Yvonne Tham

CEO, The Esplanade

 

Esplanade–Theatres on the Bay's CEO has extensive experience in elevating culture

Yvonne Tham is the chief executive of Esplanade—Theatres on the Bay, Singapore’s national performing arts centre. The University of Cambridge graduate, who joined Esplanade in 2014, took over the role in August 2018 from former CEO Benson Puah, who had been at the helm for two decades.

Prior to joining Esplanade, Tham was deputy CEO at the National Arts Council, formulating policies and programmes for arts grants, arts education, community engagement and arts infrastructure. The former junior college literature teacher also worked as director of the arts and heritage division at the former Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, and was involved in establishing the DesignSingapore Council and the National Gallery.

Tham has continued to steer Esplanade in putting on virtual performances and presentations during the Covid-19 pandemic, including June 2021’s Pesta Raya—Malay Festival of the Arts, as well as in-person performances where possible, such as Kalaa Utsavam—Indian Festival of Arts held in November 2021. The 2021 edition of the Baybeats musical festival also welcomed back live music and in-person performances at various areas around the Esplanade. In 2022, Esplanade opened both its 550-capacity, highly adaptable Singtel Waterfront Theatre and its Contemporary Performing Arts Research Residency, which encourages creative performing-arts research while allowing artists to exchange interdisciplinary and transcultural dialogues.

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Did You Know?


The distinctive metal spikes on the Esplanade’s domes are designed to let light enter the Concert Hall and Theatre Foyer spaces while simultaneously keeping the heat out.

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