Discover and Experience the Arts at Central Arts Library

Arts collection, programmes and services on offer in the heart of the Civic District

12 December 2024 — The new Central Arts Library (CAL) opened its doors today, offering patrons a comprehensive collection on the arts, regular arts performances, and spaces for patrons to take their passion in music further. The library will offer its resources in two main locations, namely within the National Library Building and as an unmanned pop-up library in the National Design Centre, in partnership with the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS). For the first time, patrons can also borrow selected titles from the General Reference Collection of the National Library through a pilot initiative RefToGo.

Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, Ms Rahayu Mahzam, who graced the opening of the Central Arts Library today, said: “The arts permeate and is integral to our daily lives, firing up our imagination, fuelling our passion, and enabling innovation. With the opening of the new Central Arts Library, we hope that the accessibility to our rich arts collections will promote a greater appreciation for Singapore’s art scene, and inspire more to create and contribute to the local arts community.”

Regular Arts Performances and Movie Screenings at CAL

Since August 2023, more than 90 arts programmes for CAL have been held within the National Library Building’s Plaza and lobby, drawing in about 7,000 participants. 

With the official opening of CAL, these will be stepped up. On CAL’s opening weekend, there will be activities for all ages including a movie marathon and improv showcases running from 12 to 15 December 2024. The public can relive some disco moves through a game of Pump It Up or try their hand at Taiko drumming at classic arcade machines. Patrons can redeem a game play for every four items borrowed from CAL or the National Library’s General Reference collection.

After the opening weekend, patrons can look forward to regular arts activities such as film screenings, performing arts workshops, and Open Stage Originals, a platform for local artists to showcase their original musical works at the National Library Building.

For more information on the programme lineup for the month of December and signature series at CAL, refer to Annexes B and C.

Borrow Books, Music Scores and More

CAL’s collection brings together the resources from the former library@esplanade and the design and applied arts-focused collection from library@orchard. Patrons can access books, music scores, play scripts, classical as well as popular CDs and video recordings of films, operas, dance performances, and theatre productions, all on level 5 of the National Library Building.

The design and applied arts-focused collection is available at CAL’s University of the Arts Singapore Node in partnership with UAS, on the second floor of the National Design Centre. About 5,500 titles are available on four design topics: people, space, visual and product. To enter the library, visitors can simply scan their ID or request a QR code day pass. Patrons can then browse and borrow books using the NLB Mobile app.

For those who need more time with the reference materials from Lee Kong Chian Reference Library (LKCRL) for their research or studies, they can also now borrow over 200,000 selected titles from the General Reference Collection with the new RefToGo initiative. These had previously been accessible only within the LKCRL. Aimed at enhancing our patrons’ experience at the National Library, these materials can now be borrowed via the NLB Mobile app for up to 21 days. This includes an extensive Arts collection on topics such as art history, artforms and techniques, and applied arts at Level 8.

CAL’s Spaces for Aspiring Musicians and Film Buffs

For those looking to live out their dreams of performing on the big stage some day, the Piano Practice Room and Silent Studio Room on Level 5 of the National Library Building are now open for booking. Aspiring musicians can hold jamming sessions and even record their “demos” in the fully equipped rooms, whether they are tinkering away on a baby grand piano or strumming away on the selection of guitars there.

Film buffs can also pick from CAL’s approximately 30,000 titles on dance, theatre, operas, and motion pictures. These are available in a range of formats, including DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K resolution and patrons can borrow them to watch in a cosy space set up with surround sound home theatre system in Level 8 of the National Library Building.

Opportunities to Collaborate, and Create Art

The Central Arts Library’s strategic location in the heart of Singapore’s arts and heritage district, next to academic and arts institutions such as the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, the School of the Arts, Singapore, and the LASALLE College of the Arts, will further enable collaborations within the community there.

NLB Chief Executive Officer Mr Ng Cher Pong said: “With the centralising of NLB’s arts resources here in the heart of the Civic District, we hope to make discovering, reading and learning about the arts easier for everyone. We also look forward to working with the community, including our ongoing partnership with the University of the Arts Singapore, to create more opportunities for people to experience the arts, and be inspired by it.”

Vice-Chancellor of UAS Professor Kwok Kian Woon said: “The University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) is pleased to partner with the National Library Board to enhance access to its design and applied arts-focused collection. The new ‘Central Arts Library at UAS’ will offer students, researchers, practitioners, and the public access to over 5,500 design titles. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to establish meaningful partnerships in support of a vibrant arts community.”

