Tanjong Pagar Episode 02 - A Ticket through Time

7 ECHOES

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At the height of Singapore’s golden age of cinema, Tanjong Pagar was a vibrant hub for film and entertainment in the 1950s and 60s. A Ticket through Time, the third episode in The Everyday Museum’s Speaking of which self-guided audio trail series, invites listeners to trace the neighbourhood’s cinematic heritage. Through the eyes of Hannah, a time-traveling narrator, step back into the bustling Metropole Theatre at the junction of Maxwell Road and Tanjong Pagar Road, and revisit relics such as Gay Yau Studio on Choon Guan Street, where artists crafted hand-painted advertisements for the silver screen.

Directed by filmmaker Jessica Heng, produced by Bambby Cheuk, with sound design by Lynette Quek, this docu-narrative hybrid reimagines the scenography of life in mid-century Tanjong Pagar, inviting reflection on how the evolution of entertainment mirrors Singapore’s broader socio-cultural changes.

The experience begins at the cross junction before Maxwell Food Centre, opposite Fairfield Methodist Church, once known as the Metropole Theatre. Listeners will journey down Tanjong Pagar Road to Tras Link Park and Tanjong Pagar Plaza, before ending at Tanjong Pagar Community Club.

Speaking of which is commissioned by The Everyday Museum in partnership with the National Archives of Singapore.

Speaking of which

A space becomes a place when we inhabit it, associate memories with, inscribe histories, or simply refer to it. Speaking of which is a series of self-guided audio trails by The Everyday Museum, a public art initiative of Singapore Art Museum, which uncovers stories and invites renewed readings of the places in which we live. It is an invitation to imagine the scenography of life by walking, looking and listening. Each episode focuses on a specific neighbourhood and features archival records and oral interviews interspersed with commissioned audio works, which serve to expand the narratives that surround each place. Full details on www.theeverydaymuseum.sg