What if a creator, not a curator, ran the National Gallery Singapore’s TikTok?

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National Gallery Singapore is handing its TikTok channel to an independent creator for four months, in a new residency designed to explore what museum storytelling can look like when an external creative voice is given sustained access to the institution

The TikTok Creative Residency, which the Gallery describes as the first museum-led initiative of its kind in Southeast Asia, will see a Singapore-based creator produce original content for the Gallery from December 2026 to March 2027

Rather than a typical one-off creator collaboration, the selected creator will be embedded in the Gallery, with access to its staff, exhibitions, collections and selected behind-the-scenes activities

Don’t miss: How National Gallery Singapore is trying to be a museum for everyone 

This will include everything from exhibition-making and installation to the day-to-day work of running the museum

The creator will produce at least three to four original videos each week for the Gallery’s TikTok channel, with the freedom to experiment with formats and storytelling styles while retaining their own creative voice

The residency will also give the creator a front-row view of several major cultural moments, including Pop Art exhibition “Pop after Pop: Art around us”, Light to Night Singapore 2027 and Singapore Art Week 2027

The creator will receive a SG$3,000 monthly stipend, as well as creative mentorship and opportunities to exchange ideas with Gallery staff across different areas of museum practice

The Gallery said the residency builds on its existing work with creators and agencies, but is intended to give a creator greater freedom and a deeper understanding of the institution than a conventional campaign collaboration

Applicants do not need to have an established following. Instead, the Gallery will assess portfolios and proposals based on creative voice, originality, storytelling ability, understanding of TikTok’s formats and communities, and the ability to make art and museum stories engaging and accessible

The open call is available to Singapore citizens and permanent residents, with shortlisted applicants invited to an interview

Aun Koh, assistant chief executive, marketing and development at National Gallery Singapore, said the Gallery wants to understand how its stories can be told through the distinct language of TikTok

“TikTok has its own visual language, creative possibilities, and communities, and we want to explore what museum storytelling on the platform could become,” Koh said

“As a People’s Museum, we believe that art can be encountered and interpreted through many different perspectives. Through this residency, we are opening up the Gallery to a creator who can bring their own voice and curiosity, help us see the museum differently, and find new ways for audiences to connect with art,” he added. 

The residency comes as National Gallery Singapore looks for new ways to bring the museum experience to wider audiences. In January, it launched “The Gallery benches”, an islandwide installation that reimagined its red logo as ten functional benches placed across locations including East Coast Park, Orchard Road, Marina Bay, Lau Pa Sat and the Singapore Botanic Gardens

Designed as public furniture rather than artworks, the benches invited people to sit, rest, eat and interact with the Gallery through everyday moments outside its physical walls

Be part ofDigital Marketing Asia Singaporeon 22–23 September 2026 to discover the strategies, technologies, and real-world lessons helping brands scale AI and orchestrate predictive customer journeys. 

Related articles:  National Gallery SG hunts for production agency for new documentary Singtel extends decade-long support for National Gallery Singapore  National Gallery Singapore’s logo gets off the wall and onto the streets

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Source: www.marketing-interactive.com