ARTWALK 2022

CONTEXT

• ARTWALK 2022 is the rebranded 8th edition of the ARTWALK Little India 
  • Rebranding was due to an added precinct, Katong-Joo Chiat
• ARTWALK 2022 is presented as a part of Singapore Art Week
• For ARTWALK 2022, there was a demand for new, more refreshing programmes
  • This was also to align with the theme for 2022 – Looking Back, Going Forward
    • Excerpt from meeting minutes (31/8/21): living in the new normal, looking forward- introduce some new elements (more contemporary- music, performance, dance, space, architecture)
• STB wanted connection between two precincts
  • There had to be a link between our two precincts in order for audiences to notice/acknowledge that they are under the same event
    • Excerpt from meeting minutes (24/8/21): The challenge is how to package [both precincts] as the same [event]

PROBLEMS

• Rebranding
  • While a revamp of the festival was predetermined by STB, as ARTWALK 2022 included an additional precinct this year, it had a noticeable impact on our reach
  • There was also pushback from STB advising against the official rebranding of our social media channels and website (excerpt from meeting minutes (05/10/21): Handles and website URL to stay the same after discussion with STB), which could have strongly impacted our reach and connectivity, especially for Katong-Joo Chiat
  • Since there was another programme which used the event title “Artwalk Singapore”, it prevented us from having exclusive rights to appropriate social media handles
  • Audiences who attended live events, especially in Katong-Joo Chiat, expressed confusion at the social media handles not reflecting the shift in focus away from just Little India

• Being a part of Singapore Art Week
  • There were many events lined up as part of Singapore Art Week. While being a part of it did give ARTWALK 2022 credibility, it also could have drowned the event out due to the large number of events held concurrently
    • ARTWALK 2022 might have stood out in certain ways, such as having a wide variety of programmes or having unique programmes, but currently there is only a niche audience following

• Bridging two precincts with two different qualities
  • Little India and Katong Joo Chiat were two very different, separate places that had their own history
    • We researched on the groups who lived in LI and KJC and also looked into the history of how these people ended up living in those cultural enclaves
    • We also looked into the daily activities of the groups who lived there, their food, clothing, architecture
  • There really still isn’t any strong element tying them together, but we did find out about Peranakan Indians, also known as the Chetti Melaka

• Audience retention/widening of audience base
  • Current audiences may have felt unfamiliar with the festival’s vision because of the rebranding
  • Context for rebranding was not rationalised to both to the team as well as to the audience
  • Marketing efforts were not enough to establish the addition of the new precinct Katong Joo Chiat as part of ARTWALK 2022
  • Lack of traditional marketing strategies

• Hybrid format
  • Digital fatigue due to the overload of online events for the past 2 years owing to the pandemic
  • Audiences preference for on-site experiences
  • Existing restrictions meant lower audience capacity for on-site experiences

• Limited manpower
  • Every department had only one person, no division of labour within the departments
  • Twice the amount of work with less than half the number of people
    • As such, we had to allocate time for communications and multimedia, in addition to being stretched thin with our own departmental duties

• Time constraints
  • There were delays in the timelines of some stakeholders such as with the design company and one of the artists
  • The timeline for ARTWALK was shorter this year, starting a few weeks later than previous years and also having a completely new precinct

BA (Hons) Arts Management students Andrea Pereira, Athira Maswan, Jyothsna Akilan, Mruthika Priya Raman, and Natalie Chan, came together as the core team of students that managed ARTWALK 2022. The team undertook the mammoth task of expanding and reinventing the annual festival taking place in Little India to include Katong-Joo Chiat, and very successfully showcased the depth and diversity of each precinct through art, its people, and their hidden precinct stories. The team demonstrated strategic applications of their learning towards the careful diversification of programming and workshops, features of minority groups, and most of all upholding the integrity of the two very unique and individual precincts. In doing so, they were able to not only retain ARTWALK's existing followers and audiences but also capture new audience segments. 

While managing the macro perspectives of festival execution, the team showed high capability in functioning as a lean 5-member team with impressive organizational and team communication skills in delivering a festival of this scale handling all functions from artist management and financial management to social media management and logistics management.

