End Of An Era: S’pore Arts Centre The Substation To Close Down For Good After 30 Years

End Of An Era: S’pore Arts Centre The Substation To Close Down For Good After 30 Years

Independent arts centre The Substation announced its permanent closure today (March 2).

It will vacate its premises this July, after more than three decades as an icon of Singapore’s indie arts scene.

The arts centre was due to vacate its 45 Armenian Street premises for two years owing to renovation works.

The centre leases the building from the National Arts Council (NAC) under its Arts Housing Scheme, which provides the arts with heavily subsidised spaces.

In a statement, The Substation’s board said that while NAC suggested that it return after the renovation works as a co-tenant, it would not fully occupy the building.

The Substation later came to the decision to wind down operations after lengthy discussions with the NAC and members of the arts community, mainly because of its inability to return “fully to its place of origin.”

In its statement, The Substation board said that it would lose a “fundamental part of its identity and heritage” if the centre could not return fully to its original location.

Furthermore, as a co-tenant, the centre would not be able to have control over building facilities like the theatre and gallery, which plays a big role in its operations.

It would also lose income from venue rentals, which make up half of the centre’s funding.

To add on, the Covid-19 pandemic also made fundraising more difficult for the centre.

From Former Power Substation To Arts Icon

The Substation was founded in 1990 by the late Cultural Medallion winner and playwright Kuo Pao Kun.

Spanning 1,630 sqm, the centre houses a black box, studios and an art gallery, and has successfully built a community around the arts.

Over the years, The Substation has worked with some of Singapore’s most critically acclaimed artists, writers and intellectuals including Alvin Tan, Goh Boon Teck, Amanda Heng, Lee Wen and Kok Heng Leun. 

According to its website, The Substation “leads and supports cultural conversations in Singapore, engaging the general public and exposing them to the full possibilities of contemporary art in shaping public discourse.”

“With our closure, we hope that other arts organisations in Singapore will continue to carry the torch to give budding artists a safe space in which to experiment and develop their art,” said Mr Chew Kheng Chuan, chairman of The Substation’s board.

时代的尽头：新加坡艺术中心变电站将在30年后永久关闭

独立艺术中心变电站今天（3月2日）宣布永久关闭。

作为新加坡独立艺术界的标志，已经过去了三十多年，它将在今年7月撤出其办公场所。

由于进行了翻新工程，艺术中心原定将亚美尼亚街45号的房屋搬迁两年。

该中心根据其艺术住房计划向国家艺术委员会（NAC）租借了该建筑物，该方案为艺术提供了大量补贴的空间。

变电站董事会在一份声明中说，尽管NAC建议它在装修工作后作为联合租户返回，但它不会完全占用建筑物。

在与NAC和艺术界成员进行了长时间讨论之后，变电站随后决定终止运营，这主要是因为该变电站无法“完全返回其原产地”。

变电站董事会在声明中表示，如果中心无法完全回到其原始位置，它将失去“身份和传统的基本组成部分”。

此外，作为联合租户，该中心将无法控制剧院和画廊等建筑设施，这在其运营中起着重要作用。

它还将损失场地租金的收入，场地租金占中心资金的一半。

此外，Covid-19大流行也使该中心筹集资金更加困难。

从前变电站到艺术偶像

该变电站由已故的文化大奖得主和剧作家郭宝昆于1990年成立。

该中心占地1,630平方米，设有黑匣子，工作室和美术馆，并已成功建立了围绕艺术的社区。

多年来，The Substation与新加坡最受好评的艺术家，作家和知识分子合作，包括Alvin Tan，Goh Boon Teck，Amanda Heng，Lee Wen和Kok Heng Leun。 

根据其网站的说法，“变电站”“在新加坡领导并支持文化对话，使公众参与，并使他们接触到当代艺术在塑造公众话语方面的全部可能性。”

变电站董事会主席周庆川先生说： “随着我们的关闭，我们希望新加坡的其他艺术组织将继续承担火炬，为崭露头角的艺术家提供一个安全的空间来进行实验和发展他们的艺术。”