Our story

Notre histoire

Introduction

The Alliance Française de Singapour began in 1949 as a modest French-speaking social club run by volunteers, offering a single French class and screenings at the Hollandse Club.

Through the 1950s and 60s, the Alliance moved across Singapore (Orchard, Battery Road, Penang Lane, Chatsworth...), growing its community with the first teachers sent from France, its first choir, its first cultural events, and the early children's classes.

In the 1970s and 80s, thanks to the decisive support of Tan Sri Runme Shaw and Dr Vee Meng Shaw, the Alliance expanded dramatically: language labs, film festivals, art exhibitions, social events, a football team, pétanque tournaments, and the first French Film Festival. The Alliance also helped introduce major cultural initiatives to Singapore, including the Fête de la Musique and new artistic programmes that shaped its long-term identity.

Since 1995, the Alliance has been located at 1 Sarkies Road, in a modern cultural centre with a theatre, gallery, media library and more than 20 classrooms.

Today with 4,000+ members and 200+ events yearly, it remains Singapore's French hub: teaching, creating, screening, exhibiting, connecting.

Timeline

1949 - Founding of Alliance Française de Singapour
Single classroom on Orchard Road, 20 students, 50 members.

1953 - First director from Paris arrives. Professionalisation begins.

1954 - Alliance Française opens a library, a bar and an additional classroom.

1954-1957 - Moves to the Laidlaw Building, then Battery Road, and then Penang Lane. Start of annual social events.

1960s - Expansion and First Academic Innovations

1960 - Moves again to Chatsworth Road and opens its reception hall for cinema.

1961 - A new director is appointed and registers the AF with the Registrar of Societies, but a fire that same year destroys the official archives and all the records.

1962 - Visit of the Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew: major recognition locally.

1964 - Organisation of its first corporate French class.

1965 - Moves to Scotts Road, settling in the center of town.

1967 - First language laboratory. Paris sent teaching equipment.

1968 - Tan Sri Runme Shaw became President of Alliance Française de Singapour. First classrooms built for the future Petite école française.

 

1970 -  First Tan Sri Dr Runme Shaw challenge cup awarding the best Alliance Française student.

1971 - Creation of Alliance Française' first theatre company.

1974 - First French Film week.

1975 - First edition of the Lien magazine is published, circulating over 1,000 copies. Organisation of its first students and members trip to Paris. Opening a second branch at the Golden Mile Shopping Centre.

1976 - First French Film Festival with the Embassy. Creation of its football team. Tan Sri Runme Shaw, President, was awarded the French distinction of Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur.

1978 - Moves to Draycott Park: large gallery, 16 classrooms, café, laboratory, a library.

..

1980s - Consolidation

1982 - Visit of former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

1983 - Dr Shaw Vee Meng became President.

1985 - Revival of the French Film Festival.

1987-1988 - Arrival of new flagship cultural programmes, including the Fête de la Musique.

1988 - Opening of the video-audio club.

   

1990s - The New Era: Sarkies Road

1992 - Dr Shaw Vee Meng was awarded the French distinction of Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur.

1993 - Birth of the one and only French Festival in Singapore (now known as the Voilah! Festival).

1995 - Alliance opened at 1 Sarkies Road. Modern purpose-built cultural centre with 22 classrooms, meeting and seminar rooms, an exhibition hall, a library, a 236-seat theatre and a café.

2000s - Major Cultural Development

2000 - First Francophonie Festival, now a key annual event， and first Open House.

2001 - Launch of Lien magazine online.

2003 - Expansion of cultural formats: festivals, screenings, new audience programme.

2005 - Major renovation and 10th birthday at Sarkies Road.

2008 - Alliance Française reached more than  10,000 registrations.

2009 - 60th anniversary celebrations.

2010s - Digital, Modern, Expanding

2012 - Launch of  first French Animation Festival.

2013 - Launch of first e-newsletter. Ciné-kids and French Friday. 

2015 - Theatre renovation. Little Prince in the Dark exhibition which gathered more than 8,000 visitors in just 6 weeks.

2017 - Dr Shaw Vee Meng became President Emeritus and Mrs Jacky Deromedi became President. 

2018 - Online teaching launched.

2019 - 70th anniversary celebrations with "Diverse Oneness" exhibition.

 

2020s - French Excellence Programme, Corporate collaborations and International development

2020 - Andrew Lau became President. 
2021 - Launch of the French Excellence Programme which aiming at showcasing fields of expertise that make France internationally recognised and curated in collaboration with prestigious cultural institutions.

2022 - La Médiathèque won the Award for Best Library Outside of France in the 13th edition of the Grand Prix des Bibliothèques, organised by the magazine Livres Hebdo and Electre. 

2025 - Visit of the First Lady of France, Madame Brigitte Macron, during her official visit to Singapore celebrating the 60 years of Friendship between France and Singapore. . It was a truly special day focused on education, language, and culture - values that are at the heart of our mission.

2026 - 15 directors from across the Alliances Françaises Southeast Asia network met to strengthen regional cooperation and innovate educational offerings at Alliance Française de Singapour, which served as the regional hub for coordinating new actions.