First-of-its-kind artist-led initiative spotlights the richness, diversity, and global potential of Singapore’s creative voices, with six acts poised to make their mark at the world’s largest performing arts festival.
(From Left to Right) Singapore Spotlight organising team, participating artists, and Ivy Lim, Executive Director, *SCAPE, at the Singapore Spotlight launch event. Image Courtesy of Singapore Spotlight.
From 1 to 25 August, Singapore Spotlight will make its inaugural debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025 — the world’s largest performing arts festival. The artist-led, ground-up platform will present six diverse acts, spanning theatre, comedy, dance, street performance, and experimental works, all showcasing the very best of Singaporean performing arts talent. This bold initiative, supported by national youth arts organisation *SCAPE, arrives at a moment of national pride, coinciding with Singapore’s 60th year of independence, and marks a milestone in profiling the city-state’s creative voices on the global stage.
Fuelled by a growing appetite for greater Singaporean representation at the Fringe, and a burgeoning interest among local artists in international touring, festivals, and outreach, Singapore Spotlight was created entirely by artists, for artists. The initiative is organised by six independent producers based in Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK): Lim Shien Hian, Caleb Lee, Mohamad Shaifulbahri, Joanne Tay, Brent Tan and Syania Shaharuddin. Together, they form the collective driving Singapore’s first coordinated presence at the festival. Building on the success of pilot efforts at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 where Singaporean acts won enthusiastic praise from audiences and critics, they empower Singaporean creatives with the resources, networks, and visibility needed to build a sustainable global presence.
Lead producer of Singapore Spotlight, Lim Shien Hian, describes the Fringe as a bucket list dream. “Many people have heard of the Fringe — it sounds fantastic and wonderful to tour, but it’s also daunting, challenging, and financially risky, where Singaporeans might find it easier and safer to produce work locally. That’s why we are building Singapore Spotlight as a concerted effort to showcase and support Singapore talents on the international stage. For those who dare to dream, the Edinburgh Fringe can be an extremely exciting marketplace of ideas where you can interact with the best artists from all over the world, and hopefully be a launchpad for more overseas opportunities.”
Six Singaporean acts set to make their mark at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025
The Singaporean acts heading to the Fringe this year reflect the bold range and creative ambition of Singapore’s performing arts scene, spanning experienced practitioners, first-time Edinburgh Fringe participants, and youth artists.
Returning to the Fringe are three familiar names already making waves on the circuit. Jonathan Goh, a circus artist and street performer, returns to Edinburgh’s High Street with his crowd-pulling acrobatics and juggling act. Sam See, a stand-up comedian now in his fifth year at the Fringe, continues to fly the flag for Singaporean stand-up by hosting two showcases — The Asian Comedy Showcase and Off With Your Head. Theatre performer and playwright Jo Tan, who has booked a spot with her one-hander KING in Summerhall, one of the most prestigious arts venues in Edinburgh, after her success at the same venue in 2024.
They are joined by a new wave of artists eager to make their mark at the Fringe and carve out space on the international stage. Hee Suhui, a sound artist, presents Ill Behaviour overseas for the first time. Decadance Co, a contemporary dance group, makes its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut with The 11th Hour, a dark dance comedy. Nebulous Niang, a stand-up comedian, brings her signature mix of humour and heart to the Fringe with her comedy special SLOMOSEXUAL.
A collective strategy to boost visibility, networks, and opportunities for Singaporean creatives
Performing at the world’s busiest arts festival thousands of miles from home challenges any artist. Singapore Spotlight supports Singaporean artists at the Fringe through a three-pronged approach: building a vibrant community, uniting them under a shared brand for co-marketing, and creating meaningful networking and engagement opportunities. By centralising resources and drawing on the expertise of Fringe veterans within the collective, Singapore Spotlight maximises the impact and visibility of Singaporean talent at this year’s festival.
Singapore Spotlight helps emerging artists navigate the festival’s complexities while empowering seasoned performers to deepen connections, spark collaboration, and pioneer new creative possibilities. Months ahead of the festival, the Singapore Spotlight team contacted and organised sessions for aspiring festival participants to learn more about the process, and collectively share resources in preparation for the festival.
In the weeks leading up to and during the festival, Singapore Spotlight employs various marketing tactics, leveraging the Singaporean brand to help local acts stand out among thousands of shows. This includes a dedicated website, cross-marketing campaigns and combined promotional materials on-ground to promote multiple shows cost-efficiently, all designed to boost audience reach and ticket sales.
