Animation is increasingly a part of content creation and storytelling for brands big and small and the best place to check out the emerging talents in this scene is Cartoons Underground.

Billed as Singapore’s (and also Southeast Asia’s) first and largest independent animation festival, Cartoons Underground is getting a glow-up of sorts. This year’s edition (its 11th) sees the event being staged in a cinema theatre for the first time.

Organisers received the largest number of submissions ever, having to choose just sixteen films from almost 1,700 animators from 96 different countries. Nine animated shorts will be competing in the competition among international creators, while seven by young Singapore-based animators will be taking part in the local competition.

The festival has also joined forces with *Scape and Lasalle College of the Arts to launch Animated Visions, a series of events intended to increase access for all to the animation industry including masterclasses, a story development lab, and industry meetups, all of which will be free to members of the public.

Get your tickets here.

Oct 22, 7pm, The Projector Picturehouse 

For the uninitiated, the Esplanade’s Mosaic Music Series features exceptional musicians at the forefront of their genres – and the latest edition spotlights the critically acclaimed Japanese composer Meitei (pictured) who has been singled out by industry heavyweights like Pitchfork for his blend of contemporary techniques with a nostalgia for Japanese folklore.

Fans of local music will recognise Kin Leonn, often described to be ambient music’s boy wonder. The fast-rising sound artist, composer, pianist, and producer will be making a guest appearance on Meitei’s set, so it should make for quite the atmospheric show. Get your tickets here.

Oct 22, 7:30pm, Esplanade Annexe Studio

Fincrafted Goods, comprised of co-founders Erliana Kamiti and Fahmy Ishak (pictured) was one of the earliest advocates for the upcycling movement in Singapore – to the tune of 10 years. The studio is known for taking a Japanese-influenced patchwork approach to upcycling, and this weekend, all are invited down to their space at Jalan Pemimpin for their 10th anniversary festivities. Expect a stylishly decked-out crowd and plenty of one-off designs (even patchworked denim artworks) for sale – see you there.

Oct 22 to Oct 29, 1pm-7pm, #03-03A Halcyon Building, 39A Jalan Pemimpin

If you’ve yet to check out the recently opened Singapore Biennale, this long weekend is a good time to do so – in particular the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) at Tanjong Pagar Distripark location (which is where a lot of the key artworks can be found).

SAM is having a late night special this weekend where the opening hours have been extended and special activities planned – certain artworks, like Haegue Yang’s The Hybrid Intermediates – Flourishing Electrophorus Duo (pictured) will be activated at various timings at night this weekend for example.

Other activities include artist talks, a late-night market curated by Balester Market Collective (the cool F&B joint within the SAM space) and even a party (Eatmepoptart). More details here.

 Oct 21 to Oct 22, various times, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road