Spotlight SingaporeSpotlight Singapore Facebook Page
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cultural diplomacy Cultural diplomacy is a type of soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding". The purpose of cultural diplomac ...

platform that serves as a gateway to emerging and growth-leading markets Singapore. The first five editions of Spotlight Singapore were managed by the former The Old Parliament House Limited (TOPH). The Spotlight Singapore brand was transferred to The RICE Company Limited (TRCL), an arts and creative not-for-profit organisation in 2014 and is currently managed by TRCL’s subsidiary, Global Cultural Alliance from 2015. Spotlight Singapore combines artistic, economic and educational activities, with the objective of creating understanding,

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...

and

sustainable Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

collaborations between the arts and business communities of Singapore and her counterparts. Spotlight Singapore began as an international showcase for Singapore artists and their works. The programme subsequently grew to become a "business-friendly" event utilising

. It began in 2006 in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

as a cultural exchange programme, and travelled to

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

in December 2006 with a business element introduced. By the third edition, which was held in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

in June 2008, Spotlight Singapore had an intensive 4-day cultural-business programme that introduced the Russian capital to Singapore's lifestyle, and enabled the delegates to meet and seek out business opportunities while developing friendship with their counterparts through the exchange of cultures. In 2011, Spotlight Singapore hosted the programme in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

With plans to venture into the European markets,

Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

and

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, capital cities of

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

and the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

respectively, were chosen as Spotlight Singapore's fifth destination in 2012. In 2015, Spotlight Singapore held its sixth edition in Mexico City. In 2018, this programme will be hosted in India, Delhi as a celebration of the 50 years of partnership between ASEAN and India.

Events

Hong Kong

''Spotlight Singapore'' was first launched in Hong Kong in January 2006 on invitation from the

Hong Kong Fringe Club Founded by Benny Chia in 1984, the Fringe Club is a not-for-profit arts organisation. Its mission is to help emergent artists, promote Hong Kong artists abroad through cultural exchange and overseas touring, and conserve and develop Hong Kong ...

, as part of the City Festival. The programme for Spotlight Singapore in Hong Kong consisted of ''Sound Thinking'', a 10-minute work commissioned for

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...

and from four vacuum cleaners and th
''Earshot''
Exhibition that showcased key Singapore literary works and an exhibition of Singapore poetry.

Tokyo

Spotlight Singapore in Tokyo was held at the Mori Arts Centre at

Roppongi Hills is a development project in Tokyo and one of Japan's largest integrated property developments, located in the Roppongi district of Minato, Tokyo. Constructed by building tycoon Minoru Mori, the mega-complex incorporates office space, apartm ...

from 5 to 7 December 2008, invited by the Japanese Mori Group of companies. The event incorporated more business-friendly elements, with a delegation of 40 businessmen. The programme presented ''Generation/s'', a specially commissioned inter-disciplinary music-theatre work composed by

Iskandar Ismail Iskandar Mirza Ismail (23 July 1956 – 1 November 2014) was a prominent Singaporean musician who worked as a composer, arranger, conductor, music director, recording producer, performer and educator in his long career. In recognition of his exte ...

, a

Cultural Medallion The Cultural Medallion () is a cultural award in Singapore conferred to those who have achieved artistic excellence in dance, theatre, Literature of Singapore, literature, Music of Singapore, music, photography, art and Cinema of Singapore, film ...

recipient.

Moscow

Spotlight Singapore was invited to Russia by Embassy of Singapore in Moscow. It was presented at the 532-seat Theatre Hall of

Moscow International House of Music The Moscow International Performing Arts Centre was officially opened on September 28, 2003 with the debut of a new orchestra, the National Philharmonic of Russia under musical director Vladimir Spivakov. Also known as the Moscow International ...

with an 80% house, and was attended by Singapore Senior Minister

Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the second prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004 and as a senior minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2011. He served as the secretary-general of the Peo ...

and Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov. The event included the collaboration of Singapore artists and the famed Russian violinist Tatiana Grindenko and her ensemble Opus Posth in the Russian premiere of Generation/s, directed by Singapore Talent,

Ivan Heng use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...

, and fused with Iskandar Ismail's score of an ensemble of 30. Spotlight Singapore brought 100 Singapore businessmen to Moscow for the event's 4-day business exploration programme and developed the large-scale business exploration programme through a partnership with

International Enterprise Singapore International Enterprise Singapore ( IE Singapore) was a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Government of Singapore. It facilitated the growth of Singapore-based companies overseas and promoted international trade. ...

, supported by the

Skolkovo Moscow School of Management The Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO is a graduate business school located near Skolkovo, Moscow Oblast, nearby to Moscow, Russia. The school, founded in 2006, is a joint project between Russian and international business leaders. SKOLKOV ...

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (RF CCI, ) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that operates under the Russian Federation Law on Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the Russian Federation and the Chamber ...

, Opora Russia, Singapore Business Federation and Singapore Manufacturers' Federation.

Cape Town

Spotlight Singapore will host a programme at

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

, South Africa, from 16 March to 19 March 2011. Co-organised by

The Arts House The Arts House (formerly the Old Parliament House) is a multi-disciplinary arts venue in Singapore. The venue plays host to art exhibitions and concerts. Built in 1827, the Old Parliament House is the oldest government building and perhaps the ...

and Asian Culture Enterprise Singapore with Raintree Solutions as the South African partner, Spotlight Singapore in Cape Town's 4-day programme includes artistic collaborations and presentations in music, literature and design, business networking sessions, industry tours and breakout sessions.

Bratislava-Prague

In line with its focus on emerging economies, and with various Singapore companies expressing an interest to establish their presence in the European market, Spotlight Singapore spun off the Spotlight Singapore Young Entrepreneurs Series (YES) to Bratislava and Prague from 23 to 29 September 2012. For Spotlight Singapore YES the arts and culture components had been designed to reflect a mentor-mentee relationship, a transfer of experience and knowledge from one generation to another and for an exchange between cultures. Young and aspiring entrepreneurs from various Polytechnics and tertiary education institutes also participated enthusiastically. Through both the music and visual/public art events, Spotlight Singapore YES not only showcased Singapore’s rich and diverse arts and cultural heritage but also the readiness of the next generation to engage with the various cultures of the world.

Mexico City

Spotlight Singapore Mexico City was held to celebrate 40 years of bilateral relations between Singapore and Mexico, which was attended by over 100 artists, business people, political leaders and students. This edition saw the creation of Pasar Singapura, a specially conceived interchange of music, visual arts and cuisine from Singapore and Mexico in a cultural marketplace held at Biblioteca de Mexico, an event that was sponsored by Temasek. The delegation also visited iconic places of historical significance as well as business forums.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Main Site
Arts in Singapore