Andrea – Marketing

Given role (as per first briefing)

• Managing festival designers and website development
• Managing social media

Additional roles

• Creating of highlight reel for ARTWALK 2022 launch
• Facilitating on-site events
• Facilitating documentation and archival

Athira – Finance

Given role (as per first briefing)

• Managing budget
• Managing event specific sponsorship

Additional roles

• Managing paid social media promotions
• Creating and organising administrative documents
• Assisting with exhibition set-up
• Facilitating on-site events
• Assisting with documentation and archival

Jyo – Logistics

Given role (as per first briefing)

• Contracting artists and wall owners
• Fabricating and deinstalling artwork
• Coordinating schedules, equipment and operations
• Licensing applications to government agencies
• Managing records 

Additional roles:

• Assisting with filming of digital events
• Assisting with programme ideation 
• Assisting with vetting video drafts
• Coordinating overall exhibition logistics and setup
• Facilitating on-site events
• Assisting with documentation and archival

Natalie – Programmes

Given role (as per first briefing)

• Managing artists
• Co-curating programme line up

Additional roles:

• Assisting with direction of digital events
• Vetting of copies for marketing and press materials
• Assisting with exhibition set-up
• Generating mural plaques
• Facilitating on-site events
• Assisting with documentation and archival

Thika – Events

Given role (as per first briefing)

• Filming of digital events
• Running media and launch day
• Launching online and onsite programming

Additional roles

• Creating Advisory Panel deck and run Advisory Panel presentation
• Overseeing staffing and running of live events
• Overseeing editing of all videos
• Creating highlight reel for ARTWALK 2022 launch
• Generating mural plaques
• Assisting with documentation and archival
• Hiring photographers and videographer
• Liaising with external media outlets (Plural Magazine, Mediacorp Vasantham)

ARTWALK 2022 Vision:

The festival aims to showcase the depth and diversity of Little India and Katong-Joo Chiat's present-day offering.

Objectives given by STB:

• Using art as a medium to present unique precinct stories and information to visitors in an unconventional way
• Enhancing overall visitor experience within Little India and Katong-Joo Chiat
• Reaching out to the younger generation
• Increasing local engagement with business owners and residents 

Team’s Objectives: 

• Featuring minority communities within the precincts
• Attracting and retaining the interest and participation of art enthusiasts of all ages
• Showcasing the intersection of classical and modern within the Indian, Peranakan and Eurasian cultures
• Associating street art (through the medium of wall murals) with the Tourism Board and culture, thereby endorsing it as valid

ARTWALK 2022 had a total budget of $120,000. 
 

Our total expenditures totalled up to $100,503.92, leaving us with a surplus of $19,496.08.

Phase 1: Pre-event (Aug 24 - Jan 13)

• Rebranding of festival
• Confirmation of walls
• Develop, pitch and revise ARTWALK 2022 programming
• Ideate festival's key visuals and web design 
• Propose social media calendar
• Creation of master budget
• Finalise programming and propose schedule for ARTWALK 2022
• Finalise key visuals and social media calendar
• Prepare and revise panel proposal decks 
• Draft media releases
• Presentation to advisory panel 
• Review and monitor contracts and GIRO forms
• Application for URA licences
• Arrange for delivery of boom/scissor lift and paint materials
• Submit wall plaque applications to Building and Construction Authority (BCA)
• Supervise and assist in filming for online programs and editing process
• Draft sponsorship letters and source for giveaway partners
• Review e-guide drafts and commence 2nd wave of website updates
• Launch Peatix for on-site workshops
• Drafting decks and preparing invites for Media and Launch Day
• Setting up Heritage & Dress exhibition

Phase 2: During event (Jan 14, 15, 21, 22)

• Facilitating on-site activities
• Scheduling premieres for online programs
• Collating statistics for ARTWALK 2022

Phase 3: Post-event (Jan 15 - Feb 17)

• Finalising statistics for ARTWALK 2022
• Internal debrief
• Debrief with STB
• Return remaining funds to LASALLE

Pre-Event

• Looking into ARTWALK archives to inform programming direction
• Internal discussions questioning our programming choices and linking it to the precincts and theme
• Referring to STB’s introductory deck for festival objectives and information about the cultural precincts provided the team context
• Proposals: Vendors were encouraged to go into detail about their projects and art forms and their relation to the festival’s theme
• Contracting artists
• Understanding requirements of the artist/artist group for selection of venue
• Dimensions of the street/road for ordering boom or scissor lift
• Ordering necessary paint materials and equipment (boom/scissor lift) for mural painting
• Communicating with wall owners for the availability of charging points for the boom/scissor lifts
• Stock check for additional paint materials if required 
• Coordinate hiring and return of all exhibits and materials involved in the setup
• Ensuring that enough buffer time is given for all uploads in the social media calendar, in case of delays in receiving materials from external sources (details from sponsors, artists, external vendors).
• Having a clear idea of how the website should be structured, and communicate with the design company clearly and concisely, making sure the website is easy to navigate for users.

