Old Catholic School at Queens Street
Have a quick tour of the Old Catholic School this afternoon with Ms Denise Phua, MP for Jalan Besar, Kampong Glam and Mr Michael Lew. The tour was given by Mr Daniel Teo and his daughter, Ms Rachel Teo and my ex-colleague, Mr Andrew Lau. Originally, my impression of the Catholic School was nothing but a Gymn, Camper’s Corner and the pub, Double O. This did not help when Double O did not leave a good impression on me with a number of the residents from the Waterloo Centre having complained about their patrons causing nuisance at the surrounding area.
Ms Phua speaking with the staff at the Little Art Bug with Mr Lew and Ms Teo looking on.
This tour really opened my eyes and changed my impression of Double O and the setup of the surronding area, especially what the owners’s vision. The most surprising thing was how Double O supports the arts scene and provided an area for home grown artists to express themselves. They have not only provide a gallery space, work space, but also “blank canvas” in the form of the various walls within and without the pub area. This is really impressive and how the owners wish to make use of this avenue in reaching out to the pub going youths, exposing them to home-grown art.
A montage of the space made available for artists by Double O
Besides Double O, there are several impressive art galleries and museums showcasing some of the finest art pieces and collections. The various galleries are the Art Trove, Yavuz Fine Art, Mou Gallery of Contemporary Art and The Private Museum. The photo montage illustrate these galleries and museums.
Besides exhibiting artworks, this place is also set up to promote and nuture budding artists, musicians and dancers as well. There are several schools that teaches art, ballet, music and even pole dancing! I can imagine the furry of activities with children and adults moving around attending lessons and admiring the collections of art works in this 4 storey building.
The most interesting thing was that the gymn is not your normal gymn. It is build on the idea of functional training. This helps to support the various dance school, in a sense that functional training can help to strengthen and prevent injuries. Such training can also help to lessen the old injuries and further help one to recupurate from these injuries. This gymn, Functional Training Institute is operated by a team of dedicated and energetic trainers.
After all these, if you are feeling hungry, there is the Fine Palate Resturant, serving various types of sandwhiches, burgers, pastes and pizzas. For a simple snack, you can head to the small cafe in the Camper’s Corner and who knows, you might just pick up some outdoor gear that you are looking for as well. The other thing that impress me most is how the owners kept parts of the old school that I am sure it will bring back many fond memories to any alma mater who visit this place again.
While we were there, a new tenant was still in renovation and we heard that this is a social enterprise named School of Thought. I really look forward to see what type of courses they conduct. With so much to offer, my impression of this place and also Double O changes a fair bit. I think this place really reflects what we should be pushing for, development of arts and culture to create a more vibrant and cultured Singapore! Why not drop by and see for yourself, you never know what you might just find.
A cute artwork at the door of the Little Art Bug
