AGP Executive Report

Living Design: Singapore studio Bewilder is turning mushroom mycelium into art objects, with founder Ng Sze Kiat letting the living material shape each work. Poetry: Australian slam champion Bivor will represent his country at festivals in Singapore and Ubud after winning the adult title; youth winner Blake Mackenzie’s poem questions AI’s impact on friendship and work. SingLit: Singapore Book Street runs Nov 2–8, featuring more than 1,200 local titles. Heritage: Malay Heritage Centre’s first Teroka Nusantara Festival brings zapin and traditional houses into focus. Music: NUS’s new YST Cube offers a space for fresh approaches to music education and performance.

Live Music: Taiwanese entertainer Jacky Wu called Singapore his “hometown” at the opening of Queen Street’s THE OOOOONE Livehouse, recalling that he once owned a house in Ang Mo Kio. He performed here on Oct 25. Food Culture: Chef Damu, the beloved Tamil TV cooking-show judge known as “Damu Appa”, has died at 72. The Padma Shri recipient also set a Guinness record by cooking for more than 24 hours. SingLit: Singapore Book Street runs Nov 2–8, featuring more than 1,200 local titles, poetry performances and activities. Local Arts: Artist Felicia Yong and emerging makers are helping revive stained-glass work in Singapore. Film: At the Singapore International Film Festival, director Hur Jin-ho praised the festival’s support for freedom of expression; chair Boo Junfeng said it would not show censored work.

Living Heritage: Jamae Chulia Heritage has opened in Chinatown, bringing a 90-room serviced residence and community spaces to wakaf land. A mural traces early Indian Muslim settlers’ spice routes; Zaqy Mohamad said heritage must evolve while its purpose endures. SingLit: Singapore Book Street runs Nov 2–8, featuring more than 1,200 titles, poetry performances and a stamp rally. Arts & Traditions: Malay Heritage Centre’s first Teroka Nusantara Festival spotlights zapin and traditional houses, while artist Felicia Yong and emerging makers are helping revive stained-glass craft. On Screen: At the Singapore International Film Festival, Aamir Khan received the Screen Icon Award and spoke about regretting time lost with his children; the festival will screen Lagaan. Gender Equality: AWARE urged Singaporeans to stand with “Jane Doe” and survivors of sexual assault, warning that such stories happen here too.

Gender Equality: AWARE urged Singaporeans to stand with “Jane Doe,” saying sexual violence and the silencing of survivors matter at home, too. Online Safety: More than 80% of parents and nearly 70% of youths favour age-tiered social media access over a blanket ban. Separately, IMDA’s review of over 7,000 apps flagged 65 as harmful and 24 as wrongly age-rated. Film: At the Singapore International Film Festival, Aamir Khan spoke through tears about missing time with his children; the festival will screen Lagaan for its 25th anniversary. Books & Heritage: Singapore Book Street runs Nov 2–8, featuring over 1,200 SingLit titles, poetry performances and a stamp rally. The Malay Heritage Centre’s first Teroka Nusantara Festival will showcase zapin and traditional houses. Arts: Singapore artist Felicia Yong and emerging makers are bringing fresh energy to stained glass. Daily Life: Haze pushed air quality into the unhealthy range across all five regions, affecting outdoor plans and travel.

Online Safety: Singapore’s review of more than 7,000 apps found 65 harmful apps and 24 with incorrect age ratings. Checks also found age safeguards can be bypassed, reinforcing the need for parental supervision. Youth & Social Media: About 80% of parents and nearly 70% of young people prefer age-tiered access to an outright ban. Singapore plans legislation next year requiring stronger age checks and safer platform design. SingLit: Singapore Book Street runs from Nov 2 to 8, with more than 1,200 local titles, poetry performances and a stamp rally. Malay Heritage: The Malay Heritage Centre’s first Teroka Nusantara Festival will explore regional traditions, from zapin dance to traditional houses. Arts & Craft: Artist Felicia Yong and emerging makers are helping revive stained glass in Singapore, while NUS’s new YST Cube offers a space for fresh approaches to music education and performance. Travel & Lifestyle: After 19 days of unhealthy air, some visitors adjusted outdoor plans or wore masks; operators reported a dip in bookings.