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About National Library Board

The National Library Board (NLB) nurtures Readers for Life, Learning Communities and a Knowledgeable Nation by promoting reading, learning and history through its network of 29 libraries, the National Library and the National Archives of Singapore. NLB also forges strategic partnerships that encourage awareness, appreciation and greater discovery of Singapore's history through its rich collections in Singapore and the region.

NLB achieves excellence through innovation, focusing on citizen engagement and co-creation, resource and digital innovation. This creates learning opportunities, greater access to library resources, services, and archival collections, as well as a continual development of innovative library spaces. Established on 1 September 1995 as a statutory board, NLB is under the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).

For more information, please visit the NLB website, and NLB’s Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube channels. 

For media enquiries, please contact:

Hoe I Yune
Weber Shandwick 
Tel: 9324 2061
Email: IHoe@webershandwick.com

Quah Jia Ling
Weber Shandwick 
Tel: 9699 0830
Email: JQuah@webershandwick.com

Annex A: Features of the Central Arts Library

S/N

Feature

Description

1

Central Arts Library

CAL 1

CAL 2

CAL 3

CAL 4

The Central Arts Library is primarily located on level 5 of the National Library Building, and brings together NLB’s performing arts collections, services and programmes.

2

Piano Practice Room, level 5

CAL 5

Pianists can practise and try out the wide variety of music scores available from the library's collection on a baby grand piano.

3

Silent Studio, level 5

CAL6 

Equipped with four types of guitars, a digital piano, an electric drum kit, a mixer, four headphones, four microphones and music stands, music lovers can jam together within the studio or even record their own music.

4

Screening Room, level 8

CAL7

Outfitted with a home theatre system, the Screening Room can be reserved by patrons for up to three hours per day for in-depth study or recreational viewing of dance, theatre, operas, and motion pictures on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K format.

5

RefToGo

CAL8

Borrow selected titles from the National Library’s General Reference collection through the NLB Mobile app.

6

Central Arts Library at University of the Arts Singapore

CAL9

CAL10

Students can now easily access approximately 5,500 titles on four design topics and better meet their learning needs a stone’s throw away from the National Library Building.

 

Annex B: Upcoming programmes at Central Arts Library

To celebrate the opening of the Central Arts Library, there will be opening festivities from 12 to 15 Dec 2024, alongside the usual arts programmes for the month of December. Admission is free and members of the public can register via https://go.gov.sg/cal-progs.

Programme

Upcoming dates

The Big Picture: The Martian

The Big Picture is a series of monthly movie screenings lovingly curated by librarians at the Central Arts Library. Through these screenings, we aim to highlight some interesting titles from our avail-to-loan film collection and cultivate a community of film-lovers!

12 Dec 24, Thursday

6:30pm – 8:30pm

Echo Philharmonic Society

Echo Chorus sincerely invites you to welcome Christmas with music. The classic Christmas songs will lead you into the warmth and joy of the Christmas season. The Echo Chorus is the vocal ensemble of the Echo Philharmonic Society, a non-profit arts society that specialises in choral singing, founded in 1997 by Singaporean vocal educator, Mdm Elena Ng.

13 Dec 24, Friday

7pm – 8pm

Ask Auntie, Ask Auntie - Improv Showcase

Ask Auntie, Ask Auntie" is a lively, laugh-out-loud improv comedy performance set to charm audiences. This one-time event brings to life the witty wisdom of everyone's favorite "uncles and aunties" in a spontaneous, interactive performance, all made up on the spot.

14 Dec 24, Saturday

1pm – 1:30pm, 2pm – 2:30pm

Christmas Beyond Borders - ROS Singers

Let The ROS Singers take you on a musical voyage across continents. From the lively rhythms of A Spanish Carol (Esta noche nace un Niño) to the timeless English charm of Ding Dong Merrily On High, the serene beauty of Ping An Ye (Silent Night) from Taiwan, and the festive cheer of Jingle Bells from the United States, each song offers a glimpse into the unique spirit of Christmas around the globe.

14 Dec 24, Saturday

4pm – 5pm

Movie Marathon: A Sequence of Sequels

Every good story deserves a sequel, and on the celebration weekend of CAL’s physical return, we will screen movies featuring the return of beloved characters!

