Once the beating heart of NUS’ performing arts scene, Runme Shaw CFA Studios, fondly known as CFA Studios, was home to the university’s music, dance, theatre, and film groups for over three decades. Within these walls, generations of nascent artists learned, challenged boundaries, and found meaning and kinship through the pursuit of their art. Constructed in 1985 to provide infrastructural support to the performing arts, the building was recently slated for demolition as part of a long-term strategy to optimise the use of campus spaces.
On 2 Aug 2024, more than 500 students, alumni, and staff gathered to celebrate the enduring legacy of this cherished space. The CFA Studios Block Party, a lovingly curated programme of performances and installations, was thus conceived as a send-off in keeping with the place’s exuberant spirit.
Senior Associate Director, Section Head of Centre for the Arts, Ms Jobina Tan embracing a former member of NUS Arts Production Crew.
Ebelle Chong, Manager at the Centre for the Arts, Office of Student Affairs termed the Block Party as “a time for all who have passed through the doors of CFA Studios, be it for a fleeting moment or a considerable span of time, to come together to reminisce, say farewell, and simply have a good time.”
Ground zero of arts excellence in NUS
The festivities began with a surprise guitar performance by Dean of Students, A/P Ho Han Kiat, followed by a series of soulful acoustic acts from NUS Amplified, NUS Fingerstyle Guitar, and NUS Voices. A/P Ho, the first staff advisor to NUS Fingerstyle Guitar, recognised CFA Studios’ significance in the development of the arts on campus, saying: “I count this space as the ground zero of arts excellence in NUS. Not because this is the best performance space on campus, but because this is the place where individuals are drawn together, creative ideas are seeded, performances are experimented [with], and from that, many beautiful stories are written.”
Dean of Students, A/Prof Ho Han Kiat and V. Vijayalakshmi from Office of Student Affairs, Student Wellness, with an impromptu song item at Open Mic Performance.
Goodbyes took many forms in the eclectic array of activities presented. Some, like SWANSONGS: A Finale Rave for Runme Shaw CFA Studios by NUS Electronic Music Lab, were boisterous, exhilarating tributes that had attendees swaying to pounding rhythms. Others, like dear, cfa, a piece of verbatim theatre by student collective n:ow arts, were raw and achingly introspective, inviting audiences to reflect on their own journeys within this space.
Students and Alumni raving at "SWANSONGS: A Finale Rave for Runme Shaw CFA Studios".
Leaving an indelible mark
As the sun set, the walls and corridors of CFA Studios bloomed with written outpourings of gratitude, longing, and hope. Left behind by staff and students, both past and present, each dedication was a mark made on a place that had marked them in one way or another. Whether it was a creative haven, a safe space to express themselves, or merely a spot to groove, jam, or sing with friends, CFA Studios will remain in memory long after its bricks and bones are dust.
A reflection on the wall by a member of the public.
Within NUS, CFA Studios’ spirit of creativity, experimentation, and camaraderie lives on in the many performing arts groups that once called it home. Initiatives, such as Arts for All, strive to increase participation and exploration in the arts, while others such as third space task students with transforming found spaces into bold new frontiers of artistic experience.
Audience deeply engrossed in the theatre piece, "dear cfa", by n:ow arts.
To many who were present, the CFA Studios Block Party was a way to rediscover what the arts meant to them and what impact, if any, it had on their lives. Looking back on Runme Shaw CFA Studios, they can say, “I was here, I am here; and here, a part of me will always be.”
Watch our tribute video to CFA Studios below
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Michelle Rose Lee, Centre for the Arts, Office of Student Affairs