Books & SingLit: Singapore Book Street runs from Nov 2 to 8, showcasing more than 1,200 local titles alongside poetry performances and a stamp rally. Arts & Heritage: Artist Felicia Yong and emerging makers are helping revive stained-glass craft, while Malay Heritage Centre’s first Teroka Nusantara Festival brings zapin and traditional houses into focus. Film: Aamir Khan became emotional at the Singapore International Film Festival as he reflected on time lost with his children; he received the festival’s Screen Icon Award. Filmmaker Hur Jin-ho also praised the festival for protecting freedom of expression. Music: BTS THE CITY ARIRANG will take over Singapore from Dec 1 to 31, the project’s first Southeast Asian edition. Creative Learning: NUS’s new YST Cube offers a space for fresh approaches to music education and performance.

Food & Drink: Singapore bartender Zana Möhlmann, of East47 at Conrad Singapore Orchard, has won the 2026 Diageo World Class Global Bartender title in Edinburgh. Malay Heritage: The Malay Heritage Centre’s first Teroka Nusantara Festival runs Nov 6–8 in Kampong Gelam, with regional music and dance, workshops, talks and a bazaar. Film: At the Singapore International Film Festival, filmmaker Peter Chan said he welcomes AI as a filmmaking tool but rejects AI-generated content, arguing that movies remain a human art. K-pop: Singapore will host Southeast Asia’s only BTS THE CITY ARIRANG experience in December, bringing a month-long celebration to the city. At Home: A Hougang couple’s 157-pair sneaker collection takes centre stage in their five-room flat, displayed in a custom seating-and-showcase design. Tourism: Visa and the Singapore Tourism Board have launched a three-year partnership to promote local dining, nightlife and other visitor experiences.

Film: Aamir Khan became emotional at the Singapore International Film Festival, reflecting on how decades of work cost him precious time with his family. He received the festival’s Screen Icon Award. Creative industries: Malaysia is pursuing agreements with Singapore, Indonesia and Cambodia to boost collaboration in film, animation, music and concerts, including joint productions and wider market access. Arts and expression: Director Hur Jin-ho praised SGIFF for protecting creative freedom as his film “The Assassin(s)” opened the festival; chair Boo Junfeng said the festival would not show censored work. Music and community: Singapore is set to host a month-long BTS THE CITY ARIRANG experience in December. A new social and reading hub planned for Causeway Point in 2028 will include a SingLit showcase and pre-loved books.

Pop Culture: Singapore will host BTS THE CITY ARIRANG from Dec 1 to 31, the project’s only Southeast Asian stop this year. City-wide installations and music experiences will build up to the group’s four sold-out National Stadium concerts. SingLit: A new 32,000-square-foot reading and social hub at Causeway Point will showcase Singapore literature and offer pre-loved library books for visitors to take home when it opens in 2028. Youth Well-being: Grow Well SG will expand to Secondary 1 and 2 students from 2027, with a focus on mental resilience as Singapore steps up support for young people. Film: The Singapore International Film Festival opened with South Korean political thriller The Assassin(s), keeping it in the programme despite calls from South Korean lawmakers to withdraw it. Director Hur Jin-ho thanked the festival for standing up for artistic freedom.

Inclusive Design: A prototype app showcased in Singapore uses a phone camera and audio to help diners with visual impairments find empty tables at hawker centres. Arts & Culture: Singapore’s arts guide for Oct 21 to Nov 1 spotlights a Picasso exhibition paired with songs chosen by The Strokes frontman; a new book also traces how Ramayana retellings travelled across Asia, including to Malaya. At the Botanic Gardens: Visitors can sign up for free tree-decorating sessions as part of the Gardens-A-Glow initiative. Local Voices: Singapore-based graphic novelists are tackling often-taboo topics including body image and menopause. Wildlife: ACRES’ new sanctuary opens with spaces for animal rehabilitation and education. Haze Response: South-east Asians are turning anger over toxic smoke into action, from dance to clean-air shelters.

Haze & Health: Indonesian wildfires have caused more than 314,000 reported cases of acute respiratory illness since August, including tens of thousands among young children. Smoke has spread to Singapore and Malaysia as protests grow over the fires and their handling. Family & Education: A new report based on 100,000 tuition arrangements puts Singapore’s median home-tutor bill at S$390 a month, rising from S$325 at primary level to S$553 at junior college. Food & Sustainability: Singapore’s Yindii Eco-Brand Awards honoured 36 F&B businesses; the food-rescue platform says it has saved more than 600,000 meals since launching locally in 2024. Books & Community: NLB and Rakuten Kobo are opening a hybrid reading space at City Square Mall, pairing digital and physical books. Arts & Entertainment: Singapore-based graphic novelists are taking on taboo topics including body image and menopause, while BTS is set to bring a month-long “THE CITY ARIRANG” experience to Singapore in December.

