From the creation of a creative industries framework decades ago to
more recent celebration of new art spaces, global art events, and a new
art biennale, Singapore’s rapid urban transformation necessitated a
re-direction in cultural policies in its quest to become a global city. In
this report from the !eld, performances in public spaces are cited as
examples for artists’ abilities to negotiate what they can and cannot do
in an evolving city. It is the directness and journeying through various
parts of the city that has etched performance art’s presence in Singapore,
where artists have had to learn and unlearn how to balance between
promotion, acceptance, and reaction to their performances.
