building in the district to do so. Visitors can admire its 184-square-metre indoor garden – the first of its kind in the CBD. Designed by award-winning French botanist Patrick Blanc, it is home to 120 plant species.

But Singapore’s green buildings are not restricted to the business district; more ambitious projects can be found elsewhere in the country. For instance, Fusionopolis in the western part of the island is said to be home to the world’s longest vertical stretch of vegetation. Launched in 2008, the 15-storey building features landscaped garden terraces that can be found on each floor.

Resorts World Sentosa, the country’s first integrated resort, also has a combined green roof area of 29,000 square metres. The green roof, which is covered with foliage, features up to 23 plant species.

Developers of residential buildings aren’t lagging behind in their green efforts either. The facade of the 36-storey Newton Suites is covered with creeper trellises and rooftop plants.

GREEN RETURNS

Mr Tan Tian Chong, Director for Technology Development at the BCA says, “Developers and building owners are recognising the benefits of environmentally-friendly buildings. Besides seeing significant reductions in energy and water consumption, occupants in the buildings can also enjoy better indoor air quality.”

Investing in green buildings has paid off well in other ways for City Developments Limited (CDL). Ms Esther An, its head of corporate social responsibility (CSR) says, “The returns of investment in green buildings are reflected in the reduced use of natural resources [during the construction process and the life cycle of the building], financial savings [from reduced water and energy usage] and even the possible increased capital value of the developments.”

CDL sets aside two to five per cent of a project’s construction cost for green features and technologies. These include architectural designs that maximise day lighting, energy and water-efficient fittings such as motion detector lighting in toilets and stairwells, and facade and roof greenery to reduce solar heat gain. This year, CDL became the first recipient of the BCA Green Mark Platinum Champion Award, which recognises organisations for their commitment to green inititaives and achievements in environmental sustainability.

FROM GARDEN CITY TO GREEN CITY

Landscaped garden terraces are located on each floor of Fusionopolis

With more developers and building owners jumping on the green wagon, efforts to make the city greener seem to be well on track. The number of Green Mark Building projects has increased year-on-year; the cumulative number of Green Mark Building projects in Singapore has leapt from 17 in 2005 to 755 in 2010.

Mr Tan adds, “Green buildings are said to be well-received by tenants, especially multinational corporations, who are keen to demonstrate their CSR towards the environment.”

More and more existing buildings are undergoing green retrofitting. Other Green Mark Platinum Award winners this year include One Raffles Place Tower 2, the Environment Building, Fuji Xerox Towers and The Heeren.

According to the BCA, 11 per cent of the total gross floor area in Singapore buildings has been ‘green-ed’ so far. The aim is to have at least 80 per cent of all buildings in Singapore Green Mark certified by 2030.

Ms An says, “The local building sector is the third largest contributor of CO2 emissions. Beyond energy savings, making buildings greener will have a positive environmental impact and help reinforce Singapore’s continued efforts to position itself as an eco-hub in the region.”

LET’S GO GREEN
Learn more about Singapore’s efforts for the environment

BCA Green Mark Scheme www.greenmark.sg

Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme www.skyrisegreenery.com

Singapore Green Building Council www.sgbc.sg

Many women who move to Singapore with their families usually do so on the backs of their spouses’ job requirements. And while many find their plates full with getting the hang of things in a new country, there are those who are driven to add on that little bit more.

Inspired by everything from a love for Chinese antiques and the need for sturdy children’s furniture to simply “I just couldn’t find what I wanted”, these women are among a number of expatriate wives who have started their own lifestyle businesses.

Having Fun
Helle Espersen is what you could call a niche operator—a Caucasian woman selling Chinese antiques and reproductions of such furniture in Singapore. She moved here with her family almost a decade ago, and set up Fair Price Antique with a partner from Shanghai who had contacts in China.

Her early days in the tourism industry in her native Denmark, and her family’s experience of living in the Netherlands and Australia have inculcated a sense of adventure in the 44-year-old, ideal for her unlikely undertaking. Helle acknowledges that she has been lucky with the business, despite having to run it on her own for the last five years since her business partner moved overseas.

Still, it hasn’t been an easy ride throughout. For one thing, her Western background isn’t always a bonus as some local customers blatantly question her knowledge of the goods. Her solution is to work with just one local supplier. This way, she says, she is assured of the authenticity of her pieces, has ‘insider’ access to information, and also gets to learn more about the industry.

Some may say it’s a challenge for an ‘ang moh’ (Caucasian) lady selling Chinese antiques, but I see it as an opportunity. Most of my customers are expats and they feel comfortable dealing with another expat,” she says.

And if there is one thing that Helle has learnt, it’s that having a fancy showroom matters less than catering to customers’ needs. After five years in a shop at Henderson Road, rising rents forced her to move to a flatted factory building along Outram Road, where she has been since 2009. Her customers have followed her, and Helle has a theory as to why.

“Some may say it’s a challenge for an ‘angmoh’ lady selling Chinese antiques but I see it as an opportunity.”

Helle Espersen, owner of Fair Price Antique

“Customers sense when your focus is to be of service and they reward you with their loyalty,” she explains. Since starting the business, she has also come to realise that you can’t do it alone, but that great things can be achieved with good staff and a strong support system. This is especially apt as her family will return to Denmark in a couple of years, and Helle is deciding between keeping the business, selling it or starting a similar one in Denmark.

Rising material costs and the increasing scarcity of quality antiques and reproductions are also major factors weighing on her mind.

However, the satisfaction derived from running your own business is unbelievable, she says, stressing that anyone who does so must advertise.

“You have to keep your business in people’s minds otherwise where will you get your customers?” But she adds, “Most importantly, you must have fun doing it!”

