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Sifa 2025: Natalie Hennedige’s swansong embraces diversity and accessibility without dumbing down

Stray Gods, which opened on May 30 as part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa), is a live concept album by musician weish. PHOTO: MOONRISE STUDIO

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UPDATED Jun 04, 2025, 11:30 AM

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SINGAPORE – Straightforward celebrations can make for boring art. In the year of SG60, the heavy duty fell upon Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) director Natalie Hennedige to programme a three-weekend-long festival that could imbue official patriotism with the necessary complexity.

Hennedige, known for her meta-theatrical, highbrow aesthetic, responded with innovation for her fourth festival. Her 2025 commissions – including a record 15 works from local groups – expanded inclusivity and accessibility while remaining true to Sifa’s mandate to push artistic boundaries, in part by taking her erudition down a notch.

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