Live Sports: Disney+ subscribers in Singapore can watch 80 NBA regular-season games, selected playoff matchups and the Finals from the 2026/27 season. Food Finds: 7-Eleven is adding hot-food counters at 16 outlets, with DIY bowls starting at $4.50. Green Escapes: The public will get to decorate trees at the Botanic Gardens as part of its Gardens-A-Glow initiative. Reading & Film: NLB and Rakuten Kobo are opening a hybrid reading space at City Square Mall, while Singapore filmmaker Jason Soo brings his Gaza flotilla documentary Al Awda back for a special screening. Pop Culture: BTS is set to take over Singapore with a month-long “THE CITY ARIRANG” experience this December. Design Identity: A local designer describes Singaporean design as practical and globally fluent, with its most distinctive work adding humour and a sense of place.

Live Entertainment: BTS will bring a month-long “THE CITY ARIRANG” experience to Singapore this December, extending the group’s visit beyond its concerts. Reading & Culture: NLB and Rakuten Kobo are opening a hybrid reading space at City Square Mall, while the Singapore Writers Festival is set to welcome Chinese guest speakers. Food & Lifestyle: Japan’s Matsuya gyudon chain will open its first Singapore outlet at Suntec City in November, completing the local “big three” alongside Yoshinoya and Sukiya. Heritage & Design: At a Jingdezhen forum, NUS Asia Research Institute professor Tim Winter pointed to the Chinese city’s ceramic revival as a model for turning traditional craft into new opportunities. Local Stories: Singapore graphic novels are revisiting the Raffles Hotel tiger and a little-known case of mass hysteria, bringing unusual chapters of the city’s past to readers.

Reading & Public Spaces: NLB and Rakuten Kobo have opened a reading nook at City Square Mall, with e-readers, book shelves and cosy seating to bring reading into everyday spaces. Heritage & Care: NTUC Health’s dementia programme uses old records, movie tickets and other familiar objects to prompt memories and conversation; it is set to reach five day-care centres by 2027. Singapore Stories: A new film about the 1948 Malayan Emergency, co-produced by Singapore’s Films Positive and written by Singaporean Abhi Kumar, opens in Indonesian cinemas on Friday. Arts & Identity: Designer Pann Lim reflects on Singapore’s evolving identity, saying local design draws on the city-state’s many cultural influences rather than one fixed style. Haze & Daily Life: Singapore says it will pursue companies linked to fires in Indonesia as worsening smoke disrupts outdoor activities and raises health concerns.

Hidden Singapore: Urban explorer Ho Yong Min is uncovering the city’s past through small clues: Telok Ayer’s street names, temple details and traces of its former shoreline reveal how early immigrants arrived. Food & Drink: Singapore sake drinkers are moving beyond light, fruity bottles towards savoury, umami-rich styles that pair with local favourites such as satay and chilli crab. Arts & Books: The Singapore Writers Festival is set to welcome Chinese guest speakers, while two local graphic novels revisit the Raffles Hotel tiger and a case of male mass hysteria. Wellness: Hom Yoga will close permanently amid the Valley Point redevelopment, after exiting Orchard Central. Haze: Worsening air quality is disrupting outdoor activities, with families managing asthma and allergy risks and authorities weighing school closures if conditions become hazardous.

Changing Careers: Singapore’s young lawyers are not necessarily leaving the profession; many are moving into in-house roles and seeking work that better matches their values. Faith & Heritage: Bencoolen Mosque marked its 200th anniversary with a book tracing the mosque’s history and the contributions of Singapore’s Indian Muslim community. Founded in 1825, it now accommodates up to 1,100 worshippers. Wellness: Hom Yoga will close permanently amid the Valley Point redevelopment and its Orchard Central exit, while Singapore hosts the 23rd World Congress of Chinese Medicine. Haze & Daily Life: Worsening haze is disrupting outdoor activity and putting pressure on families and food businesses, as authorities weigh school closures if conditions become hazardous. Local Stories: Two Singapore graphic novels revisit the Raffles Hotel tiger and a little-known case of male mass hysteria.