Fair Price Antique #01-10
Tan Boon Liat Building,
315 Outram Road

LOVING WHAT YOU DO

ni-night, a children’s furniture, clothing and accessories business, is the brainchild of Majella Skansebakken from Sydney,Australia. Her family home in the eastern part of Singapore doubles up as the showroom where Majella’s designs are translated into pieces of sturdy, kid-friendly furniture that “dress up” her three children’s bedrooms.

While the majority of her items are produced in Vietnam, some of them are made in Cambodia at an orphanage and vocational training company that she supports.

“My husband and I adopted our eldest son from the orphanage about seven years ago and we have been donating to it ever since,” says Majella, 37. The couple are also involved in an annual house-building project there.

The catalyst for her business? “After living and working in Singapore for seven years, I saw a market opportunity for good quality children’s furniture, says Majella. “A lot of businesses use medium-density fibreboard and soft woods that don’t last… so I designed a hardwood range to suit children of all ages.”

The rubberwood she uses can better withstand changes in temperature if the furniture is moved overseas. Her children’s furniture also adheres to the stringent standards set in Australia.

Running a business while juggling the needs of three young children, aged seven, five and almost two, does present challenges, but Majella admits she’s been fortunate. Her “great husband” translates her ideas into drawings and travels to the furniture factory in Vietnam to check on samples.

“There are so many opportunities in Singapore for expat women. I have met some who’ve had wonderful ideas that have worked out really well for them.”
Majella Skansebakken, owner of ni-night

For her, rising warehousing costs and rentals are the main challenges to any business in Singapore. But these should not be a deterrent to anyone thinking of setting up shop here, she says.

Her advice? “Get your branding right from the start. Also, you must love what you do!”

ni-night,
9 Margate Road

RAISING THE BAR

Australians Rebecca Forwood and Daniele Jarvis set up their two year-old firm Bambù Interiors because when it came to interior design, they couldn’t always find the materials they wanted in Singapore.

“We realised that there was a space in the Singapore market for a boutique interior consultancy. A place where you could find beautiful fabrics and objet d’art that are not available anywhere else,” explains Daniele. The idea of setting up the consultancy took root as people began asking them for ideas and contacts, and, Daniele adds, “we couldn’t just give it away for free!”

Their timing could not have been more apt. With the opening of the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort came the opportunity to be part of the interior design team for Ku Dé Ta, the newly-opened restaurant, bar and lounge on its rooftop. It was the perfect commission for the duo. “We prefer one-of-a-kind projects,” says Rebecca.

Daniele, who moved to Singapore with her husband in 2002, says settling into life here has been relatively easy.The mother of a six-year-old has been a freelance interior stylist on and off for 15 years. Rebecca, a mother of two girls aged nine and six, and a boy aged four, is part Hong Kong Chinese. The 40-year-old took up interior design when she moved to Australia.

Through their consultancy, the women feel they have raised the bar on quality. In Singapore, they initially found low prices but also a need to improve workmanship. They have since remedied that by forming close relationships with manufacturers who know their standards. “If something comes back that isn’t to our expected standard, we won’t accept it and they’d need to do it again. Luckily this doesn’t happen very often!” says Daniele, 41.

Bambù Interiors
Phoenix Office Campus, #01-06,
314 Tanglin Road

The architects of Pinnacle@Duxton, a design feat for the Housing Development Board of Singapore, are exponents of Design Thinking

In his story about Design Thinking, Fast Company writer Mark Dziersk said that although design is “most often used to describe an object or end result, design in its most effective form is a process, an action, a verb not a noun.”

Design Thinking is a protocol for solving problems and discovering new opportunities. Techniques and tools differ and their effectiveness are arguable but the core of the process stays the same.

“It’s taken years of slogging through design = high style to bring us full circle to the simple truth about Design Thinking. That it is a most powerful tool and when used effectively, can be the foundation for driving a brand or business forward.”

So he wrote in 2006.

In Singapore, Design Thinking is beginning to look like a sexy alternative to the traditional “analytical thinking” that has dominated the headspace of the nation.

Singapore’s outward progress in the sphere of design is evident, with many wins across the world in recent years. Case in point: Pinnacle@Duxton, a feat for the Housing Development Board of Singapore, was named Asia and Australasia’s “Best Tall Building” by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in June 2010. This was followed by a top award — “World’s Best Housing Development” — at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona in November.

But it is not the ultimate product that Singapore is now enamoured with — it is the process involved in the creation of design that holds great possibilities.

Design Thinking builds up ideas, as opposed to breaking them down which is done in analytical thinking. While analysis begins with the end in mind, Design Thinking does not presume to know the final product. Hence the product of Design Thinking most often is innovation.

Singapore is walking the talk too. At the President’s Design Awards 2010 ceremony, Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Information, Communications, and the Arts announced a $7.5 million investment by the Design Singapore Council in a Design Thinking and Innovation Academy over the next four years.

(From above) Chinatown, Traffic and Fear1 — three photographs by John Clang, the first photographer to win the Designer of the Year award at the President’s Design Award 2010. He credits Design Thinking for his achievements in Singapore.

“Design thinking involves the whole mind,” explain Khoo Peng Beng and Belinda Huang of ARC Studio, the husband-and-wife team responsible for the award-winning Pinnacle@Duxton.

The housing project was also one of the winners at the President’s Design Awards in November.

“It requires one to develop empathy, the ability to synthesize different facts, to fi nd meaning, to play and to be able to share a vision through storytelling. These are skills that will bring Singapore well into the conceptual age and they should actually be introduced to young children very early in their education.”

