The Singapore Arts Festival began in 1977 as a national showcase celebrating the local arts of Singapore’s diverse communities. Over the last three decades, the Festival, organised by the National Arts Council, has played a symbiotic and catalytic role in development of the artistic and cultural life of Singapore. It has helped to transform the city’s landscape, turning it into one of Asia’s major cultural capitals of today. It has influenced the work of artists and generated a growing public demand for the arts, spawning new capital platforms, events and movements that help underpin the lively cultural scene in present day Singapore. Today, the Singapore Arts Festival has become an international showcase with a distinctive Asian flavour, known for its bold and innovative collaborations at the cutting-edge of contemporary arts. The 33rd edition of the Singapore Arts Festival will run from 14 May to 13 June 2010.