What: In honour of the Indian harvest festival of Pongal, the Indian Heritage Centre will be presenting Crafting Nature, an immersive display of culture, tradition and thanksgiving in celebration of Pongal. 

Crafting Nature will feature 28 workshop sessions that will consist of traditional crafts and cultural activities including Pongal pot painting, miniature clay crafting and Tanjore art (a classical South Indian painting style), along with immersive heritage trails and farm tours. 

Where: January 8 to January 16, 2022

When: Indian Heritage Centre

What: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is ushering in the lunar new year this month with a colourful display of new year prints at a dedicated outdoor installation. 

Presented in collaboration with Hong Kong artist Ng Tik Ka, this installation will showcase his signature style of reimagining and depicting familiar pop culture figures in the traditional style of new year prints. 

Where: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall 

When: January 11 to July 24, 2022

What: If reading more books is one of your new year resolutions, make sure you pay a visit to the Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop at The URA Centre which is finally reopening its doors on January 6, 2022, after months of being closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic affecting revenue. 

To celebrate its reopening, Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop will be running a 10 per cent storewide discount on all titles for the entire month of January. It’s the perfect time to stock up while grabbing a cup of coffee.

Where: 45 Maxwell Road, #01-01

When: January 6 to August 31, 2022

What: Start your year off right by ushering in the Year of the Tiger with an ensemble of festive dine-in set menus, a la carte springtime specials with Szechwan sensibilities, and festive takeaway goodies by Chef Kentaro from January 10, 2022, onwards. 

Some of Chef’s new creations include his braised pork ribs and lotus seeds in red glutinous rice wine as well as his poached tiger-striped minced pork dumplings.

Make sure you also look out for his signature broth of foie gras chawanmushi with crab roe and Chen’s Mapo doufu which features silky tofu stirfried in a spicy, fragrant Szechewan pepper-inflected meat sauce.

Where: Mandarin Orchard Singapore

When: January 10, 2022

What: This January, Jada Art Gallery together with Silvana S. Foundation will be presenting The Silvana S. Foundation Commission Award Exhibition, Rediscovery Lost Connections, which will feature the photography of photographers such as Silvana Sutanto and Robert Zhao Renhui in January 2022.

If you are looking for a new exhibit to visit in the new year, this is one to visit. 

Where: Ion Art Gallery, Level 4

When: January 18 to January 24, 2022

Don’t miss: How to Celebrate New Year’s Eve 2021 in Singapore

What: This January, watch the Civic District come to life with vivid light projections that will be screened on local landmark buildings such as the Asian Civilisations Museum, The Arts House, Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

The sixth edition of the Light To Night Festival will be focused on uncovering new ways of thinking, seeing and being and will see a slew of expanded programmes and artistic interventions.

Where: Civic District

When: January 14 to February 3, 2022

What: This January, Singapore Art Week (SAW) returns to showcase the unity and pride of our diverse and vibrant local arts community. In its 10th edition, SAW will be celebrating a decade of growth in the art scene and will see over 100 events with art across the island and online.

From new works, transnational collaborations, and virtual art experiences, this is bound to be one of SAW’s most exciting editions of the event and it is one you don’t want to miss.

Where: Across the island

When: January 14 to January 23, 2022

What: In 2021, Singapore was blessed with the birth of a beautiful giant panda cub.

The cub and his parents, Jia Jia and Kai Kai were watched closely by the panda care team and Singapore waited eagerly as the Mandai Wildlife Group released regular updates about the new cub.

On December 29, River Wonders revealed that the cub had been named Le Le, a name that was voted as a favourite by the public. 

From December 30, the public will finally be able to meet the panda cub in his new glass-fronted nursery at the Giant Panda Forest in River Wonder. The cub will be on display from around 10.30 am and 3.30 pm daily.

Where: River Wonders

When: December 30, 2021, onwards

Don’t miss: Kai Kai and Jia Jia’s New Panda Cub Needs an Intern—Here’s What the Job Entails

What: We all know that the indie theatre scene in Singapore has been heavily affected by the pandemic. However, the Singapore Repertory Theatre is continuing to defy the odds and is starting 2022 out strong with Amy Ng’s adaptation of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie in collaboration with the Hong Kong Arts Festival.

The play focuses on race, sex, the struggle for power and relationships against the backdrop of the disintegration of the British Empire in Singapore. 

Starring Heidi Parsons, Steve Chusak and Sharon Mah, the classic play will play in Singapore before moving on to Hong Kong so make sure you catch it while it is here.

Where: Singapore Repertory Theatre

When: January 25 to February 25, 2022

What: To welcome the year of the tiger, the Lunar New Year Hongbao campaign, which is being held by the National Heritage Board, will return with red packet designs featuring the tiger. 

Visitors will be able to collect a set of eight red packets when they visit the 35 participating museums, heritage institutions and galleries around Singapore. It's the perfect adventure for you and your kids or even as a month-long date idea. 

Additionally, if you don’t have the time to go from museum to museum, two online giveaways will be taking place on the ‘I Love Museums’ Facebook page where participants can stand a chance to win a full set of red packets. 

Where: Participating museums, heritage institutions and galleries 

When: January 7 to February 4, 2022

What: The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival is an annual festival of live art created and presented by Singaporean and international artists. This festival is set to be innovative and encourage meaningful and provocative discussions about art. 

This year, the festival will be physical and virtual and will present thought-provoking works based on 2020, a year that saw the drastic upheaval of our normal ways of life. 

Where: Various locations, find out here

When: January 12 to January 23, 2022

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