Year 12 student Anoushka B reflects on insights from The Institute's recent panel discussion “World Stage, Island Voice: Building a Global Arts Hub,” where arts leaders Gaurav Kripalani and Tingting Wang explored Singapore’s evolving cultural landscape. Moderated by Mr TJ Taylor, Head of Junior Drama, the conversation offered an inspiring look at how passion, authenticity, and innovation - particularly in an age of AI - will shape the future of the arts in Singapore and beyond.
 

At the recent panel discussion “World Stage, Island Voice: Building a Global Arts Hub,” arts leaders Gaurav Kripalani, Artistic Director of the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), and Tingting Wang, Assistant Director of Learning and Outreach at the National Gallery Singapore, explored the evolution and future of the arts in Singapore. Moderated by Mr TJ Taylor, Head of Junior Drama, the session delved into how Singapore can continue to grow as a creative powerhouse over the next 60 years.

Mr Kripalani, an alumnus of the school, shared the remarkable journey of SRT - from its humble beginnings staging three productions a year with a scarce budget and not making any money - to becoming one of Singapore’s leading theatre companies. Mr Kripalani emphasised the importance of both passion and discipline when pursuing a career in the performing arts. As someone who has been singing classical and operatic music for nearly a decade, this really resonated with me. I’ve often felt the same balance between creative passion and the demanding routine of practice, and his words reminded me why that discipline matters. He believes that in order to succeed in this industry, you need to really want it and be willing to fight for it, “you need to be super thick-skinned”.
 

Ms Tingting Wang offered insights from a visual arts perspective. The National Gallery holds the largest collection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art, and through interactive, inquiry-based tours, Ms Wang’s team encourages audiences to actively engage with artworks and uncover the “flavours and expressions” that make Singapore’s artistic identity unique. She believes exposure to the arts from a young age is critical, as it not only fosters lifelong appreciation but also essential soft skills like creativity and communication.

Ms Wang highlighted the challenge the National Gallery faces is how to appeal to younger audiences. They tackle this by getting students involved through hosting competitions as ARTiculation, a public speaking competition introduced by Head of Senior Art and Design, Ms Lizzie Anstiss. Having taken part in ARTiculation myself, I do truly believe it fosters a greater understanding and appreciation of the arts, as it encourages students to ask questions they wouldn’t normally ask and engage with a piece of artwork in a more meaningful way. 

Both speakers also spoke about the development of AI and how it will change the art landscape. Both believe AI is a useful tool in creating more art and also allows people to approach art differently. However, art is about telling human stories and authenticity, so they don’t believe AI could ever replace or change that. As someone who takes both art and computer science, this is a perfect intersection of my interests, and it gave me a deeper understanding of how AI will help transform different creative industries in the future.

Looking ahead, Ms Wang hopes for greater global collaboration, while Mr Kripalani envisions Singaporean stories reaching international stages. Their shared message to young people was clear: seize opportunities, volunteer, and stay authentic, because when you are authentic, it will come through in all forms of art.