During-Event

• Follow NAC guidelines for on-site experiences
• Schedule personnel on-site for events
• Volunteers on standby as backup for event facilitation 
• Hire and conduct event-day walkthrough with archival photographers
• Monitor waiting list for on-site experiences
• Schedule premiere of digital programmes
• Marketing of extra workshop tickets on social media platforms
• Marketing of actual event happenings on social media platforms
• Compiling list of giveaway participants
• Communicating with the gallery sitter on a daily basis to collate visitor numbers for the exhibition
• Monitoring the timesheet of the sitter for hourly payment

Post-Event

• Internal debrief with supervisors and debrief with STB
• Reviewing statistics
• Reflecting on challenges and thinking of solutions
• Providing recommendations for future editions
• Digital retrospective video
• Documentation
• Project Archival
• Post event highlights on social media platforms
• Follow-up with giveaway winners

Programmes

• Looking into ARTWALK archives to better understand the festival in terms of what has been done and what hasn’t. This then informed the curation of the festival. Some aspects of the festival that were researched on include:
  • Past programmes and previous mural artists
  • Website and social media efforts
  • Videos
  • Event schedules
• Understanding the precincts' history and culture to present them in the best light. Efforts made to achieve this involved: 
  • Looking into key visual and kinesthetic aspects of the precincts to highlight as part of the curation of programmes
  • Familiarising ourselves with notable vendors in both precincts such as flower shops, heritage places and gourmet stores
  • Understanding cultures of Peranakan, Eurasian and Indian to be featured in programs (e.g cuisines, practices like peranakan beading, dances like Jinkli Nona)
• Cross referencing with similar festivals 
  • To better understand hybrid festivals such as what types of programs might be ideal for this format
  • Referring to documents and archivals from events we were involved in previously
  • Aided in maintaining caution and learning from past mistakes when going forward with ARTWALK
    • Sharing our experiences with past events, allowed us to develop efficient working structures and manage expectations
• Process of planning and executing the Heritage and Dress Exhibition: 
  • Consultations with lecturers including Sunitha and Dinu to understand the best approach to present the exhibition
  • Organising meetings with the team and alumni to discuss and review ideas for the exhibition
  • Understanding direction of curation from the deck provided by LASALLE Fashion Alumni before reaching out to relevant vendors for materials

Marketing

• Social Media
  • Referring to previous social media calendars, as well as researching on timings that are favoured by the current social media algorithm (i.e. when the target audience will be most active on social media) to allow for better engagement on social media posts
  • Researching on suitable platforms and social media marketing strategies for hybrid festival programming
• Website
  • Researching on optimal website layouts and visual hierarchies (taken from IT and Design Skills module in late 2021) to provide feedback to design company’s proposals
  • Taking inspiration from previous years website layouts to decide what works and what needs to be changed

Logistics

• Digital Performances and Workshops
  • Considerations for sourcing venues included budget allocated, availability of required tech, permissions/licences required, layout of the space, capacity and accessibility
• Murals
  • Referring to past years’ operational considerations to allocate appropriate resources and time for mural paintings
    • Learning from past editions to allocate sufficient time for delays in painting due to weather/vendor delays
    • Researching on boom/scissor lift vendors and specifications to provide artists with appropriate resources
    • Understanding the working of lifts from briefing given by the vendor to learn how to charge the machine as well as to ensure safety of artist
  • Conducting risk assessment (taken from Events Management module in October 2021) to have safety measures in place, especially to prevent injuries and loss/theft of paint materials 
• Exhibition
  • Researching the different ways of displaying the exhibits which was finally narrowed down to usage of mannequins for garments and transparent acrylic cases for accessories
• Contracting Artists
  • Referring to past years’ contracts to understand the nature of terms and conditions
  • Consultation with LASALLE’s Department of Industry Relations and Community Engagement (DICE) to include necessary clauses for adherence to COVID-19 guidelines

Events

• Major Events Checklist (taken from Events Management module in October 2021)
  • Location, reputation, price, atmosphere, layout/capacity, hire fee, staging, tech, access, licensing (in collaboration with Logistics department)
  • Having a checklist of the various factors to keep in mind helped to expedite the vetting process for venues and also ensure the venue was ideal for activities being conducted without missing any major obstacles
• Research on Crafting Press Releases
  • Refer to past year’s press release to gauge tone, content and structure
  • Liaise with LASALLE Communications to vet drafts
  • Refer to other press releases to distinguish the voice of ARTWALK 2022’s press release from other editions’ releases
• Research on Video Conceptualisation and Direction
  • Draw inspiration from existing materials on streaming platforms and structure it to fit the festival’s theme
  • Loosely script videos and give artists agency to determine the specifics, as this allows them more creative freedom than fully scripting videos for them
• Reflections on Accessibility
  • After having conducted the event, the team realised that we would want to make the festival more accessible as a recommendation for future editions. The safe management measures this year limited our ability to select appropriately accessible venues, and hence could have excluded more senior and/or disabled participants from engaging with some of our programmes
  • Using the accessibility checklist created by Access Path Productions, future teams could consider selecting more accessible venues and environments in which to conduct events, thereby being more inclusive

