Theatremaker Chong Tze Chien appointed director of Singapore International Festival of Arts

SINGAPORE – Theatremaker Chong Tze Chien has been appointed the next festival director for the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa).

Chong is a core member of The Finger Players who served as its co-artistic director and company director from 2004 to 2018. He will assume the festival director role from 2026 to 2028, Arts House Limited said in a statement on Feb 5.

Chong, 49, said in a statement: “My aspiration is to carry on the legacy and infuse the festival anew with a vibrant spirit and captivating surprises, ensuring its continued reputation as a cherished event among both local and international audiences.”

Asked what he hopes to bring to the festival, Chong tells The Straits Times: “I’m hoping to create multiple platforms and pathways for local and international artists to collaborate and experiment, showcasing works of different scales, forms and content. For me, a festival is a dynamic space, offering something for everyone, arts enthusiasts and new audiences alike.”

He is taking over from current festival director Natalie Hennedige, whose four-year tenure will end with the 48th edition of Sifa in 2025. Hennedige, who has shaped the festival with her challenging and experimental programming, is expected to soon reveal the line-up for

her final edition

, which runs from May 16 to June 1.

Chong assumes the role of festival director-designate in February.

A recipient of the Young Artist Award, Chong had directed for Sifa the drama

The Prose And The Passion (2024)

and horror play Oiwa – The Ghost Of Yotsuya. The latter, featuring artists from Singapore and Japan,

swept five categories at the 2022 The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards and was named Production of the Year

.

As a theatremaker, Chong has adapted several world classics for the stage, including the Buddhist text The Tibetan Book Of Living And Dying,

the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata

and, most recently,

Cao Xueqin’s classic Chinese novel Dream Of The Red Chamber

.

He brings a varied portfolio of experience in film, television and arts education to the role. Chong was co-curator of The Studios: fifty, a festival of 50 iconic Singaporean plays by the Esplanade in 2015, and he also co-conceptualised and served as a writer for the National Day Parade in 2016.

Arts House Limited executive director Sharon Tan said in a statement: “As Chong prepares to take over the reins, we look ahead to a new chapter that boldly inspires cultural exchanges, forges meaningful connections and further strengthens Singapore’s presence on an international stage.”