A Gathering Ground to imagine and create the arts - since 1990

The Substation nurtures independent creative practitioners in collaborative community through the multi-disciplinary curation of contemporary arts practices from theatre and dance to film, music, literary arts, performance art, visual arts, and related fields.

As one of Singapore’s first independent arts organisations, The Substation's educational workshops, incubation & residency programmes, and September anniversary events including SeptFest, have served as platforms for the development and showcase of a diverse range of artists, performers, curators, producers, writers and intellectuals — many of whom continue to shape our creative landscape. Our programmes have included a variety of presentations from classically-trained dancers to indie rock bands; established visual artists to young poets; publications to international short film festivals; and experimental theatre to seminal conferences on Singapore arts and culture.

Founded in September 1990 by dramatist & Cultural Medallion recipient, Kuo Pao Kun, The Substation was housed in the conservation site of a disused and much beloved power substation on Armenian Street until 2021. Today, The Substation embraces the boundless possibilities of the discovery of new talent, the value of diversity, and the development of creative practices — beyond physical walls. Its vision: to expand the gathering ground into a regional community through art-making and dialogue in Singapore, Southeast Asia and beyond.

The Substation remains an independent, non-profit organisation, fuelled by the dedication of like-minded practitioners and generous supporters from donors and foundations to government, sponsors and volunteers. It operates remotely with a lean team and collaborative partners based locally and regionally.
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Cover Image: Sama-sama: Comfort is on the Menu, 2023 - site-specific installation by Adeline Kueh for ArtsFest 2023 by The Substation. Photography by Ken Cheong.

COMPANY INFORMATION

The Substation Ltd is a registered charity in Singapore with an Institute of Public Character (IPC) status. All donors benefit from a 250% tax deduction for all qualifying donations.

View our audited financial statements and annual reports:
FY2020/21
FY2021/22
FY2022/23

Learn more about IPCs here.

THE SUBSTATION TEAM