Networking is key for success at the Fringe, yet individual artists often struggle to be seen or to connect with key industry figures. Singapore Spotlight fills this gap by organising public events and industry gatherings, securing sponsorship under a unified banner, and facilitating introductions that open doors for Singaporean artists to build valuable connections and explore new opportunities.
At its core, Singapore Spotlight was built by artists, for artists. It creates a supportive community that helps emerging artists to navigate the festival’s complexities while empowering seasoned performers to deepen connections, spark collaboration, and pioneer new creative possibilities.
Giving Singapore artists a boost in the spotlight
The launch of Singapore Spotlight was made possible with support from key partners, including *SCAPE.
*SCAPE has been a game-changer for many within the collective. Beyond just support, *SCAPE has been steadfast champions of young creatives daring to dream bigger. From taking work overseas for the first time, to figuring out how to even start, *SCAPE has supported such dreams through mentorship, guidance, resources, and a belief in the voices of youths. Local programmes like *SCAPE’s COMMA and Music Day Out have also helped ignite the journeys of many artists, equipping them with not just skills and confidence, but tangible access to funding, mentors, and international networks. This is part of *SCAPE’s broader vision to transform youth potential into boundless possibilities, whether at home or on global stages.
“At *SCAPE, we believe in the power of youth to shape the future of the arts—not just at home, but on the world stage. Singapore Spotlight embodies the boldness, creativity, and resilience of our young talents. We’re proud to support these artists as they share their stories with the world, and we hope this inspires even more young people to dream fearlessly and create without limits,” says Ivy Lim, Executive Director, *SCAPE.
2025 marks the 3rd consecutive year that Singaporean works will be presented at Summerhall, one of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s most coveted venues for its focus on innovative, experimental, and hard-hitting theatre. Tom Forster, programmer at Summerhall, says, “The type of work that has been presented over the past 3 years working with Singaporean artists has been of exceptional professional quality in terms of production, tech, set design, performance, new writing… This partnership is going from strength to strength each year and we really hope it continues developing that way.”
Singapore Spotlight is a platform committed to presenting Singaporean talent to international audiences, empowering homegrown artists with the visibility, networks, and resources needed to build sustainable global careers. It serves both as a launchpad for local talent and a window for the world to experience the breadth and vibrancy of Singapore’s arts scene. Led by dedicated artists and producers, many of whom are independent and are taking the risk to forge their way in the global scene, the Singapore Spotlight initiative welcomes support from the public, partners, and stakeholders, including through its ongoing fundraiser here. For the latest updates, follow @singapore.spotlight on Instagram.
