State of the Arts: Oct 4 to 11

SINGAPORE — After much speculation, it was announced that veteran actor Lim Kay Tong had been chosen to play Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in the SG50 film 1965. Esplanade’s annual da:ns Festival and the Singapore Literature Festival in New York have also kicked off, while a free mobile app to promote Singapore poetry, called Text In The City, has been launched. The controversial documentary To Singapore, With Love, also made its way to Parliament, where Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim, in response to questions over its NAR classification, described it as a one-sided portrayal. Amendments to the Public Entertainments and Meetings Acts were passed in Parliament. Among key changes were expanding its scope to regulate arts and entertainment performances streamed live online and having all forms requiring classification by the Media Development Authority. MAYO MARTIN