[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/farewell-the-substation-chicken-soup-for-the-fringe-soul\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/farewell-the-substation-chicken-soup-for-the-fringe-soul\/","headline":"Farewell, The Substation: Chicken Soup for The Fringe Soul","name":"Farewell, The Substation: Chicken Soup for The Fringe Soul","description":"Updated 10 Feb 2021 Wait, before you panic… The Substation is not gone forever. Where it will be gone from, however, is the iconic location that it has held for the past 30 years, at 45 Armenian Street. The location is being taken back by the National Arts Council (NAC) for renovation, after which, it […]","datePublished":"2021-02-09","dateModified":"2022-04-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/aria-hernandez\/#Person","name":"Aria Hernandez","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/aria-hernandez\/","identifier":189,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/608bdd364ce3d8eeec63bc5678f7be7526d507ca0f5e84db530c1808f2e5c275?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/608bdd364ce3d8eeec63bc5678f7be7526d507ca0f5e84db530c1808f2e5c275?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1612715181766_news_substation_featured.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1612715181766_news_substation_featured.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/farewell-the-substation-chicken-soup-for-the-fringe-soul\/","about":["Community","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":963,"articleBody":"Updated 10 Feb 2021Wait, before you panic…The Substation is not gone forever. Where it will be gone from, however, is the iconic location that it has held for the past 30 years, at 45 Armenian Street. The location is being taken back by the National Arts Council (NAC) for renovation, after which, it will be turned into a new centre for multiple arts groups.The SubstationAlmost anyone who has been mystified by the intriguing local arts centre would also have felt a strong attachment to its venue, which lent somewhat of a charisma to the premise. For years now, The Substation has stood its ground as a location that gives voices to more \u2018fringe\u2019 artforms in Singapore.The site is also a spot intrinsically tied to Singapore\u2019s indie music history, with hours-long gigs at a time. Patrons of local music who enjoy punk or hardcore music will likely know the nooks and crannies around 45 Armenian Street, perhaps even thinking of it as their second home.Ginette Chittick of local shoegaze group Astreal, said in a 2019 interview that \u201cWe would all congregate for gigs at The Substation, which was the main place for gigs at the time\u2026 If you managed to play one there, it would be considered a really big deal\u201d.The Substation will vacate its building in late-July, and is reportedly in talks with NAC on where it will be for the next two years. Goodman Arts Centre and Aliwal Arts Centre are two possibilities, according to The Substation\u2019s general manager Loh Aik Khoon. However, it is also considering other locations.The Substation was a home even for Rejects.Much like how The Substation gave a home to punk music, which was known to be bold, wayward, and less restricted, the venue also gave a chance to local artists who strayed from the norm. In August 2019, the centre organised the \u201cRejects\u201d exhibition, which featured art from an open call for artists whose work had been rejected from prize ceremonies or shows.The SubstationThe Rejects exhibition was inspired by Salon des Refus\u00e9s, an exhibition of works that had been rejected by the authorising Paris Salon in 1863. All applicants to The Substation\u2019s exhibition were accepted, and priced by the artists themselves, with 100% of proceeds going to the creator. From a painting by Alan Oie, a three-time reject of UOB’s Painting of The Year, to an obscure local superhero comic book Crimson Star, there was no telling what to expect.\u201cIf you\u2019ve ever had so-called ‘friends’ mock or scorn you at school, you have felt the cruel stinger of BUTTHURT. And if you\u2019ve ever ridden the MELANCHOLIC waves of a love lost, you\u2019ll have understood the essence of what it is to be human,\u201d The Substation wrote about The Rejects on their website.To allow its patrons to delve into the explorative aspects of being human by using a lesser seen side of art \u2013 it was the sort of legacy that The Substation had set out to achieve, and succeeded at.\u201cAt the end of July, The Substation will be no more, and what was plainly obvious would disappear. It will be the end of an era,\u201d wrote Raka Maitra, Co-Artistic Director of The Substation.The centre was a first for Singapore, founded in 1990 by Kuo Pao Kun. The theatre giant and Cultural Medallion winner had created the country\u2019s first independent contemporary arts centre, and as it took shape, it saw various changes to its offerings and arrangement. As it stands today, the Substation has a gallery, studio, and a black box.The current arrangement came after some \u201ccontroversial\u201d changes that the venue had made in 2016, with the arrival of a new artistic director, Alan Oei. Some arts practitioners argued that The Substation was straying from its roots as a space for \u201cedgy\u201d expression. However, many recognised it as a way to make the centre more financially viable and to ensure its survival. The centre even held a public session to discuss Oei\u2019s proposal to the Substation board, titled \u201cThe Substation hasn\u2019t changed. Everything has.\u201dCatch SeptFest 2021, for what might be The Substation\u2019s last big hurrah… for now.While The Substation may yet reclaim its spot at 45 Armenian Street after NAC\u2019s renovations are complete, it\u2019s unclear in \u201cwhat form and shape\u201d. A Straits Times report said that NAC would ask other arts spaces about sharing the 45 Armenian Street building with The Substation.Prior to news of the building being turned into a shared arts space, Loh had said \u201cWe don\u2019t know if we will have the whole building for us to manage and to work with all the artists or if it will be a shared working space with other arts groups.\u201d\u201cWe\u2019re not sure what plans NAC has at this point.\u201dWhile we can only wait for news about The Substation with our fingers crossed, we can join The Substation for SeptFest in March 2021. The centre\u2019s month-long celebration of art, culture, and community, SeptFest, is typically held annually in September. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in a change in schedule.The SubstationThe Substation has promised a \u201cSeptFest like no other\u201d to mark the end of its era, and says that its \u201ccommitment to the presentation and development of new experimental work is undiminished.\u201dSeptFest 2021: In The Margins will take place between 4\u201328 March 2021, and will coincide with the centre\u2019s 30th anniversary.\u201cI dedicate this SeptFest not only to the rich and diverse talents we have amongst us but also as our fond farewell gift to Singapore, as we bring you stories from the fringe and the margins,\u201d wrote Maitra.Join the conversations on THG’s\u00a0Facebook\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram, and get the latest updates via\u00a0Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Farewell, The Substation: Chicken Soup for The Fringe Soul","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/farewell-the-substation-chicken-soup-for-the-fringe-soul\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]