Finance

• Preliminary research on venue/artist fee/vendor fee in order to fill up the projected expenditure column of the master budget sheet
  • The artist/vendor fee could then be adjusted and determined by our projected surplus/deficit, and if we had a significant surplus after taking into account other project expenses, we would be able to offer artists an increase in their fee
• Reaching out to potential sponsors
  • Convincing them that sponsoring us will be mutually beneficial
  • Ways we can promote each other’s platforms
  • Shortlisting of potential giveaway prizes from a list of sponsors’ goods/services
• Making the most out of our marketing budget to increase views and engagement
  • We relied on paid promotions on Facebook and Instagram, and as such, the amount that could go towards the boost of one post had to be planned out carefully.
  • The longer the boost duration and the higher the estimated price paid daily, the more views and engagements there will be
  • The use of our giveaways as one of the ways to increase views and engagement
• Price comparisons
  • For mural, filming, and programme materials: had to make a comparison between materials from different physical and online stores
  • For logistics services: looked at different companies who could help us transport materials, self-pick up of heavy items
  • For transport: looked at the different ride-hailing services and decided on the company that was most consistent and competitive in pricing, especially during peak hours
• Budget management
  • Researched and tried the best ways to manage two budgets (main budget and cash advance)

Project’s Vision:

To produce a festival showcasing the lesser known inhabitants of the two precincts and to connect them in a way that is cohesive, yet highlighting their distinctness.

Team’s Objectives: 

• To feature minority communities within the precincts
• To attract and retain the interest and participation of art enthusiasts of all ages
• To showcase the intersection of classical and modern within the Indian, Peranakan and Eurasian cultures
• To associate street art (through the medium of wall murals) with the Tourism Board and culture, thereby endorsing it as valid

Expected Outcomes:

• Deeper public appreciation for cultural precincts and their histories
  • Why: To preserve the relevance of precincts and its inhabitants both culturally and historically
  • How: By raising awareness of vendors and experiences that are special to the precinct, such as antique museums and food establishments
• More recognition for the merits of mural artists
  • Why: To present street art in a positive light, devoid of stereotypes
  • How: Placing their works at the forefront, allowing them to be showcased to passers-by and celebrating street art
• Increased visitorship of Katong-Joo Chiat
  • Why: To establish it as a cultural precinct
  • How: By highlighting aspects of their culture through food, clothing, motifs and stories 
• Acknowledgement of contemporised forms of traditional art
  • Why: To showcase how traditional art can be made relevant
  • How: By featuring programs that draw inspiration from both the traditional and contemporary. Examples of this include Varsha whose music genre combines classical Indian music with a fusion of rock and progressive genres, and Iswarya with a mix of Indian classical and contemporary dance.  
• More audiences attending in groups
  • Why: To encourage higher attendance from diverse groups
  • How: Presenting ARTWALK as a social experience 

Programmes:

• Little India
  • 3 murals 
  • 3 performances
  • 1 short film
  • 2 workshops
  • 2 experiences
  • 4 tour sessions

• Katong - Joo Chiat
  • 2 murals
  • 2 short films
  • 2 workshops
  • 3 experiences 
  • 4 tour sessions
  • Heritage and Dress Exhibition at LASALLE Creative Cube Foyer (14 January 2022 - 22 January 22)

Marketing Campaign

• Campaign timeframe: November 11, 2021 to February 14, 2022
• Instagram Posts:
  • Pre-Event
    • Festival announcement (6)
    • Artists and programmes reveal (19)
    • Final event schedule (2)
    • Event countdown (3)
    • Volunteer open-call
• Event:
  • Deals and promotion vouchers (1)
  • Giveaway posts (4)
• Post-Event:
  • Event Reel
  • Sponsor Acknowledgements (2)
• Instagram stories: 
  • Pre-Event: 25
  • Event: 22
  • Post-Event: 11
• Instagram reel: 1 Highlight reel

Streaming platforms for digital events

• YouTube: 11 video
• Facebook: 11 videos

ARTWALK Press Release