Experience traditional arts reimagined through bold new forms — from immersive installations and roving performances to hands-on workshops and cultural encounters.
Venue: Stamford Arts Centre, 155 Waterloo Street, Singapore 187962
Date & Time:
- 22-23 Aug, 29-30 Aug & 5 Sep 2025: 6pm to 10.30pm
- 6 Sep 2025: 4pm to 10.30pm
Fee: Free admission for most programmes | Selected workshops are ticketed at $5–$10 per pax
A Date with Tradition 2025
This August, A Date with Tradition (ADWT) returns for three inspiring weekends, transforming Stamford Arts Centre into a vibrant cultural hub. Organised by Arts House Limited in conjunction with the Singapore Night Festival, ADWT 2025 reinterprets heritage arts through contemporary lenses, blending tradition and innovation in over 20 unique programmes. This year’s theme — people and nature living in harmony — invites everyone to engage in a living tapestry of art, culture, and community.
Immersive Installations
Earthsong: Indigenous Harmony from Thailand by Hear and Found
A meditative soundscape of Indigenous Thai traditions contrasted against today’s hyperconsumption, presented through suspended speakers and immersive Listening Pods.
Loitering by Isaiah Cheng
Set against the backdrop of Waterloo Street, this series of self-portraits captures the artist moving through a city shaped by colonial history, migration, and labour movements. Posing as a mid-century wanderer, he reflects on how memories linger in changing urban spaces, inviting us to sense the past before it slips away.
The Garden of Stories by Yang Jie
A kinetic sound installation made up of interactive sculptures crafted from everyday objects of kampung life in 1950s–60s Singapore. Featuring items like rubber seed charms, balancing scales and red wooden clogs, these mechanical vignettes come to life with movement and sound as visitors approach, evoking memories of the past. Set among trees in a plantation-like arrangement just outside SAC, the installation invites audiences to wander, reflect, and connect with fragments of Singapore’s shared heritage through motion, sound, and storytelling.
Performances & Workshops
Discover vibrant showcases and hands-on experiences from SAC’s artist-tenants and partners:
Dance Quest by Bhaskar’s Arts Academy
A lively workshop for children aged 5 to 10 that introduces four Indian classical dance forms — including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Odissi — through imaginative play and movement. This dance-filled adventure nurtures creativity, confidence, coordination, and teamwork, with fun mini “quests” woven into every step.
Tradition in Motion
Roving flute performances by Dr Ghanavenothan Retnam and the BAA Flute Ensemble.
Pop-up Performances by Ding Yi Music Company
A series of immersive pop-up performances featuring three evocative works for pipa and suona, interwoven with nature soundscapes. These performances respond to the elements of indigenous cultures and the natural world explored in the Earthsong.
To Your Eternity: Chinese Calligraphy in Gold by Chee Sau Fen
Artist Chee Sau Fen brings together calligraphy, sculpture, and landscape art to create fresh expressions of the disappearing craft traditions. Take part in calligraphy workshops using recycled packaging materials, blending heritage techniques with modern environmental sensibilities.
Shantha Ratii Initiatives
An experiential storytelling workshop that explores the symbolism of flowers and movement through expressive Indian dance hand gestures.
Breaking the Opera Walls
A roving experience by the Traditional Arts Centre, where performers in full costume offer short, engaging snippets of Teochew opera around SAC. Join the Chinese Opera Workshop and explore how simple props like the fan are used in opera to convey nature and character.
Minhwa, Together
A striking exhibition of new Minhwa works infused with local Peranakan elements. SAMA’s beloved hands-on workshops for both children and adults will also return, alongside a drop-in group colouring activity for all to enjoy.
Chinese Opera Studio
Learn about vocal and performance techniques of traditional Teochew Opera. Watch a performer transform for the stage through face painting, costume dressing, and intricate headgear styling, followed by a short showcase of selected opera scenes by dedicated practitioners.
Traditional Crafts & Drop-in Activities
Beyond performances, ADWT 2025 presents a host of interactive family-friendly experiences.
Community Mural with ANTZ
Co-create an artwork inspired by nature and multiculturalism.
Traditional Games
Relive childhood with Five Stones, Hopscotch, and more.
Indian Wood Block Printing
A quick, hands-on printmaking activity using traditional Indian wood blocks and Peranakan tile motifs. Contribute your unique prints to large fabric panels, forming a vibrant collective artwork that celebrates cultural heritage and community creativity.
Let’s Rangoli Together!
Join this hands-on, creative activity to co-create a vibrant, larger-than-life rangoli, and add your own unique touch to a growing collective masterpiece.
Paper Monkey Theatre
Experience the enchanting world of shadow puppetry through a hands-on pre-show activity
The Art of Wayang Kulit
Explore traditional Southeast Asian and Chinese puppets up close
The Wolf of Mr Dong Guo
A visually rich retelling of a classic Chinese folktale that blends traditional shadow puppets, toy puppets, and object theatre
Craft Workshops by Chokmah
Make bears, mini pots, or preserved flower acrylic coasters
Blooming Batik
A batik-inspired community art installation by NAFA students.
Gamelan Showcase & Rhythm-Making
Hands-on sessions with traditional instruments.
The Opera People Ltd
A lively mix of programmes, including a behind-the-scenes open studio for their upcoming production of Iphigénie en Tauride, and vibrant performances of Getai Songs by Tan Yuting, featuring soprano Felicia Teo Kaixin and pianist Jonathan Shin.
Whether you are a long-time supporter of traditional arts or simply curious to explore something new, A Date with Tradition 2025 offers the perfect weekend outing for families, friends, and the culturally curious, where heritage and traditional arts come to life.
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