Meet The Go-To Advisor For Independent Creatives In Singapore On Event Planning
This six-month-old venture where young creatives can stage events is the main event for offering not just a free space, but also advice, contacts and collaborators that can help them to put on a good show. Soon, the curtains will come down on it yet it’s never been written about – until now.
Chris Shearmon (middle row, third from right) is the man behind the soon-to-be-defunct Lucky Hall, running it with the help of his teammates Lyana Ali (middle row, second from right) and Giriharan s/o Visvualingam (middle row, far right). Those who have held events on site include (top row, from left) Huiling Xie, founder of the pop culture and art marketplace Ziggie; visual artist/curator Chester Sim; author and illustrator Dorcas Tang; creative Melissa Tan; (middle row, from left) environmental advocate and creative Nadia Kishlan; textile artist Natalia Tan; DJ Ryan Chang; and (on floor) artist/curator DJ Bodhi.
As you read this, there is one month or less to the closure of Lucky Hall, the community wellness space set up by Briton Chris Shearmon in a sunny, second‐floor unit at 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace this February. You see, the venue – a former dance studio spanning a cavernous 4,500 sq ft and lined with playful, rainbow‐tinted window panes – is offered to its occupants free of charge, with master tenant Jerry Tan even covering the utility bills.
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The arrangement is to allow “as many artists and community users to utilise the space at no cost, as long as what they do in it benefits the community”, says Tan, adding that he used to rent it out for more than $8,000 a month. Come September, a project spotlighting pre-loved goods to raise awareness about environmental sustainability will take over. Tan stresses: “Until the lease for 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace is up, I’ll continue to provide this space for free for meaningful community usage on either an event or periodic basis.” For now though, Lucky Hall has got to go.
Knowing from the get‐go that Lucky Hall comes with an expiry date has never stopped the 39‐year‐old Shearmon from giving it his all though. A former corporate professional experienced in team‐building and executive search who has been living in Singapore for 12 years, he’s a familiar face in the building, operating Wild Pearl – a venue where DJs can practise and perform – in a third‐floor unit with his business partner Andy Lines since 2022. (This is one of his commercial ventures, whose space he does pay rent for.)
A spot in Lucky Hall featuring the work materials of author and illustrator Dorcas Tang.
Lucky Hall – the name a nod to the village halls that Shearmon visited growing up in the UK – has a different, and some might even say greater, purpose: to offer a place for creatives to hold wellness‐related events, and to be able to run them affordably and professionally. In the six months or so that it has been open, more than 15 events have been staged in its premises, including a dance circle by environmental advocate Nadia Kishlan and mystic Narayanee Singaram; a meditative music event called Channel: Forecast; and the playful, colour‐drenched art exhibition Kaleidoscope X The Night Ascent, co‐curated by the rising multidisciplinary artist Bodhi and the pop culture and art marketplace Ziggie.
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The running theme across all of them is wellness or, as Shearmon puts it, “dance, meditation, yoga, any experience in which someone comes here, participates and leaves feeling better”. It was what he had proposed to Tan when the pro bono space first became available following a meeting between the building’s subtenants and Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam regarding the future of 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace before the demolition crew comes in (according to an article in The Straits Times last month, this vibrant indie arts enclave is set to be razed in 2026 to make way for 6,000 housing units). “The minister mentioned that while financial concerns are not the primary issue, being able to demonstrate the value of our activities to the community and the wider public is crucial,” says Shearmon. “This made us realise that we need to do more to meet the government’s standards for community impact.”
The tapestry by community and textile artist Natalia Tan, who utilises the space at Lucky Hall for her work.
Of his concept, Shearmon expounds: “With everything going on in the world today, I think wellness should all the more be a priority. I’ve seen friends’ Instagram accounts where they post about the war in Gaza one moment, and event flyers or new shoes the next. People seem lost, helpless and strained. When I feel this way, I seek some sort of emotional healing even if it might not directly address what’s bothering me.” Tan was sold.
How Lucky Hall is benefiting the community most, though, might lie in Shearmon’s unofficial role as godfather of events planning and all‐round social glue. For starters, none of the event organisers have to pay for use of the space – rare in resource‐scarce Singapore. And for a fee that’s kept “well under market rate”, Lucky Hall’s team of professionals settle logistics such as set‐up and dismantling. Says Shearmon: “We focus on making it super easy and affordable for people to use our space. We don’t dictate what they do and they can come in almost anytime without needing to fill out too many forms.”
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Besides this so‐called hardware, Shearmon offers advice on conceptualising the events and bringing them to life as well as contacts and resources for collaborations and other forms of support. After all, he has had to go through the grind himself as co‐founder of Wild Pearl, which has worked with the likes of Yoga Movement, Soma Haus and even the i Light Singapore light art festival. He even curates his own events that bring creatives together to encourage them to experiment beyond their existing body of work. Cue the packed‐out, powerful (and downright fun) life drawing workshop by multidisciplinary artist Pallavi of the arts collective Raga and movement artist Sonia Kwek in May, for example.
The setup for the dance circle by environmental advocate and creative Nadia Kishlan and mystic Narayanee Singaram at Lucky Hall.