“Contrary to what many people believe, design is less a flash of brilliance but more a series of decisions and methodical steps in arriving at the solution,” they say, explaining their team’s process when working on Pinnacle@Duxton.

Their design brief called for a solution to a complex urban proposition that “had no examples or reference in the world today.”

“By observing our existing condition and how we use, maintain and enjoy the current environment, we could then formulate the right questions and criteria over and above that called for in the brief. We then made as many possible solutions.

“It is important at this stage that we allow even the most ridiculous ideas to come forth. We do not evaluate the possible solutions but try to think laterally. We then identify several schemes that would answer our original criteria and parameters in the most elegant manner.”

WHAT IF … ?
Pinnacle@Duxton’s aesthetically-stunning design was a product of the ARC team’s problem-solving techniques using Design Thinking.

“We asked … ‘what if’ questions. We were looking for an aesthetic project along with the highly pragmatic project.”

The temptation, even for highly talented people, is to go back to a ‘safe’ way of solving a problem, often a tried, tested and proven method. As explained by Khoo and Huang, Design Thinking requires teams to come up with and consider many solutions to the problem.

It has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, growing alongside the wave known as social innovation. Problem-solving by Design Thinking has been successful in the United States and Western Europe.

Now Asia is gearing to take it on. Singapore — currently the fastest growing economy in the world — is bent on maintaining its lead, particularly in the realm of technology and innovation.

In his blog, Tim Brown, owner of IDEO, a global innovation consultancy and author of the influential tome Change By Design, and who was also in Singapore to speak about Design Thinking at the President’s Design Awards 2010, pondered about “cities like Singapore that actively promote a fusion of outside and inside and that are positioned as hubs in the Asian network.”

“There seems to be a group of small to medium-sized countries that are committed to building innovation infrastructure to drive economic growth,” he wrote.

“When I look at places that have generated significant innovation in the past – London, New York, Paris, Silicon Valley, Florence, Rome, they all seem to have been successful ‘fusion cities’ (or regions) that benefited from ideas flowing in from the outside, and the interaction of diverse populations.

Cities like Singapore have the opportunity to help translate ideas and forces that exist in the world for the rapidly expanding Asian market.

Tim Brown, owner of IDEO, a global innovation consultancy

“That’s why I think cities like Singapore, Shanghai and Mumbai may one day be seen as equally innovative hotspots. Each of these cities has the opportunity to help translate ideas and forces that exist in the world for the rapidly expanding Asian market.

“The mix of ‘outsiders’ and ‘insiders’ helps ideas mutate in the way that they must to create relevant innovations.”

Khoo and Huang feel that Singapore has, over the years, demonstrated great creativity in solving its unique problems, and that Design Thinking will “defi nitely help Singapore to discover innovative solutions in every area” — from how to educate children holistically to healthcare, energy, food and housing.

“It has the potential to make life a lot more interesting and fun. It requires a sense of humour and the ability to combine interesting things and information to create new ones.

“The side effect of design thinking is that people who use it will start to have a lot more fun and that will be, we suspect, a welcomed side effect.”

HYBRID THINKING
But even as excitement builds around the idea of Design Thinking, there is already talk of Hybrid Thinking — not just multi-disciplinary teams coming together to think up unique solutions, but multi-disciplinary individuals.

John Clang, 37, the first photographer winner of the Designer of the Year award at the President’s Design Award 2010, has long drawn inspiration and ideas from disciplines far and wide in his work.

“Thinking out of the box has always been something I do that allows me to understand my mind clearly. Using the process of Design Thinking, I become more conscious of my thoughts and my desires. This has helped me patiently pursue my dreams without feeling pressured. I’m able to feel that many things are possible if I put my mind to it.”

The New-York based Singaporean names American designer-author philosopher Buckminster Fuller as the embodiment of Design Thinking/Hybrid Thinking.

“If we are able to push Design Thinking on a national level, we may able to have a few Singaporean ‘Buckminster Fullers’ in future. As a very motivated young country, we already have many examples of successful business entrepreneurs.

“But Design Thinking will allow our next generation to be even more original and inventive, giving our small country a dynamic outlook. Personally, I think we will succeed in pushing Design Thinking on a national level by exposing the youth with the possibilities that it holds.”

The Oxford Dictionary defines the noun “mentor” as “an experienced person in a company or educational institution who trains and counsels new employees or students”.

In terms of the Singapore music scene, there is formal and informal mentoring. The formal comes in the form of a mentoring programme run by the National Arts Council under the banner of Noise Singapore, a youth arts festival. Called The Apprenticeship Programme, the annual initiative is for younger musicians – and other artistes such as illustrators and photographers — who want a helping hand in honing their craft.

This year’s programme runs for 10 weeks from October to December, with music apprentices being guided by some of Singapore’s more renowned music makers. They include producer Jason Tan and musicians such as Patrick Chng (of The Oddfellows and Typewriter fame), Kevin Mathews, a singer-songwriter who also runs an artiste management company, KAMCO music, and Dave Tan, singer of popular local band, Electrico.

“I jumped at the chance because I feel that we have so much talent in our music scene but without direction and guidance, that talent may go to waste,” says Mathews on why he is a Noise mentor.

“I wanted to be involved and play my part to help shape the future of Singapore music.” Singaporean Rachael Teo, an aspiring singer and songwriter whom he has mentored, said after her apprenticeship, “It was really interesting and I really learned a lot — not just about writing and arranging songs, but also about how to present them [in a performance].

“I had a great teacher,” she said of Mathews.
But he’s taken his mentorship to another, albeit, informal level. Even after apprentices ‘graduate’ from the programme, Mathews keeps in touch with them, offering them guidance where necessary, and a platform to perform whenever he does a show.

