Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society

Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) was initially formed and registered as the Indian Fine Arts Society in 1949. The idea of setting up this society originated in the Witness Room of the Fifth Magistrate’s Court, South Bridge Road, during a meeting among K P A Menon, P R V Subban and T V Subrayalu, all senior court interpreters then. Subsequently, it was decided that the Society would be registered with the following as founding members: S N Dorai, R P Eswaran, V Govalam, K P A Menon, K C Natarajan, S Natarajan, G S Ramachandran, E A Shankar, P R V Subban and T V Subrayalu. TK C Natarajan, together with another supporter -- Anantha Subbaraman – undertook the task of registering the society with the Registrar of Societies. The Society’s first registered office was at 132 Rangoon Road.  

In the early years, the Society’s efforts were principally directed towards organising music and dance concerts by local and visiting performers as well as staging plays by Indian playwrights. The first Bharatanatyam classes began in 1951, and the initial tutors, who came from Malaya, worked as part-time instructors. Then, an Academy was formally established in 1959 to provide lessons to those interested in Indian fine arts, specifically Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam. Its aim then was to provide a cultural grounding to complement the colonial education system and to help the new generation of Indians born in Singapore stay in touch with their cultural roots.  The Academy began with six students, and by 2021, the number had grown to 2,000. The Academy intends to impart an arts education that instils a high level of expertise while building appreciation and a shared understanding of Indian Arts. The Society’s first public performance was Sacrifice, an English-language play by Rabindranath Tagore, followed by a series of Tamil-language plays. Since 2003, SIFAS has been conducting its annual Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance (now named as SIFAS’ Festival of Arts), a marquee event that spans several weeks, showcasing well-known international artistes as well as home-grown talents. In addition, the SIFAS Productions company was launched in 2022 to provide an international platform for home-grown talent and collaborate with the local arts industry in various ways. 

Although the early years were tough, thanks to extensive government support, SIFAS experienced an expansive period from the 1980s. As a result, it has been able to consolidate its position as a local cultural hub and play a vital role in the transformation of Singapore into a global city for the arts. SIFAS aims to be a premier Indian arts institution with a vision to enrich lives and build communities through aesthetic appeal and arts contribution. Its mission is to impart Indian Arts to all generations and ethnicities, produce and promote Indian Arts to all audiences, innovate and embrace technology for artistic excellence, and contribute to Singapore's diverse and unique cultural heritage. In addition, it strives to build and connect the Indian Arts community not only in Singapore but also regionally and internationally.



For more Information
Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.sifas.org/
Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society. Facebook. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.facebook.com/sifas.org
Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society. Instagram. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.instagram.com/wearesifas/
Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society. Youtube. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.youtube.com/c/SingaporeIndianFineArtsSocietySIFAS
Vaidyanathan, Sumathi. A Growing Rhythm. Singapore: National Library Board, 1998.
Ramaswami, Seshan and Alurkar-Sriram, Sarita eds. Kalamanjari: Fifty Years of Indian Classical Music and Dance in Singapore. Singapore: National Library Board, 2015.

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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.