For young, emerging or independent creatives who depend on staging experiences to showcase their works and even possibly make a living, organising an event can seem intimidating or out of reach. Lucky Hall is meant to make it less so, equip them with some of the fundamentals of the game, and help them to feel more confident about doing it on their own – and hopefully on a larger scale – in future. The place will cease to exist, but its influence is meant to live on.
Says Shearmon: “Perhaps having a track record of events at Lucky Hall will help demonstrate their capabilities to potential business partners and venue operators, and help them to secure jobs, funding or other event venues. I’ve been there myself – taking the next step feels less risky when you have a strong foundation.” Here, we got him to share more insights and tips on creating meaningful events
The art exhibition Kaleidoscope X The Night Ascent, which took place at Lucky Hall in May, was co-curated by multidisciplinary artist Bodhi (left) and the pop culture and art marketplace Ziggie.
What’s your general view of young creatives and how they go about organising events here?
“I see that many people talk themselves out of starting something before they even try. Often, it boils down to concerns about cost or a lack of confidence. People doubt if attendees will show up or worry about whether they can achieve financial success. Other times, their expectations are too high and they aim for perfection too early on. My advice is to start small and focus on creating something you personally love. Invite as many people as you can to share your vision, then see how things unfold. Look at successful event organisers such as (the party collectives) Strange Weather and Revision Music – they began small and built up over time through dedication and learning from their past experiences. Comparing oneself to established organisers without considering their journey can be discouraging. Starting with just a few events and learning along the way is more realistic and rewarding than expecting immediate success.”
Who’s doing a great job of staging events?
“A good example is the (bedroom DJ collective) 5210PM Music. I really admire the group because it has taken the initiative to make things happen from the ground up. It has found its niche (largely fun, feel‐good parties that start early and don’t go past 10pm); booked DJs it resonates with; and built a strong visual identity (its signature posters feature stylish and whimsical illustrations with a wholesome bent). It’s proactive with securing venues and expanding its reach. I think more people should reference it when creating events instead of comparing themselves to longer‐established crews known for booking international DJs. This industry is about starting somewhere and growing step by step, and 5210PM Music embodies this ethos well.”
So how can young creatives get started?
“I believe they need to start small, document their progress and build a track record. It’s crucial to gather feedback, take photos of their events and understand who their audience is. Wild Pearl has been successful because we’ve been documenting our journey and are consistently pushing for new opportunities, sometimes to the point of stretching ourselves. Also, many people hesitate to ask for what they deserve from a venue or service provider after a successful event, but it’s important to not appear inexperienced. Confidence is key when approaching larger venues, while understanding their needs and demonstrating how you can add value are essential. For instance, showing how your community supports music and can spend can make a venue feel special and eager to collaborate. I’m currently assisting the 5210PM Music crew through this process, providing guidance on securing venues because I see in it the potential I wished I had when I started out.”
Scenes from a guided movement workshop organised by DJ Ryan Chang.
What makes a great event?
“I believe the beauty of intention is key. Every event crew I know has a unique intention and knows what it wants to express as an event organiser. This passion often stems from wanting to address some unmet needs in the event or music space, inspired by experiences abroad or online that they wish to recreate here. Being clear about these intentions and being able to fill gaps where existing events fall short are crucial to staging a great event.”
A big draw of Lucky Hall is that it offers space at no cost. And Jerry, the master tenant at 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace, has let you take over and run the premises without charging rent. Are rental rates really the biggest challenge for young creatives in Singapore?
“If you ask me, rent is always a concern, but rental contracts are a bigger issue. A two‐year rental contract can be overwhelming. It’s not like a phone contract, which is manageable even if it’s a few hundred dollars a month. When you’re talking about here is several thousand dollars a month – a significant commitment. And not all artists need a studio space all the time. For example, one of our neighbours only needs space when preparing for a big show. Artists’ needs are often cyclical and not constant, so long‐term contracts can be daunting unless you’re a professional artist with steady success. People see the total cost that adds up over the two years as opposed to, say, just $2,000 a month, and that can be intimidating.”
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What other challenges do young creatives face when it comes to finding space?
“The artists I know primarily need high‐quality storage spaces and a pleasant environment to create in. Ideally, these places should be close together. Many artists have a lot of materials that they don’t want to keep at home, especially if they live with family who may not appreciate the clutter. Yet, it’s often unrealistic to have access to a huge studio space like the artist lofts of New York 50 to 60 years ago. What would be beneficial is a co‐working space tailored to artists’ needs, including extra storage space or a well‐designed storage room that’s on ground level and has secure, lockable cabinets for heavy or valuable items. We’re fortunate that our landlord allows artists in our building to store some items in a spare room, but that’s not ideal or always going to be the case elsewhere. Ultimately, we need an extension of an art school – a dedicated space for creativity and artists. For those who can’t afford a big studio or don’t want to work from home, a hybrid space could be incredibly valuable in future.”
THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR BREVITY AND CLARITY.
COORDINATION IMRAN JALAL PHOTOGRAPHY ATHIRAH ANNISSA ART DIRECTION JONATHAN CHIA HAIR AND MAKEUP SARAH TAN
This article first appeared in the August 2024 Passion Edition of FEMALE