“The biggest challenge is [that] many of our young musicians do not see the value of being guided and directed.”

Mentor Kevin Mathews

In doing so, Mathews is part of a group of music mentors who keep an eye out for their younger counterparts.

He recently performed at the EsplanadeConcourse along with ex-apprentices like Teo, who [together with multi-instrumentalist Yinky] released a debut ‘unofficial’ EP Cove Red to raise funds for her study trip to the United States, six months after her apprenticeship. He has also signed one of them, Narisa Chan, under KAMCO music.

“I feel that the seven to 10 weeks allotted under the Noise programme is rather short and I am interested to try to complete the mentoring process even after the allotted period — with the artists’ consent, of course,” he explains.

“I still keep tabs on Celina Foo and I helped out a little when Nick Tan launched his EP recently,” Mathews says of two other aspiring singer-songwriters.

Another musician doing likewise is Rosli Mansor. Hailed by many as one of the finest local jazz/rock guitarists around, Rosli not only teaches music at Yamaha, but also conducts workshops on his own time. “Recently, I conducted a song composition workshop organised by Perwanit [a local organisation for singles], in which I explained my personal approach to song writing,” he says.

“Knowledge is only useful if it is transferred to those who are willing to learn. There is no sense in keeping it all for yourself. Hopefully by sharing my experiences with them, it will compel [younger musicians] to do the same and share their skills with others in the future as well.”

A far cry, then, from the days when musicians like guitarist Xavier Anthony from Vervaine was starting out.

“I remember not having the cash to attend music classes, and every guitarist I approached was not willing to mentor me without cash up front,” he says.

Now, he conducts guitar classes pro bono for anyone craving to learn the guitar.

Rock outfit Thambi K Seaow has also been helping young bands to nurture their talent. They do this by organising gigs and pointing newbies in the right direction to get a head start on their musical careers.

“On several occasions, we personally take it upon ourselves to nurture these guys.” But mentors can only do so much – the rest is up to the young musicians themselves. As Mathews says, “Well, the biggest challenge is getting the musicians to the workshops to begin with, as many of our young musicians do not see the value of being guided and directed.

“Even the numbers applying for the Noise program are pretty low compared to say, the Baybeats [Singapore’s biggest indie music festival] auditions.” The group’s drummer and percussionist, Karan Grewal explains, “We try our best to show them the ropes and introduce them to important people from the industry.

That hasn’t stopped Thambi K Seaow’s efforts though. Showing younger musicians the ropes can also take the form of educating them on their ‘rights’, so one of the initiatives the group started is a movement called The Anti Pay2Play. (“Pay to play” refers to the practice of bands having to pay organisers to perform at events, either by paying a fee or selling tickets for an event. Some unscrupulous organisers have been known to charge the bands for unsold tickets.)

But as Grewal describes it, “I wouldn’t call it mentorship. It is just one musician paying it forward because we know how difficult it is at times.”

So young musicians can take a tip or two from statesman Benjamin Disraeli. He once said that the secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. In Singapore, it seems, the opportunities are just a mentor away.

Mentor Me!

This year, 27 applications have been received under the Band catergory, and 23 for Singer/Songwriter under The Apprenticeship Programme (TAP) of the Noise programme. Besides personal mentoring sessions, apprentices will have a chance to shadow his/ her mentor on field trips, exhibitions, etc for hands-on participation, greater exposure and networking opportunities. They will work on one song to be recorded in a professional studio and will also perform live at the Noise Festival Showcase 2011.

The Mentors this year include

• Dave Tan, the lead vocalist of Electrico, Singapore’s most successful rock band to date, who has also forged a successful other career as DJ Hook.
• Patrick Chng, a singer/songwriter and music veteran of 20 years, who started off as the frontman of The Oddfellows, the first Singapore band to have a number one hit on radio station 98.7FM’s chart.
• Kevin Mathews, a singer-songwritercomposer and a renowned music writer on the Internet who is also a soundtrack writer, scoring films for acclaimed local filmmaker Eric Khoo.
• Don Richmond, a singer-songwriter-producer who was one half of The Don and Drew Show, the first commercial radio show in Singapore to be podcast and aired in the United States.

Singapore may not be a sporting giant, but these records of athleticism and will-power say otherwise.

CONQUERING GIBRALTA

In July 2005, Thum Ping Tjin broke the world record for the fastest swim around the Rock of Gibraltar, a limestone formation that borders Spain. He took only 2hrs and 52mins to complete the feat. Ping Tjin went on to swim the English Channel the following month, completing the feat in 12hrs and 24mins, becoming the first Singaporean to swim solo across the Channel.

RECORD JUNKIE

Singapore adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow (below) became the first Southeast Asian and the 4th person in the world to complete the Explorers Grand Slam – conquering both the North and South Poles and ascending the seven highest summits across the seven continents – Mount Everest (8,848m) in Nepal, Mount Aconcagua (6,962m) in Argentina, Mount Denali (6,195m) in Alaska, Mount Kilimanjaro (5,963m) in Tanzania, Mount Elbrus (5,633m) in Russia, the Vinson Massif (4,897m) in Antarctica, the Carstenz Pyramid (4,884m) in Indonesia and Mount Kosciuszko (2,228m) in Australia. Khoo has also climbed Shishapangma in Tibet without supplemental oxygen, cycled from Singapore to Beijing, swam the Straits of Malacca and completed a 220 hour-long scuba dive.

Most recently, in January 2008, Khoo completed the World’s Longest Journey on Inline Skates, skating a total of 6,088 km from Hanoi, Vietnam to Singapore in 94 days – probably making him Singapore’s most prolific adrenalin junkie.

