Arts Picks
Objectifs’ 8th Documentary Award shows highlight regional photographers and communities
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Indonesian photographer Husna focuses on the signature Muslim headgear in her work Hijab/I.
PHOTO: HUSNA
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8th Objectifs Documentary Award
Visitors to Objectifs over the next few weeks can see four shows dedicated to the works of regional photographers. Three of them are female winners of the photography and film centre’s documentary awards, while the fourth show at the Chapel is dedicated to Indonesia’s Yoppy Pieter, winner of the Truth Seeker Foundation Prize. His project documents the work of female forest rangers who patrol and protect a 251ha reserve in Damaran Baru, Aceh.
The throughline uniting these photographers’ works is, unsurprisingly, women.
Cambodia’s Ponita Keo, recipient of the Open Category award, looks at self-image and gender perception through the lens of women’s relationships with their hair in The Hair Between Us. Open category recipient Husna (Indonesia) chooses to focus on the hijab in Hijab/I, exploring how the Muslim headwear is chosen, worn and/or subverted by the individuals who wear them.
Ponita Keo’s The Hair Between Us looks at self-image and gender perception through the lens of women’s relationships with their hair.
PHOTO: PONITA KEO
Multimedia artist Victoria Perote’s In Honor Of Tranquil Shores tells the stories of five women who were imprisoned under martial law in the Philippines.
Victoria Perote pays tribute to women political prisoners in her work, In Honor Of Tranquil Shores.
PHOTO: VICTORIA PEROTE
Those with an interest in learning more will want to schedule a visit for April 11 as Pieter, Perote and Husna will give talks about their work. There is also a masterclass by award-winning Filipino photojournalist Ezra Acayan.
Where: Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Film, 155 Middle Road
MRT: Bras Basah/Bencoolen
When: April 10 to May 31; noon to 7pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays), noon to 4pm (Sundays), closed on Mondays and public holidays
Admission: Exhibitions are free; artists’ talks are free with registration; $30 for the masterclass
Info: objectifs.com.sg
Traversing
Ding Yi Music Company kicks off its 2026/27 season with this concert helmed by the ever-energetic Yeh Tsung. The Cultural Medallion recipient is the company’s chief artistic mentor and this is his annual concert with the group.
In classic cross-cultural fashion, the programme embraces the blend of Western and Chinese elements that maestro Yeh has shaped so successfully for the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and which smaller groups like Ding Yi have continued exploring.
Ding Yi’s cellist Bekhzod Oblayorov will play Hungarian Rhapsody Op. 68, while the company’s guzheng player Yvonne Tay will feature in the Guzheng Concerto: Goddess Of The Luo River by Tang Jianping.
Chinese-American pianist Ning An will join the ensemble for Piano Concerto: Youth.
Where: Victoria Concert Hall, 11 Empress Place
MRT: Raffles Place/City Hall
When: April 11, 7.30pm
Admission: $35 to $45, eligible for SG Culture Pass credits
Info: dingyimusic.com/traversing-2026
[title of show]
Sing’Theatre's latest production [title of show] runs at the Aliiance Francaise from April 15 to 25.
PHOTO: SING’THEATRE
Sing’Theatre has stuck to its guns, focusing on the very specialised niche of musical theatre, one of the most demanding forms of theatre practice. Actors in this genre have to be triple threats who can sing, dance and act.
Its latest production is a cannily small-scale show that works off a witty script and strong cast. Written by Hunter Bell with music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen, the show was nominated for a Tony Award for best book after it debuted on Broadway in 2008.
Two familiar names here are proven entities: Andrew Marko and Vanessa Kee, who have shown their musical mettle in other productions, play Hunter and Heidi respectively. The duo get together with friends Jeff (Rino Junior John) and Susan (Daisy Anne) to create a show for a fringe festival. As the three-week deadline looms, the quartet find their friendships tested as they race to create a show.
Expect a light-hearted and tuneful celebration of friendship and musical theatre.
Where: Alliance Francaise Theatre, 1 Sarkies Road
MRT: Newton
When: April 15 to 25; 8pm (Tuesdays to Fridays), 4 and 8pm (Saturdays), 3pm (Sunday)
Admission: $25 to $74, eligible for SG Culture Pass credits
Info: singtheatre.com/activity/title-of-show
Secondary: The Musical
Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai (centre) was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in her role as Mandy in Secondary: The Musical.
PHOTO: CHECKPOINT THEATRE
Checkpoint Theatre is restaging this hit musical by weish. Nominated for six Life Theatre Awards in 2025, including Best Original Script and Best Director, the show snagged the coveted Production of the Year award for its stellar delivery on all fronts.
The ambitious production features 15 songs and runs for a rather epic 160 minutes. But rest assured that under director Huzir Sulaiman’s deft hand, the pace will move at a brisk clip.
Set in the fictional Huxley Secondary School, the musical traces the trajectory of a trio of student friends as well as teaching staff as they battle the stresses of examinations, the school system and daily life.
Weish’s empathetic script draws from her experiences as a literature teacher and captures the emotional nuances of students and teachers caught in the maw of Singapore’s pressure cooker system.
Expect to see some actors reprising their award-nominated roles, including Teoh Jun Vinh in a memorable turn as the geeky maths teacher and the ever-impressive Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai as the strict departmental head whose harsh exterior hides a tender heart.
Where: Victoria Theatre, 1 Empress Place
MRT: Raffles Place/City Hall
When: April 9 to 26; 8pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays), 3pm (weekends)
Admission: $95 to $135, eligible for SG Culture Pass credits
Info: checkpoint-theatre.org/event/stm-2026
Correction note: This story was edited for clarity.
