SINGAPORE – Theatremaker Chong Tze Chien has been appointed the next festival director for the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa).
Chong is a core member of The Finger Players who served as its co-artistic director and company director from 2004 to 2018. He will assume the festival director role from 2026 to 2028, Arts House Limited said in a statement on Feb 5.
Chong, who is 51 in 2025, said in a statement: “My aspiration is to carry on the legacy and infuse the festival anew with a vibrant spirit and captivating surprises, ensuring its continued reputation as a cherished event among both local and international audiences.”
He is taking over from current festival director Natalie Hennedige, whose four-year tenure will end with the 48th edition of Sifa in 2025. Hennedige, who has shaped the festival with her challenging and experimental programming, is expected to reveal the line-up soon for her final edition, which runs from May 16 to June 1.
Chong assumes the role of festival director designate in February.
A recipient of the Young Artist Award, Chong had directed for Sifa the drama The Prose And The Passion (2024) and horror play Oiwa – The Ghost Of Yotsuya. The latter, featuring artists from Singapore and Japan, swept five categories at the 2022 Straits Times Life Theatre Awards and was named Production of the Year.
Chong Tze Chien is no stranger to Sifa, as he was the director and playwright for the critically acclaimed horror play Oiwa - The Ghost Of Yotsuya by The Finger Players in 2021. PHOTO: ARTS HOUSE LIMITED
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