HOT WHEELING AROUND THE WORLD

Disabled wheelchair marathoner, neurosurgeon and medical scientist Dr William Tan (above) is Singapore’s most accomplished extreme athlete on wheels – in December 2007, he became the fastest person in the world to complete seven marathons across seven continents. His 26 days and 17 hour feat took him across Antarctica, Chile, Egypt, Thailand, Japan, Kenya, Italy, England, New Zealand, and the United States.

DEXTEROUS DIGITS

FASTEST FINGERS FIRST

Singaporeans may have the habit of speaking quickly – but texting too? Teenager Jeramy Sng (right) set a new record in February 2008 when he clocked just 41.40secs typing the 25-word phrase: ‘The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human’. It beat the previous 43.20secs world record set in 2005 also by a Singaporean, Kimberly Yeo.

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COLOURBLOCK KID

Confounded by that addictive 70s puzzle, the Rubik’s Cube? Darrel Lim (left), at just 5yrs 11mths became the youngest Singaporean to solve the brain-twister, completing the 3x3x3 Rubik’s cube in just 53.67 secs!

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ORANGE YOU STRANGE

There isn’t even a real category for this feat because it probably isn’t the kind of thing you read about everyday. Rizila Mohd Ayob (right) became the fastest person to push an orange with his nose during a race held by the Double A Paper Record Breakers Ultimate Challenge in October 2004, clocking a distance of 690m in 30 mins. A record-holding nose? Perhaps this is what some people mean when they say ‘my nose was running like crazy’.

FOOD CRAZY

Singaporeans love their food – and what better way to show this than chalk up a bunch of food-related records? Why, you may ask? Well, because they could!

GIANT EDIBLE PYRAMID

The quintessential breakfast of kaya toast (a coconut custard spread on toast) took on gargantuan proportions in August 2007 when the Tampines North CC’s Youth Executive Committee slathered 300 loaves of bread with kaya and stacked the sandwiches into a 53cm high pyramid with a base of 218cm by 218cm. We suppose this is one way of saying breakfast nutrition is a building block in a healthy lifestyle!

WATERMELON RECORD

There’s nothing more refreshing than juicy watermelon to quell the thirst on a hot Singapore afternoon. Perhaps it was a particularly hot day during the GE Aviation Service Convention in 2006 when Yeong Chee Hoi (first from left) ate half a watermelon in under 10 minutes to become the fastest man to do so.

Over 16,600 helmets were chained up into a continuous line measuring 5.664km for Keppel Marine and Offshore’s Family Day at Sentosa in 2007.

FASTEST SQUEEZING OF ORANGE JUICE

1,447 students from Compassvale Secondary School manually squeezed 150 litres of orange juice into a 150-litre cup in less than 12 minutes in 2004.

MOST COUNTRIES TRAVELLED BY A SINGLE PERSON

Singaporean Tan Wee Cheng was ranked 110th worldwide and first from Singapore on mosttraveledpeople.com. He has been to more than 230 countries, territories and autonomous regions in the last 19 years.

WORLD’S BIGGEST STIR-FRY

Former TV chef Nancy Lam stir-fried a 700-kg dish of cabbage, carrots, baby corn, pak choi and bean sprouts in a giant wok at Leicester Square in London in 2004.

SMALLEST MOSQUE IN SINGAPORE

Tasek Utara Mosque, located at 46 Bristol Road can accommodate no more than 120 people in a congregation prayer.

MOST BANKRUPTS IN A YEAR

The number of people made bankrupt in Singapore reached a local record of 2,904 in 2001 during the economy’s worst recession since independence.

Find out about more wacky feats at www.singaporebookofrecords.com

DUAL DELIGHTS

One evokes Las Vegas-style glitz, while the other is modeled after the famous Genting Highlands resort in Malaysia. Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, respectively, will bring a string of attractions for all tastes. Resorts World Sentosa, the first of the two integrated resorts (IRs) to open, boasts a total of six hotels, more than 10 food and beverage outlets, an oceanarium and a theme park. Adding to the Singapore skyline on the mainland, Marina Bay Sands will be the centerpiece in a ‘necklace of attractions’ around the Marina Bay that includes the Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay, the Esplanade and – by 2013 – the National Art Gallery and the City Hall heritage buildings.

FEEL THE RUSH

The Universal Studios theme park, Resorts World Sentosa

The first movie theme park in Southeast Asia has something special in store for adrenaline junkies. Go head-to-head with your mates on the world’s tallest pair of duelling rollercoasters – the Battlestar Galactica – themed after the hit sci-fi television series. You can be seated or suspended, on the human or alien Cylon side, as you “race” through inversions, cockscrews, vertical loops and rolls on this ride that peaks at a dizzying 14 storeys and 90km/h.

PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR

Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa

Those with fantasies of living it large MTV-style can do so at the Hard Rock Hotel Singapore. The hotel’s understated design may not blow you away, but it’s plush enough to satisfy those rock star dreams. The ace in the deck is the Rock Pool Bar – a bar by a faux beach – complete with seawater and powdery sand.

OCEANS ALIVE

Marine Life Park, Resorts World Sentosa

Immerse yourself in the wonders of the underwater world at the Marine Life Park. It is set to be the largest oceanarium in the world with a 6.6 million-gallon lagoon that will showcase more than 700,000 fish.

THE GREATEST VIEW

The Sands SkyPark, Marina Bay Sands

The Sands SkyPark, perched atop the 55-storey hotel towers of Marina Bay Sands, is bound to be a favourite of lovebirds and stargazers. Located 200 metres above ground and facing the dazzling lights of the business district, the SkyPark is guaranteed to offer an unbeatable 360-degree view of Singapore’s city skyline.