15 Dec 24, Sunday

12pm – 8:30pm

Midweek Matinee: The Nutcracker by Vainonen after Petipa and Ivanov, music by Tchaikovsky

18 Dec 24, Wednesday

12pm

NUS Piano Ensemble

Melodias is the NUS Piano Ensemble’s cherished annual tradition, where we invite listeners to embark on a festive journey filled with the magic of the season. Through our performances, we will weave a tapestry of melodies that encapsulate the spirit of Christmas, we hope to bring you the most heartfelt gift of all: the warmth of music. Come celebrate with family and friends as we present a repertoire featuring works by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Claude Debussy, Aram Khachaturian, Jeff Manookian, and Shaun Choo. 

20 Dec 24, Friday

PEREKA Kita – Sesi 3

'PEREKA KITA | Sesi 3' features informative presentations by two of our emerging Malay/Muslim creative photographer and illustrator exploring and expressing their unique ideas through various mediums, along with interactive activities designed to engage participants in meaningful dialogue.

PEREKA is a collective of local Malay/Muslim designers and aspires to serve as a catalyst uniting designers from the Malay/Muslim community through meaningful conversations and exchanges. PEREKA aims to provoke introspection on Malay/Muslim identity, values, and aspirations, and hopefully to foster a shared vision for the collective future of Malay/Muslim designers in Singapore.

21 Dec 24, Saturday

11:30am – 1:30pm

 

Annex C: Signature Series of CAL

Performing Arts

The Big Picture

The Big Picture is a series of fortnightly movie screenings lovingly curated by librarians at the Central Arts Library. Through these screenings, we aim to highlight some interesting titles from our avail-to-loan film collection and cultivate a community of film-lovers!

Jazz Appreciation

Jazz and music improvisation performance-lecture series held monthly at the NL Building Lobby, with the aim of educating the public on jazz appreciation and techniques of music improvisation.

Insider Series

The Insider series of professional talks is targeted at those who wish to pursue a career in the performing arts industry. The talks feature key figures in the local music, dance, theatre, and film industry, sharing their experiences and dispensing advice to budding and aspiring artists.

Open Stage Originals

A quarterly open call opportunity and platform for local singer songwriters, musicians, filmmakers, playwrights and choreographers to showcase and promote their original works.

The Performers’ Body

A series of workshops focusing on developing and nurturing the performer’s body, held at the Imagination Room on Level 5 of the NL Building.

Young Musicians’ Festival

Young music students of private music teachers and schools take to the Open Stage at the NL Building Lobby, for recitals open to members of the public in this school holiday showcase of talents. This event aims to provide a performance platform for children to develop and hone their craft in front of a live audience.

Close up! Film analysis

A monthly film appreciation workshop series that delves in to learn the various storytelling devices and concepts used by filmmakers to create a compelling and effective movie.

Groovy Starters

Beginner-friendly dance sessions to learn how to groove to hip hop rhythm and beats.

 

Design and Applied arts

Pro Series

Pro Series is a curated suite of talks workshops and portfolio reviews where Singapore-based artists and designers are invited to share their professional expertise in design and the applied arts with the public. These programmes cover a variety of design fields ranging from space, graphics, print and textiles.

Your Design Space

A community event that aims to support non-professional and budding designers by featuring select design prototypes and/or products at the library.

Communities: Caravanserai

Learn to connect with people around the world. Develop a deeper understanding of regions far and near. Explore places beyond those regular tourist hangouts. Our community shows you how to develop cultural agility through interactions with diverse range of people all over the planet. We also invite you to share your experiences of places and people from your travels.

 

Annex D: RefToGo service at the National Library

With RefToGo, NLB members can now borrow selected titles from the General Reference Collection of the National Library. This is a first for the National Library, which holds Singapore’s largest public reference collection for research, education and decision-making at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. Members may use the NLB Mobile app to borrow the titles. An extensive range of resources from the collections below are available for loan:

Level 7: Business, Science, Technology & Social Sciences Collections

Level 8: Arts & Humanities Collections

Level 9: Chinese, Malay & Tamil Collections

RefToGo is aimed at enhancing patron experience by offering convenient access to general reference resources. It is a one-year pilot initiative in support of NLB’s LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint) journey of innovation and experimentation to reimagine libraries and archives. 

For more information, please visit https://go.gov.sg/reftogo-about.