The Substation is Singapore's first independent contemporary arts centre; our mission is to:

• Nurture and challenge Singapore artists
• Provide an open space for artistic experimentation
• Promote interaction between diverse artists and audiences
• Facilitate critical dialogue in the arts
• Foster regional and international arts networks

We present a diverse range of artists, programmes and events: from traditionally trained dancers to local rock bands; established visual artists to young poets; publications to international short film festivals; experimental theatre to seminal conferences on Singapore arts and culture. As an arts space we want to be approachable, versatile and open to all kinds of arts and cultural practices; yet at the same time we want to challenge artists, and have a preference for work that takes risks and explores. We aim to support research and innovation in the arts, and to bring different artistic perspectives together in critical dialogue.

Our place in Singapore arts

The Substation's establishment was part of a larger context of events and trends, both national and international. In the late 1980s and throughout the entire 1990s there was:

• a consistent and unprecedented increase in government attention, investment in and management of the arts
• the emergence of many arts activities and the development of various capacities that were initiated by artists and arts groups themselves (it is important to recognise that, fundamentally, contemporary arts in Singapore started growing from the ground up, rather than from the top down); and
• a dramatic increase of global interest in the arts from Asia and Southeast Asia, which led to a dramatic increase in participation by Asian and Southeast Asian artists in international arts events and networks.

The Substation's place in the Singapore arts scene during the early 1990s was as a pioneer arts space. This was due both to Kuo Pao Kun's visionary leadership and inspirational presence, as well as to the fact that at the time there just were so few spaces for the arts, let alone spaces for the more experimental arts. Many of the artists who worked with The Substation in the early days were attempting things that were unprecedented in the history of modern arts and culture in Singapore. Even as a venue, The Substation had a significance back then that has since been superseded: then, up-and-coming groups like The Necessary Stage (TNS) would stage their plays at The Substation's Guinness Theatre or in the Garden. Now, TNS has its own offices and black box at the Marine Parade Community Club Building, it regularly stages its plays at large venues like the Victoria Theatre or Jubilee Hall, and is one of the most prominent arts groups in the country.

One could characterise the Singapore arts scene in the early 1990s — with The Substation as an exemplary case — as being a time where "new" things were emerging. Consider, for example, the first arts conference held at The Substation in 1993, "Art vs Art". This conference brought together many of Singapore's important artists, academics, critics and arts administrators; members of the public were also key participants in this weekend event. The feeling among those who participated was that this bringing together of such diverse people to discuss the arts and the place of the arts in Singapore society was something new, and that it was a special moment in local arts history.

Since then there have been many arts-related gatherings and conferences in Singapore. By the late 1990s, many local artists had acquired considerable exposure to the latest ideas and approaches in the arts from all over the world. So much so, that one could argue that many of the ideas that were so "new" in Singapore just a few years ago in the early 1990s had become relatively ordinary by the late 1990s. Installation art, for instance, was something still rather uncommon in Singapore in 1990, but by the end of the decade, it would seem to be more popular than painting among fine art students. By the late 1990s, one could argue that a certain excitement of the "new" no longer characterised the Singapore arts scene. Artists continued to pursue "new" things, of course, but experimentation itself wasn't something so new — it had become part of the "normal" business of local contemporary arts.

During the 1990s, one of the major things that happened in the arts — as a whole and at The Substation as well — was the building and maturing of institutions. It was during this time that the NAC's arts housing scheme got into full swing. And, for example, in 1996, a major milestone was the establishment of the Singapore Art Museum, which developed from the National Art Gallery. As for The Substation, under the artistic direction of Pao Kun's successor, T. Sasitharan, we entered a more mature phase as an institution. Under Sasi, The Substation established core arts programmes and focused on strengthening the management of our finances and activities.

From the beginning, The Substation received critical acclaim because it gave instrumental support to independent artists and arts groups like Zai Kuning and Theatre Ox. If Pao Kun's achievement was to open up a space for such practices, Sasi's achievement, while arguably less conspicuous, is no less important. Under Sasi's direction, The Substation sustained its support for independent artists. This is an achievement that is easy to overlook. Persevering and supporting the development of independent artists into their maturity is something that The Substation has had considerable difficulty finding resources for. When Sasi set up an artist-in-residence programme, which entailed stipends for resident artists, The Substation hardly received any financial support for these projects. What most funding bodies and corporate sponsors wanted to support was a final product, not a process of experimentation.

By the late 1990s, the number of arts activities in Singapore increased dramatically, and the scene was becoming more competitive (especially in terms of getting publicity, audiences and funding). As the government invested more in the arts, the commercial potential of the arts became an area of great interest. Marketing and publicity, the number of arts activities, and bums-on-seats, were becoming the most obvious and predominant performance measures. From looking at government statements and reports on the arts over this time, one will notice a lot of discussion of such quantitative measures. But there is hardly any substantial discussion on questions of "quality".

A lot has changed in Singapore arts since The Substation first opened its doors. Many other arts groups have their own arts housing and these days "new" spaces open up with some regularity. And as noted, the "new" in Singapore arts has since entered the stage when what the word signifies has more to do with trends than with substantial changes in the arts and society. However, during all this time, The Substation's mission hasn't changed, nor has its unique position in the Singapore arts. The question of "quality" has always been at the centre of what The Substation does. Although not in any simple straightforward way: as Pao Kun said, "better a worthy failure, than a mediocre success". That is to say, at The Substation, we question "quality"; we don't take it for granted. Indeed, it is precisely this persistent questioning that is essential to the pursuit of quality in the arts.

One way to look at the question of the overall quality and vitality of an arts scene is to consider these two indicators: depth and diversity. Without depth, the arts do not distinguish themselves from forgettable entertainment (this is not to say that the arts should not entertain, but surely we want more from the arts than distraction and escapism). And without diversity, the arts become flat, predictable and monotonous, and ultimately forgettable as well.

At The Substation, we have supported, and continue to support, an impressive diversity of artists, a number of whom have proven themselves over the years, and while maintaining their independence. Moreover, our principle mode of working with artists is to develop long-term relationships, and to engage in intense curatorial and artistic dialogue with artists. Our approach both deepens and supports the diversity of local arts practices. Arts spaces like The Substation are therefore essential to the quality and vitality of the local arts scene.