HIGH ROLLIN’

Casinos, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa

With the opening of Singapore’s first casinos comes high glamour, high stakes and dreams of the high life. While most will seek big wins on the spacious casino floor catered for everyday guests, the super-rich will court lady luck in private rooms away from prying eyes and move around the grounds via a network of secret lifts, corridors and entrances. The price of this discreet luxury? $100,000 in chips.

CUT ABOVE THE REST

CUT, Marina Bay Sands

When it comes to steak, nobody does it better than Wolfgang Puck (right). The Austrian restaurateur based in Los Angeles will bring CUT – ranked among the top three steakhouses in the United States and Esquire’s Restaurant of the Year in 2006 – to Singapore later this year. The fine dining restaurant will feature the finest prime beef and an award-winning wine list.

FRENCH ENTRANCE

FestiveWalk, Resorts World Sentosa

You can almost taste the excitement as foodies brace themselves in anticipation of what’s possibly the finest French cuisine Singapore has ever seen. With 25 Michelin stars under his belt, Joël Robuchon (left) is regarded one of the best in the world and has been the only chef to be granted the title Chef of the Century by the Gault Millau guide in 1990. Gordon Ramsay, Eric Ripert and Michael Caines regard Robuchon as a mentor. Robuchon brings three dining concepts – La Table de Joël Robuchon, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and The Pastry Shop & Lounge – to Singapore in May.

ROARING SENSATION

The Lion King, Marina Bay Sands

The award-winning stage adaptation of the animated film The Lion King will hit Singapore shores come October at one of Marina Bay Sands’ two theatres. The musical – Broadway’s ninth longest running show in history – will make its Southeast Asian premiere here. Directed by Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in stunning animal costumes, great sets and giant puppets, as well as familiar songs such as the award-winning Can You Feel The Love Tonight.

In fact, the number of short films produced annually has “skyrocketed” in recent years, and now number about 400 a year, said Low Beng Kheng, programme manager at The Substation. Driven in part by the digital revolution as animated shorts add to the body of work, another reason, noted JD Chua, 27, who has produced four films and written over 30, is the ubiquity of recording devices. JD is pursuing his Creative Producing degree with Chapman University at Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film & Media Studies. “Anybody can pick up a cell phone or a digital camera and make a film,” he noted.

In fact, the large body of work produced annually has meant a boom in film festivals, showcases, competitions and other platforms. “[It has increased] so much that we (at the Substation) are able to organise a short film ‘Oscars’ of sorts in the form of the Singapore Short Film Awards,” Beng Kheng pointed out. These awards, held from 25 to 31 January, will recap all short films made during 2009 and recognise achievements in ten categories including best director, best fiction and best performance.

INDEPENDENT STREAK
So what distinguishes a home video from an indie flick? Narrative, explained Singaporean freelance director Nicole Midori Woodford, 23. “For independent filmmakers, each film is a thought-out process, and is written to bring an idea or script to life.” This means that each production requires, at the very least, the requisite equipment and crew – and that means money.

A still from Kitchen Quartet

While some funding is available (from the Media Development Authority or sponsors) many independent filmmakers execute their vision by running a tight ship on an even tighter budget, financing projects themselves with the support of friends, fans and family to pay for equipment rental, production studio time and actors’ pay checks. “We sometimes run on favours,” quipped Nicole Midori. Even for a short film (typically about 15 minutes long) the budget can run up to thousands of dollars. And chances are there’s not much money to be made at the end of it. So what drives this industry along?

The answer, quite simply, is passion. Wesley Leon Aroozoo, 25, has completed nine short films, eight of them funded with his own savings; the most recent one, Maybe She Loves Everyone, for the Panasonic Digital Film Fiesta is supported by Objectifs – a visual arts centre for photography and filmmaking enthusiasts – and Panasonic. “I’m broke because of my work!” laughed the film student at Nanyang Technological University. Wesley, like many of his peers, is content with “staying underground”. “I make films for myself, and to express myself,” Wesley said. “It’s hard for me to conform and give people what they want – I may never reach that goal. But if people enjoy it, then that’s a bonus!” His course-mate, Singaporean Philothea Liau, 22, agreed: “My films are a very personal form of expression through my worldview.” For her, “film is a holistic experience that engages the senses.”

A LOVE OF STORYTELLING
The lack of commercial aspirations by no means indicates a lack of ambition. Nicole Midori noted that while indie projects tend to be unfettered by commercial constraints, success can still be found. In 2003, Royston Tan’s independent short film 15, a tale on juvenile delinquents, became the fastest selling local film in the history of the Singapore International Film Festival.

A still from Hush Baby

Beng Kheng also noted that the short film genre has acted as a springboard for more ambitious works. “There has also been a much much stronger push towards developing and producing first feature films by the previous generations of short filmmakers such as Wee Li Lin, Boo Junfeng, Chai Yee-Wei, just to name a few, all of whom started and had a strong background in short films.”

Ultimately, said JD, “an indie filmmaker is governed by content and not where it’s from … If you can excite [filmmakers], they will come and shoot, be it an indie film or a commercial one … I get my personal satisfaction from a project well made, no matter commercial or indie.” He added, “My audience must walk away with something.”

It boils down to the love of storytelling through moving pictures. Take 25-year-old Tan Wei Keong, whose two animated films, Hush Baby and White – made while he was a digital animation student – won Special Achievement and Special Mention awards respectively at the 2009 Singapore International Film Festival. Now working in Japan with an animation company, Wei Keong continues his passion regardless of classification. “Visually, I’m more attracted to hand-drawn stuff because I think drawing is instinctive. I feel that films should show something, rather than tell something. That’s what allows films to leave deep impressions.”

