Where RP’s arts scene turns shared stories into a living, breathing performance.
Every year, Reflections Arts Festival transforms Republic Polytechnic into a creative playground. Our performing and visual arts Interest Groups (IGs) take over campus with music, movement and colour, filling corridors, studios and theatres with life. This year’s theme, Ren·dezvous, is inspired by the Chinese character “人” (ren), which means “people”. It celebrates the connections between generations, cultures and creative voices. Each show and showcase brings something distinctly RP – and uniquely Singaporean – to the spaces students call home.
Makan‑Makan: Art You Can Almost Taste
In the middle of South Agora, Makan‑Makan by Art.titude stopped busy students in their tracks, with food. Instead of simply drawing pretty plates, the team spoke to Singaporeans about the dishes that defined their childhoods and family traditions.
“We wanted each artwork to turn these heartfelt stories and delicious dishes into visuals, and remind audiences that home is not just a place, but the shared experiences that bring us together,” said Kara Lim An Ning, President of Art.titude IG.
Hand‑made 3D clay models of local favourites sat beside sketches of noisy, comforting dining scenes: round tables, kopi cups, hawker centre lights. Even within a small exhibition space, the team carefully placed every piece so that someone just passing by between classes could still feel the warmth and nostalgia behind each story.
Tribute IV: Yours, Shanty – When Retro Meets RP
With Tribute IV: Yours, Shanty, RP’s musicians and performers whisked audiences back to the 1960s – then gently pulled them into the present.
The show paid tribute to pioneers of Singapore’s music scene through classics like Shanty by The Quests and tracks from Class Acts, an album that honours local hits. Bold, textured costumes in pastel tones, retro styling and dynamic lighting gave the performance the feel of an old‑school variety show, but with a fresh student twist.
As the show went on, the visuals and styling evolved, mirroring Singapore’s own journey from kampong days to city life. By the final items, the cast appeared in modern looks that reflected today’s young musicians, showing how the rhythms of the past still pulse through the music we listen to now.
Rhythm guitarist Uy Samuel Mason Villalobos shared, “I hope the audience walks away with a greater appreciation for music of the past and sees how it has evolved to shape the sounds we enjoy today.” In a world of instant streams and viral hits, Tribute gently reminded everyone that today’s playlists stand on the shoulders of yesterday’s songs – and that RP students are ready to carry that legacy forward.
Ma: A Quiet Story That Stays With You
In the cosy TRCC Studio, the sound of the Chinese orchestra wrapped the audience in a rich, familiar atmosphere. Ma, a staging of Kuo Pao Kun’s work, followed an elderly woman who feels neglected by her children. When her adopted cat goes missing, she sets out to find it, and the search slowly reveals how small her place has become in an ever‑faster Singapore.
Through a series of intimate scenes, the production confronted themes many recognised but rarely talk about: widening generational gaps, fading cultural roots, and the quiet loneliness some seniors face. The story never preached, but it nudged the audience to look a little harder at their own lives.
“Don’t neglect your parents – and seriously, learn your mother tongue,” said actor Tay Kiam Boon, delivering a line that drew both laughter and a quiet sting of truth. Light‑hearted local humour sat alongside raw, emotional moments, supported by thoughtful lighting and live music. When the show ended, many people stayed seated for a while longer, thinking about the people waiting for them at home.
MUSE XIV: Zubir – Dancing the Story Behind Majulah Singapura
Presented by RP’s dance IGs – Style Groovaz Crew, Selatra, Dharma Endari, Modern Dance, Capoeira and Wushu – MUSE XIV: Zubir turned the life and legacy of Zubir Said, the composer of Majulah Singapura, into a powerful, physical story.
“To me, the theme of Zubir is about resilience – the strength to hold onto your purpose even when the world doesn’t fully understand you,” said choreographer Zelia Ang Kah Ning from Style Groovaz Crew. That idea guided the choreography, which traced Zubir’s struggles, sacrifices and the joy he found in music.
One moment in particular had the whole theatre on its feet. During the alumni segment by Style Groovaz Crew, their choreographer Khai dropped to one knee mid‑performance and proposed to his partner on stage, dedicating Mirrors by Justin Timberlake to her. TRCC exploded with cheers. For a few minutes, the stage wasn’t just a performance space – it became the centre of a memory the couple, and the audience, will never forget. It was a reminder that what happens in RP’s arts spaces often reaches far beyond the show itself.
Symphonie de République XVII: Monsoons – When Winds Carry Stories
For Symphonie de République XVII: Monsoons, RP’s music ensembles came together in a rare large‑scale collaboration: Wind Symphony, String Ensemble, Gamelan Naga Kencana, Dikir Barat RP and Chinese Ensemble shared the same stage. Inspired by the monsoon winds that once brought traders to Singapore’s shores, the concert explored how unseen forces continue to shape and connect communities today.
“Act 1 celebrated Singapore’s cultural roots through ethnic ensembles, while Act 2 transitioned into contemporary compositions that captured the rhythm of modern life and digital connection,” explained student producer Caliana Gisele Tian En Soon.
Traditional instruments exchanged melodies with modern arrangements, gradually building towards a finale that brought alumni back on stage. The closing piece felt like a reminder that even as life speeds up and changes, there are still things that hold us together – heritage, friendship and shared spaces like RP.
Why Reflections Matters – and Why RP
Across Makan‑Makan, Tribute, Ma, MUSE XIV: Zubir and Monsoons, one thing was clear: Reflections Arts Festival is more than just a week of shows. It’s where RP students turn CCA practices, late‑night rehearsals and countless planning meetings into something bigger – performances that move people, exhibitions that spark conversations, and moments that stay with audiences long after the lights go down.
If you’re a future student thinking about RP, a current student who has never stepped into TRCC, or an alumni curious about how our arts scene has grown, Ren·dezvous shows what can happen when young creatives are trusted and supported.
At Republic Polytechnic, the arts aren’t just a “nice to have”. They’re how students learn to tell stories, lead teams, manage real productions and connect with real audiences – skills that matter wherever they go next.
And who knows? Next year, the story on stage might be yours.
