Lights On: The Story of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Esplanade Concourse (exhibition), various locations in Esplanade (self-guided audio trail)

About the exhibition

What does it take to create and sustain Singapore’s national performing arts centre? Lights On takes you right to the beating heart of this story, through the first-person accounts of cultural workers and artists who have journeyed with Esplanade. Check out the main exhibition in the Concourse, as well as a self-guided audio trail spanning nine public spots in the centre.

Get up close with these insider insights and reminiscences through sound bites, video stories, documentary photographs and physical memorabilia. These will take you from the 1980s when the idea for this arts centre was first conceived, to our hard-won opening in 2002, and on to the aspirations for our next chapter after celebrating our 20th anniversary.

Featuring the perspectives of arts administrator Juliana Lim; architect Koh Seow Chuan; Esplanade’s first CEO Benson Puah; artists and cultural workers Alvin Tan, Aravinth Kumarasamy, Chen Sai Hua Kuan and Wang Ruobing, Gaurav Kripalani, Hasyimah Harith and Norhaizad Adam, Joanna Dong, Joel Tan (Gentle Bones), Kuik Swee Boon, Siti Khalijah and Tsung Yeh; and arts-loving tween Ellie Heng.

Experience the audio trail here on Esplanade Offstage.