Milestones of SCCC

Milestones of SCCC

Home About Us Milestones of SCCC

2012

  • 25 January 2012
    • The idea of setting up the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre was proposed by Mr Chua Thian Poh, then-Chairman of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Association (SFCCA), and supported by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
    • The Centre is intended to:
      • Promote Chinese culture and the arts.
      • Support the local community to celebrate our shared culture, strengthen the bond between all groups and forge a strong national identity.
      • Be a hub for high quality performances, exhibitions and cultural activities.
      • Be an inclusive platform that welcomes all Singaporeans.
  • March 2012
    • A task force, chaired by Professor Eddie Kuo and deputised by Mr Choo Thiam Siew, was set up to propose the future direction and functions of the Centre.
    • A separate committee led by Mr Seow Choke Meng was set up to oversee the construction of the Centre.
  • 24 June 2012
    • A retreat was held with over 40 representatives from various social organisations and arts and cultural groups to discuss the Centre’s strategy, positioning and programming. The name “Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre” was decided then.

2013

  • 1 October 2013
    • Mr Chua Thian Poh was appointed the Chairman of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre.

2014

  • 1 April 2014
    • Mr Choo Thiam Siew, President of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), was appointed as the Centre’s Chief Executive Officer. The Centre’s temporary office was located at SFCCA’s headquarters in Toa Payoh.
  • 29 September 2014
    • A ground-breaking ceremony, officiated by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, was held to commence construction work. DP Architects was appointed to design the building. 

Ground-breaking Ceremony

2016

  • 17 January 2016
    • A topping-out ceremony, officiated by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, was held to celebrate the completion of the main structure.

Topping-out Ceremony

  • 10-31 January 2016
    • The Centre presented its inaugural cultural exhibition, Blooms of Vitality, Colours of Life, which showcased various elements of local Chinese culture across literature, arts, culture, festivals, food, home furnishing, and medicine.

Blooms of Vitality, Colours of Life Exhibition

2017

  • 19 May 2017
    • The opening of Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre was officiated by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Opening Ceremony

  • 20 May 2017
    • The Centre launched Cultural Extravaganza with Voyage, a specially commissioned multimedia musical by Royston Tan. As part of the Festival, it also worked with local filmmakers to produce 667, an omnibus of five dialect short films, with one of the short films, Ke, winning the Best Asian Short at the 13th Sapporo Short Film Festival.
    • The Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award was launched to give recognition to individuals and organisations who have made significant contributions to Chinese Singaporean culture.

Cultural Extravaganza

Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award Ceremony 2017, featuring inaugural recipients Mr Han Lao Da (Individual category) and Siong Leng Musical Association (Organisation category)

  • 27 May 2017
    • The inaugural Sing•Lang concert boasted a line-up of Singaporean artistes, including Xinyao icons and next generation of rising stars.

Sing•Lang Concert

2018

  • January 2018
    • TGIF Music Station, a series of music performances featuring Singapore’s favourite performing artistes and rising stars was launched.

TGIF Music Station

    • The Centre ushered in the Year of the Dog with its first Lunar New Year Carnival and Concert.

Lunar New Year

  • March to June 2018
    • The Centre held a three-month-long Tian Tian @ SCCC exhibition which was co-presented with Zuni lcasahedron. It had over 120 figurines showcasing the artistic inspirations of many in the arts and culture scene.

Tian Tian Xiang Shang Exhibition Official Opening

  • April 2018
    • Mr Low Sze Wee, Director (Curatorial, Collections and Education) of the National Gallery Singapore was appointed as the Centre’s second Chief Executive Officer.
  • May 2018
    • The Centre commissioned the Masters of Comedy theatre production to pay tribute to iconic comedians in Singapore.

Masters of Comedy

  • 15 September 2018
    • The Centre held its first Mid-Autumn Celebration @ SCCC that welcomed visitors to engage in family-friendly activities to uncover more about our local traditions.

Mid-Autumn Celebration

2019

  • February 2019
    • As part of its Chinese New Year celebrations, the Centre commissioned its first Singing Red Packet with an original artwork by local illustrator Ah Guo and accompanied by a song composed by local composer-pianist Peng Chi Sheng. The Centre was also invited to a New Year event in Shanghai Crystal Galleria to introduce Singapore’s lohei culture with the Singing Red Packet.

Chinese New Year Singing Red Packet and Celebrations at Shanghai Crystal Galleria Mall

  • 25 March 2019
    • The Arts Support Framework was launched to support the local arts and cultural sector with the Arts Housing Programme, Visual Arts Partnership, and [email protected] 
    • The first three arts tenants in the Centre are Drum Feng, Nam Hwa Opera and TENG Ensemble.

Arts Support Framework

  • April 2019
    • In commemoration of Singapore’s Bicentennial, the Centre commissioned its first original dance-drama, Whispers from the Dragon’s Teeth Gate, by Dance Ensemble Singapore (DES Arts) and in collaboration with Sri Warisan Som Said Performing Arts.

Whispers from the Dragon’s Teeth Gate

    • The Centre jointly organised its first Diversity and Singapore Ethnic Chinese Communities International Conference with the Department of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore. It brought together over twenty Singaporean academics from local and overseas tertiary institutions to examine and discuss different aspects of the Singapore Chinese community.

Diversity and Singapore Ethnic Chinese Communities International Conference

  • 24-25 May 2019
    • The Centre commissioned the recipient of the inaugural Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award, Siong Leng Musical Association, to create a cross-cultural musical performance Memoirs of Nanyang that highlights the bold fusion of traditional Nanyin music with contemporary Malay and pop tunes for the first time.

Memoirs of Nanyang

  • 15 June 2019
    • As part of the annual Cultural Extravaganza, the Sing•Lang Concert was moved out of the Centre and held at the National Stadium for the very first time.

Sing•Lang Concert at the National Stadium

  • 18-21 July 2019
    • Nine Years Theatre and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre jointly presented First Fleet, an immersive theatre experience where the audience was seated on the stage of the Centre’s Auditorium, as they set sail with the players to explore the relationships between theatre and humanity.

First Fleet

Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre © 2020

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