Singapore Indian Artistes Association

The Singapore Indian Artistes’ Association (SIAA), officially registered in 1971, was co-founded by dramatist S Varathan and actor Ram Narayanasamy with the aim of uniting Indian artistes across diverse disciplines such as drama, music, and dance, under one organisational banner. The association’s mission was to raise the cultural, artistic, and social standards of the Indian community through regular productions, outreach, and awards.

However, as the expertise of the leadership was confined to Tamil theatre, SIAA evolved more as a Tamil theatre promoter than as an association for all Indian artistes or for all Indian performing arts. In the 1970s and 1980s, the group regularly staged Tamil plays and under Varathan’s leadership, it incorporated new artistic elements and themes to engage the Tamil community more widely. SIAA also organised cultural shows and fundraising concerts, extending its role beyond the stage.

A key pillar of SIAA’s activities was the recognition and encouragement of artistic excellence. From the 1990s, the association hosted award ceremonies to honour outstanding Indian artistes in Singapore. The Association also supported documentation by publishing a couple of works by Varathan, a recipient of the Cultural Medallion, on the personalities and development of Singapore Tamil theatre. These works provide valuable information on the past history of Tamil theatre in Singapore. SIAA also made some inroads beyond Singapore’s shores as well. In 2009, it presented the historical drama King Chola in Chennai, India. This was supported by the National Arts Council (NAC), which has funded several of SIAA’s productions over the years. In 2022, SIAA became involved in litigation with some of its own members. Its current status is unknown as its website is no longer available. 



For More Information
“S. Varathan.” Esplanade Offstage, 12 October 2016. https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/s-varathan
"S. Varathan.” Singapore Infopedia. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=e714a7ac-9278-4170-896e-f54e790b7eea
“Singapore Indian Artistes’ Association.” Centre 42. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.centre42.sg/archive/organisations/887/singapore-indian-artistes-association/
“Newspaper clippings, drama reviews and flyers…” Singapore Indian Artistes’ Association, 3 October 1972. https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/private_records/record-details/de0d6ebc-115b-11e3-83d5-0050568939ad
Annual Report 2008/2009: Arts on the Rise. Singapore: National Arts Council, 2009. https://www.nac.gov.sg/docs/default-source/about-us-files/annual-report/fy0809---arts-on-the-rise.pdf
Gunasegarn s/o Sinniah v Singapore Indhia Kalaingyar Sangam (Singapore Indian Artistes’ Association). Singapore High Court, Originating Summons No. 1114 of 2021. Judgment reserved February 28, 2022. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.elitigation.sg/gd/s/2022_SGHC_42#:~:text=1%20The%20defendant%20is%20a,%E2%80%9Cthe%20Constitution%E2%80%9D

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.