This sentiment reflects the driving passion of filmmakers, for whom capturing and expressing life, dreams, fantasies and visions – on film, using a hand-held camera or as animation – is as necessary as breathing. Wesley summed it up when he said, “I enjoy it with all my heart so I won’t be stopping any time soon.”

FILM SNIPPETS

• Tan Wei Keong
Hush Baby (3 min 40 sec)
A curious baby struggles against confinement and restriction even as protective hands shield it from an environment of temptation.

• JD Chua
Black and White Kings (8 min)
The lines between triumph and defeat are blurred in this film noir which explores old rivalries between two gang lords as they play a game of chess.

• Wesley Leon Aroozoo
A Lion’s Pride (8 min)
Part of the celebrations of each Chinese New Year, the lion dance Lion is left abandoned, jobless and struggling in the wilderness the rest of the year.

• Nicole Midori Woodford
Kitchen Quartet (20 min)
A tale of how food brings two families together without them realising it.

• Philothea Liau
Brazil (7 min)
Meng buys a sought after ‘Brazil’ eraser and loses his remaining cash to two bullies. Hungry and desperate, Meng sells the prized eraser.

WATCH FOR IT

Keep your eye out for the Singapore Short Film Awards, on from 25 to 31 January. www.substation.org
Check out Sinema Old School, which regularly screens local films such as the ones above. www.sinema.sg

CLOCKWISE: Selva Kumar, Li De Hui, Amanda Wong, Matthias Fong

Selva Kumar was in his bedroom, his shoulders pressed on the floor, his head bent awkwardly, his legs lifted up in mid-air in the perfect ‘baby freeze’ – when his dad walked in, bewildered. And no wonder, said the 16-year-old student to the empathetic laughter from this peers, “I hadn’t told my parents about my breakdancing then!” When his folks asked what he was up to, Selva showed them, much to their initial concern which gradually grew to become an appreciation.

Gathered at the lobby of Natasha Dance Studio at Claymore Hill, Selva and his friends – part of a breakdancing class held every Sunday – represent a new wave of ‘b-boys’ (and girls). A hint of irreverence characterises their clothes: T-shirts are slightly oversized, and caps are worn with their visors facing sideways – typifying the fashion of the subculture. According to instructor Larry Liu, 29, who picked up the dance in 1998 (inspired by the influential hiphop group Run D.M.C), the rise of breakdancing lessons and dedicated dance studios signal an evolution of the street dance.

HISTORY BREAKS

Back when b-boying was new, the arena was the streets. Breakdancing or ‘b-boying’ – an abbreviated term for ‘break-boying’ – emerged in New York in the 1970s. The name came from the pulsating sets of different songs, known as ‘breaks’ or ‘breakbeats’, strung together by a disc jockey; these breaks offered a rhythmic platform for further mixing – and for a spontaneous showcase of complex moves.

In Singapore, the American movie Beat Street in 1984 introduced the raw, energetic street dance to youths like Budin Aris when he was about 12. Now 36, the art director recalled that the quintessential style had been an Adidas or Puma tracksuit, but Budin never got one because he was “too small” and could not find one that fit. The gear, hooded tracksuits, caps, bandanas, tough baggy pants and sneakers are still de rigueur and act both as fashion statement and a protective and functional second skin. Budin also recalled that each crew would have a large boombox and carried large cardboard sheet that stood in for a dance floor. The hottest scene in the 1980s was at a car park at East Coast Park. “You’d see breakdancing crews there every weekend,” Budin said. “Back then it was mostly Malay youth. Now you see a diversity of races and both genders performing.”

“Back then it was mostly Malay youth. Now you see a diversity of races and both genders performing.” – Budin Aris, former ‘b-boy’

STEPPING TO A NEW BEAT

Today, the gritty street crews have been replaced by fresh faces for whom breakdancing is a form of self-expression and a hobby. Cue new entrants such as Amanda Wong, 18, who started breakdancing half a year ago, encouraged by her schoolmates. Being a girl in a male dominated sport meant a little resistance at first, she said, “I came home [after breakdancing] with bruises and my mum asked how I got them. I told her I breakdanced, and she went: ‘Aiyoh!You’re a girl, how can you breakdance? So rough! But she is fine with it now; she knows I’ll take care of myself.”

And indeed, with the athleticism, flexibility, strength and speed required to master the moves, care is essential. Li De Hui, 19, noted that performing complex manoeuvres without the proper foundation of the basic moves can lead to injury.

Larry explained that b-boy moves all evolve from four basics: toprock move (performed from a standing position); power moves (using with upper body strength, with hands on the floor); footwork (moves with hands and feet on the floor); and freezes (lifting off the ground and ‘freezing’ the move). With practice, the number of dance moves is almost infinite, bound only by the performer’s skill and imagination.

Larry (in yellow) with his students

Back when Larry first started breaking, Far East Plaza was the place to be. He remembers picking up a breakdancing video there, categorised under ‘Extreme Sports’. And while it was VHS for Larry, Budin and his friends had to learn the moves from a handbook – a ‘breakers manual’ of sorts. “It taught moves and how to replace everyday words with breaker slang so that you can talk like one,” Budin said, “I can’t remember how to talk like one but it was funny.”

Today YouTube and MTV can be credited with introducing teens like 15-year-old Matthias Fong to the art. “We thought breakdancing was cool, with all the fancy moves like spins and freezes,” he said.

The comeback of breakdancing is still relatively recent in Singapore. but the interest is growing. “On average, we have three to four breakdancing competitions a year,” said Larry, many organised by the older generation of breakdancers. Mainly, these are held to not only showcase talent, but share and grow the appreciation of the dance.

