Textures is the annual literary festival that celebrates the diverse voices in the Singapore literature (SingLit) community and this year’s edition sees it take on the form of a mobile installation/travelling library. If you think literature exists only in the form of books, Textures will upend that expectation; visitors are invited to discover the pluralistic worlds of SingLit through different creative avenues such as miniatures, papercut sculptures (by artist Ashley Yeo) and terrariums.

‘‘The past year gave us the language of quarantine, sheltering and social distances, which develops a sense of smallness and interiority, as our lives and worlds take place within a protective bubble. I’d like to take this smallness as an opportunity nonetheless for curiosity and exploration, to grow our fascination about others and our island, and our senses for pleasure and surprise,” says artist Jason Wee, who also serves as the festival’s first guest artistic director.

That innovative spirit is evident in commissioned works such as a miniature of a cake shop (pictured), created by Kin’s Miniatures who was inspired by author Yeoh Jo-Ann’s Impractical Uses of Cake. To experience more of this delightfully quirky festival, visit the Arts House from now to March 28, before it travels to the suburbs of Jurong, Yishun and Toa Payoh.

More information here.

This annual initiative by the World Wildlife Fund encourages audiences around the world to switch off non-essential lights for an hour in a symbolic nod towards salvaging the environment. The movement is now in its 14th year and millions around the world readily take part. But due to the pandemic, Earth Hour 2021 will largely take place online with live performances, virtual spotlights and discussions on how to do your part to save the planet.

It’s a simple task to carry out: so take part this Saturday at 8.30pm and click here to find out what else you can do on your part to help spread the message of environmental consciousness.

Of course, being environmentally responsible doesn’t just happen during that one hour once a year. Read FEMALE Collective member Aarika Lee’s simple, accessible tips on how you can be more eco-friendly on a daily basis, and for fashion folks, one Gen Z activist tells us how you can love fashion and still be sustainable.

Spanish artist Carmen Ceniga is currently holding court at independent art space I_S_L_A_N_D_S with a lovely exhibition titled Structures from Silence. Filled with hand-carved wood sculptures set amidst a background scattered with stones, it reminds us of the rock gardens found in Japan.

“This show celebrates energy transformation, sharing and expansion. As situations change around us, we do too. These pieces aim to strip down the outer layers of noise that surrounds us to invite deeper contemplation, arriving to the energetic core in the internal body,” reads the exhibition manifesto.

“The circular forms can be seen as internal energetic fields that vibrate boundlessly, or cascading ripples that ground our connection to the earth.” In other words, head here for a unique, calming experience in the midst of the city. I_S_L_A_N_D_S  is located in the basement of Excelsior Shopping Centre.

On now till March 31, #B1-07B Excelsior Shopping Centre