FEB 27 to MAR 4 Members of the theatre community were left fuming after news that the National Environment Agency gave a one-time exemption to the no-smoking rule in theatres for Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang’s play Only You at the Esplanade in April, with some pointing to the double standards applied (local shows have had to work around the rule). Elsewhere, LASALLE College of the Arts tied up with Goldsmiths College, offering 14 arts degrees. A group of local sculptors turned the former canteen below Fort Canning Park into a bonafide art gallery and cafe. Two festivals kicked off — the South-east Asian Film Festival at the Singapore Art Museum and the student-driven I-AM Festival. New arts NMP Janice Koh made her maiden speech in Parliament. Finally, the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts announced it has agreed “in-principle” to the Arts and Culture Strategic Review report, and is setting aside S$274m from 2012 to 2016 for its three current priorities: Community engagement, arts education and capability development.