Apart from organised events, spontaneous dance-offs can also be found. Anyone keen to try breakdancing need only go to the Esplanade Underpass on a weekends – a hangout for enthusiasts, harking back to the dance’s early street-arena days.

From left: Desmond Moey, Stella Kon and Dr Kenneth Lyen.

It starts as mere whimsy or a vision to take a story beyond mere words – and when brought to life on stage complete with music and dramatic props, nothing quite compares to the immersive allure of musicals. At least not for Dr Kenneth Lyen, a renowned paediatrician and veteran musical writer. “There is no art form that has the great emotional power of a musical to touch people,” he told Singapore. “It has everything – music, songs and great stories.”

As one of the founders and the Creative Director of Musical Theatre Limited (MTL), Lyen aims to take musicals in Singapore to the same heights that they achieve on stage. Set up in 2005, MTL is the only musical incubator in Singapore, and encourages aspiring writers to come forward. The aim is to nurture musical scripts and ideas into fruition to grow a vibrant body of locally made musical theatre pieces.

One does not need a formal theatre background to be part of MTL, just the passion for musicals – be it for the stories, songs or lyrics, said MTL’s Managing Director Desmond Moey, an award-winning songwriter with over 300 works to his name, including music for the 1997 National Day Parade and songs for the Singapore Paralympic team.

Lyen himself is also one of the most prolific composers in Singapore and has written for at least 16 productions – many with tennis buddy Moey. In addition, MTL is helmed by Singaporean playwright and author Stella Kon – renowned author and creator of local theatre classics such as Emily of Emerald Hill – who is MTL’s Chairperson.

“We get all sorts of people, from the very young to the very old, and we find that Singaporeans are really quite talented,” – Kenneth Lyen

Moey explained, “We are not a production house, but we still try to do the whole song and dance. We help in the creation and development of the music and cut these into demo CDs which we can pitch and perform.” Stella elaborated, “We have an incubation system of our own, in which paid professional reviewers assess new scripts and give their professional assessment and recommendations on how to improve them.”

Open auditions that welcome any member of the public are held when casting for each production, and each time, the creativity and talent from the public is quite remarkable, said Lyen. For example, for television musical School House Rockz, MTL found a group of talented 12-year-olds for the show. “We get all sorts of people, from the very young to the very old, and we find that Singaporeans are really quite talented,” Lyen quipped.

Kon considers herself one of MTL’s own discoveries. “Before MTL, I had never written songs for musicals because I didn’t have the know-how or support,” she told Singapore. She now has written songs for five mini-musicals.

MTL has also nurtured other musical talents (see box) that have gone from nofrills shows to full-fl edged productions. For IT-professional Lee Chee Tian, 37, MTL has been a catalyst for his ideas. “I’ve always had an interest in theatre and musicals, but have limited contacts and resources to bring my ideas to stage,” he said. “MTL gave us a chance to bring our story ideas to life,” he said. Lee was “astounded” when his piece, Sunset Bloom – a love story – was performed in 2008 under MTL’s Five Foot Broadway showcase.

MUSIC TO THE PEOPLE

Like in any musical, there are the inevitable obstacles to overcome. Obtaining funding, said its founders, remains a huge one, as sponsors prefer tried and tested broadway hits. But there’s reason for optimism. For one, Lyen believes Singapore has what it takes to be a ‘Broadway of the East’ because of the wealth of local stories, fables and legends, the unique confluence of cultures and Asian musical infl uences, as local productions Chang and Eng, Beauty World and Bugis Street have shown.

MTL now showcases several shows a year under its Five Foot Broadway programme. “We’ve travelled a long way from our initial start and are going full steam ahead,” said Kenneth. Most recently, MTL got its own permanent space at The Arts House. Colin Goh, General Manager for The Arts House told Singapore, “By providing a residency space for musical theatre, made-in-Singapore musicals will have the breadth to grow and evolve into something of greater quality.”

Apart from incubating musicals, MTL also conducts workshops by local professionals for writers and composers of musical theatre as well as school children. To grow appreciation for musicals, MTL is taking musicals to the community, said Moey. “We want to be a node from which we grow musical theatre clubs in the community, across constituencies and schools all across Singapore.” They are not afraid to dream big. “Hopefully, one of these local musicals gets picked up and becomes the next Cats!” laughed Moey. Whether this dream ever becomes a reality is anyone’s guess, but MTL is unafraid to try. Said Lyen, “We’re planting the seeds; not every one will grow, but we’re having fun doing it in the meantime.”

MUSICAL STEPS

FIVE FOOT BROADWAY BEGINS!

Dr Kenneth Lyen bemoaned the lack of avenues for new musical works with his tennis buddies. Four of them, Lyen, Moey, Phillip Sim and Sean Wong, formed the Musical Theatre Society and showcased fi ve new musicals under its Five Foot Broadway programme in 2005. Each year since, Five Foot Broadway showcases new original works.

SINGAPORE BOYS/BOTAK BOYS

Written by Jonathan Wong, Singapore Boys – a piece about surviving basic military training in the Singapore Armed Forces – was presented as a 15-minute mini musical in 2008. It was taken up by award-winning theatre practitioner Ivan Heng’s theatre company Wild Rice and expanded into a 40-minute piece and renamed Botak Boys.

GEORGETTE

Performed as part of Five Foot Broadway in 2006, the musical Georgette – a story about Singaporean artist Georgette Chen (1906-1993) – written by Ng Yi-Sheng was received by local reviewers as “cheeky but polished”, “intelligently written” and touching. In 2008, it was picked up and performed in Manila.