A huge, overbearing bronze spider (Louise Bourgie’s Maman), a round, reflective bean (Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate), a sculpture spelling L-O-V-E (Robert Indiana’s LOVE)… these are all famous artworks set in public space that have enlivened our interactions with the surroundings.

In this episode, we look to Mapletree Business City in Singapore as a local case study on the topic of art in public space. Joining us is Leon Tan, project manager of the public art education trail we will be exploring today.

Did you know that celebrity such as Charlie Chaplin graced the Seletar Airport once upon a time?

In Episode 5 of Sounds of Our City, we have a new co-host, Yi Jing! Join Yi Jing and Shida Osman, as they unveil the lesser known airport in Singapore, Seletar Airport & Seletar Aerospace Park.

On a scorching hot Monday, they persevered through the heat to bring you the sights and sounds of private jets & the only operating flight: Firefly, the aesthetic of hidden colonial-styled black and white bungalows, among lush green foliage.

Fun fact: Formerly known as the largest British base of formerly the site of the largest British Royal Air Force (RAF) base, “Seletar” refers to the aboriginal coastal dwellers known as the Orang Laut who had originally lived among the mangrove creeks of the Johor Straits. Plans to redevelop the Seletar area for Singapore’s aerospace needs were announced in 2006.

Not only that, discreetly tucked away in Seletar, Yi Jing & Shida explored the food and lifestyle hub, endearingly called The Oval. To name a few: The Wildseed Bar & Cafe and The Wheeler’s Estate. Recommended for families to escape from the hustle & bustle of the usual busy Singapore city life. Try it!

On this episode, in the run-up to Singapore National Day, host Graham Brown catches up with an array of great guests, to discuss why Singapore is so special to them.

He starts out by speaking with Priyanka Nadkarni, Managing Director of digital marketing agency Window Seat Consulting, who shares her experiences moving to Singapore, from Melbourne, Australia, 9 years ago. She also reveals what she thinks makes the people in Singapore so willing to offer help and why it’s such a welcoming place for newcomers.

Next, Graham chats with Jonah Lee, Founder of logistic company Moovaz and restaurant chain Reedz. Jonah fondly recalls his beginnings as an entrepreneur, selling waffles at a kiosk, and how he was able to develop it into a thriving business with multiple locations. You’ll learn about the changes in mindset he underwent along the way, as well as how he was able to stay connected to the business as it grew.

Finally, Graham is joined by Thomas Gorissen, Organiser of JSConf.Asia, Hugh Mason and Wong Meng Weng from JFDI. They discuss Singapore’s similarities with Silicon Valley and what it is about the place that attracts unconventional people from all over South East Asia and beyond.

In this episode of Sounds of the City, Graham Brown heads to Kuala Lumpur to meet Bob Chua, founder of BlinQ Fashion. Join the pair as they explore the city, taking in the mouthwatering sights and smells of hawker stalls and discussing what modern entrepreneurs can learn from the people that run them. You’ll also discover why, despite growing up all over the world, Bob is most home in Kuala Lumpur and how he feels the city has evolved

We are in Singapore, recording the second episode of Sound of Our City.

Cities may look similar to each other, boring at a glance. But stories of people are what make them unique and extraordinary in their own way.

Today’s Sound of Our City episode is about people of Singapore. Anuj tells the story of when he first came to Singapore. Dennis Poh tells the story of when he left the law firm to start a business. Sheldon and Chester share their amazing story of lugging horse dung off the steps of Singapore polytechnic. Stuart shares a watershed moment in his career development when he decided to go alone. And at last, William shares the story of being stuck on a bridge between Singapore and Malaysia in the middle of the night.

This is the beginning of Sounds of Our City. We want to tell the story of Asian cities through the people and their local stories. So the first episode is on Singapore.

We have five stories from local entrepreneurs and investors whom shared their their journeys and took us to a place Singapore that has special meaning for them. There are four others joining me on this journey. We have Cherilyn Tan from Asia law network, JW Ngeow , who has had two successful exits here in Singapore, and now also an entrepreneur and angel investor in other endeavors, john Tanner, who moved to Singapore from Australia, an angel investor, Steven Liew. They all share different stories with different flavors, but they are all meaningful stories for them.