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由艺术家主导的开创性平台，聚焦新加坡创意声音的丰富性、多样性及其全球潜力，六组作品将登上世界最大规模表演艺术节的舞台。
（从左至右）Singapore Spotlight 策展团队、参演艺术家，以及 *SCAPE 执行董事 Ivy Lim 于新加坡发布会合影。图片由 Singapore Spotlight 提供。
2025年8月1日至25日，Singapore Spotlight 将首次登上世界最大规模的表演艺术节——爱丁堡艺穗节（Edinburgh Festival Fringe）。这个由艺术家发起的平台，将呈现六组风格迥异的演出，包括剧场、喜剧、舞蹈、街头表演与实验性作品，全面展示新加坡表演艺术的精粹与活力。这项大胆的计划由国家青年艺术组织 *SCAPE 支持，恰逢新加坡建国60周年，象征着国家创意声音在世界舞台上的重要里程碑。
Singapore Spotlight 完全由艺术家为艺术家而创，回应了新加坡艺术家对国际巡演和艺术节参与的兴趣日益浓厚，同时也体现出对 Fringe 平台上新加坡代表性的渴望。该计划由六位活跃于新加坡和英国的独立制作人联合发起，包括 Lim Shien Hian、Caleb Lee、Mohamad Shaifulbahri、Joanne Tay、Brent Tan 和 Syania Shaharuddin。他们组成了 Singapore Spotlight 的核心策展团队，推动新加坡首次以整体形象进驻 Fringe。此举也建立在 2024 年艺穗节试点成果之上，当时新加坡艺术作品获得了观众和评论界的高度赞誉。
Singapore Spotlight 首席制作人 Lim Shien Hian 表示：“很多人听说过 Fringe，都觉得巡演的机会听起来很美好，但它其实也令人望而生畏——挑战重重、成本高昂，这也是为什么我们要创建 Singapore Spotlight，为有梦想的新加坡艺术家创造一个国际展示和支持的平台。在 Fringe，这个汇聚全球顶尖创意的市场中，新加坡艺术家也能被世界看到，开拓海外机会。”
六组新加坡表演者即将在 2025 年爱丁堡艺穗节崭露头角
本次参演的六组新加坡作品，体现了本地表演艺术界的大胆风格与创意雄心，涵盖资深艺术家、首次参与 Fringe 的新人及青年创作者：
- Jonathan Goh 是马戏与街头表演艺术家，将重返爱丁堡 High Street，继续以特技与杂耍吸引观众。
- 喜剧演员 Sam See 将第五次参与 Fringe，并主持两场喜剧展演：《The Asian Comedy Showcase》与《Off With Your Head》，持续为新加坡脱口秀发声。
- 剧场演员兼编剧 Jo Tan 将以其个人独角戏《KING》再次登陆 Summerhall —— 这一爱丁堡重要表演艺术场地。
与此同时，还有三组新秀首次走上 Fringe 舞台：
- 声音艺术家 Hee Suhui 将首次在海外呈现作品《Ill Behaviour》。
- 当代舞团 Decadance Co 带来他们的首演《The 11th Hour》，一部融合黑色幽默的舞蹈喜剧。
- 脱口秀演员 Nebulous Niang 则将其招牌式幽默与情感带至 Fringe，推出全新喜剧专场《SLOMOSEXUAL》。
构建集体战略，提升新加坡艺术家的能见度、资源与连接力
远赴万里之外参与世界最繁忙的艺术节，对任何艺术家而言都是巨大挑战。Singapore Spotlight 采取三管齐下的策略支持艺术家：打造团结社群、品牌共同行销、以及有意义的行业交流机会。通过资源整合和 Fringe 资深人士的经验，新加坡艺术家将在今年的活动中最大程度获得曝光。
Singapore Spotlight 也帮助新秀应对艺穗节的复杂流程，同时协助资深艺术家深化联系、激发合作与创新。早在数月前，策展团队便组织分享会，协助有意参演的艺术家了解流程，并共享资源、集体筹备。
临近和活动期间，Singapore Spotlight 也将展开一系列市场推广策略，包括专属网站、交叉宣传，以及集合多场演出的宣传物料，以降低成本、扩大受众、提高票房。
在 Fringe 中，建立人脉至关重要，但单打独斗的艺术家往往难以被看见。Singapore Spotlight 通过举办公众活动、行业聚会、统一品牌争取赞助、及专业引荐，帮助艺术家们拓展国际机会。
这个平台的核心精神正是“由艺术家为艺术家”，在集体支持中，让新秀与资深创作者都能共同成长、互相启发、走得更远。
为新加坡艺术家争取更耀眼的舞台
Singapore Spotlight 的顺利启动，离不开多个关键合作伙伴的支持，其中 *SCAPE 功不可没。
对许多参与的艺术家来说，*SCAPE 不仅提供资源，更是一路相伴的坚定支持者。从首次把作品带出国门，到如何起步探索海外演出，*SCAPE 通过指导、资源、导师制度、乃至实际资助，协助年轻艺术家实现梦想。本地项目如 COMMA 和 Music Day Out 也点燃了许多创作者的旅程，赋予他们信心、技能与实质资源。
*SCAPE 执行董事 Ivy Lim 表示：“在 *SCAPE，我们相信青年有能力塑造艺术的未来——不仅在本地，也能登上世界舞台。Singapore Spotlight 就体现了年轻人所拥有的勇气、创意与韧性。我们很自豪能支持这些艺术家走出去分享他们的故事，也希望更多青年受到启发，无畏逐梦，勇敢创造。”
2025年将是新加坡作品连续第三年亮相 Summerhall —— 爱丁堡艺穗节最具影响力的剧场之一，专注前卫、实验性和深具张力的剧场作品。Summerhall 策展人 Tom Forster 表示：“过去三年我们与新加坡艺术家的合作所呈现的作品，无论在制作、技术、舞美、表演还是剧本创作方面都展现出极高的专业水准。这项合作每年都在持续成长，我们也期望未来能够不断深化发展。”
Singapore Spotlight 是一个致力于将新加坡艺术人才呈现给国际观众的平台，赋能本地艺术家建立可持续的国际事业。它既是新加坡创作者走向全球的起点，也让世界得以一窥新加坡艺术生态的广度与活力。
该计划由一群独立且勇敢的艺术家和制作人带领推动，欢迎公众、合作伙伴和利益相关者支持他们的筹款计划（链接见官网）。欲了解更多动态，请关注 Instagram 账号：@singapore.spotlight
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