SCOPES Driven by Porsche Comes to Southeast Asia with A Virtual Festival of Trailblazing Design, Music, and Sustainability

PUBLISHED August 17th, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED August 28th, 2021 02:38 pm

Car buff or not, you’re likely familiar with Porsche. This sports car pioneer has carved out a name for its sleek designs and boundary-pushing flagships (like the Taycan, Porsche’s electric sports car that has set world records for speed). In the same trailblazing spirit, the car giant is now powering inspiration across Southeast Asia with its creative festival, SCOPES.

After successful runs in Amsterdam, Berlin, and Tokyo, SCOPES is coming to Southeast Asia for the first time. This first virtual edition brings us insights from the region’s changemakers across diverse fields – from art and design to music, lifestyle, and sustainability. Running from now till mid-September 2021, the festival revolves around four values that are built into the Porsche DNA, as much as in our Asian zeitgeist: a pioneering spirit, in harmony with tradition, design, and sustainability. 

So what can we expect from the fest? Dive into a slew of documentaries, workshops, podcasts, live panels, and more from creators who’re shaping the future. You’ll get to pick the brains of the likes of Singaporean musician Narelle Kheng, renowned graphic artist Theseus Chan, powerhouse entrepreneur Anna Haotanto, and more. In short: get ready to be inspired. There’ll be tons to catch and watch, so here’s our breakdown of what’s on:

Pioneering Spirit

In the spirit of Breaking Barriers, SCOPES is turning the spotlight on four accomplished female artists. Catch singer-songwriter Narelle Kheng, breakout Indonesian rapper Ramengvrl, and Manila-based R&B songstress Jess Connelly, as they share about their unconventional creative journeys. Created in collaboration with Sunshine Nation (the folks behind music fests like Garden Beats), this documentary-style series offers an intimate peek into their struggles with cultural norms and their dreams of shaping a brighter future.

The series will close with an experimental documentary by Vietnam’s ‘Queen of Hip Hop’ Suboi, and it’s well worth the watch. Known as the rapper who famously performed with Barack Obama, Suboi’s documentary will unfold in five chapters that are divided into distinct rooms, each employing a unique concept to explore her multi-layered personality and visions. 

Another trendsetting series for your dose of inspiration is Driving Tomorrow. Available as a full film and on Apple podcasts, this series features 1880 Singapore founder Marc Nicholson speaking with thought leaders from diverse walks of life. Among the luminaries to share their stories are Anna Haotanto, founder of female-centric financial platform The New Savvy; leading global strategy advisor Dr. Parag Khanna; Dr. Ayesha Khanna, CEO of artificial intelligence advisor ADDO AI, and Leanne Robers, co-founder of women-led startup competition She Loves Tech. Let’s just say you won’t run out of insights to chew on.

Design

Fondly dubbed Singapore’s ‘godfather of graphic design’, Theseus Chan is the first and only Singaporean to become member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), and one of four overseas artists selected to create artwork for the Tokyo Olympics. His self-published magazine, WERK, has gained worldwide fame for its experimental spray-painted, sewn, and die-cut pages. Oh, and he happens to be the brains behind SCOPES’ visual direction too.

Delve into Theseus’ creative mind to discover how he designed a striking new logo for SCOPES – a collage of multi-cultural elements from around the region. Listen to him sharing on how he wove together modern and traditional influences, creating a bold medley that embodies the essence of a pioneering spirit. 

Tradition

You might know Wonderfruit as Thailand’s annual arts and music extravaganza, but the festival spans so much more from conscious living to chef’s banquets. In an intriguing series on Wonderfruit, SCOPES puts the spotlight on Chef Num, chef-owner of Udon Thani restaurant Samuay & Sons – a farm-to-table trailblazer that’s changing the game with foraged produce and forgotten flavours of yore (red ant larvae, for one). From Forest to Table offers a peek into how he crafts edible stories rooted in local heritage, and showcases his ideas at events like Wonderfruit. 

If you’re all about grooving to the beat, plug into Molam. This production on molam traces its history from rural folk music in Thailand’s northeastern communities, to its funk and psychedelic influences in the ’70s. Forgotten for decades, it’s now enjoying a resurgence thanks to vinyl-loving DJs at festivals like Wonderfruit.

Sustainability

Most of us strive to be sustainable, but it’s easier said than done – greening up our lifestyles is a complex journey, after all. SCOPES has teamed up with conscious platform Green Is The New Black for a trio of live panel discussions with green changemakers. The series kicks off with Shape The Future of Food Now, now available on demand. Catch Bjorn Low, founder of Edible Garden City, and Vikas Garg, founder of vegan food review app abillion, as they imagine the coming food revolution.

Going live on 25 August, Shape The Future of Urban Communities Now follows up with a rethinking of city design and clean energy, starring insights from Singapore-based renewable energy entrepreneur Assaad Razzouk and bamboo architecture pioneer Elora Hardy of IBUKU. Rounding things off on 9 September, Shape The Future of Fashion Now deep-dives into ethical fashion with Eliana Kuo ShihYun – co-founder of circular fashion platform Lablaco – and Denica Riadini-Flesch, founder of female-empowering social enterprise Sukkhacitta.

We’re feeling the effects of global warming all over the world, but nowhere can we see  it more acutely than at the fast-melting North Pole. Witness the effects of climate change with Green Is The New Black founders Stephanie Dickson and Paula Miquelis, on their journey to the Arctic Circle. Their jaw-dropping documentary,  The Naked Arctic Adventure, takes us across glaciers and tundra to study ice sheets melting and loss of wildlife habitats; a special preview is available on SCOPES.

What’s Your Scope?

Ever driven to bring innovative minds together, Porsche is currently calling for more contributions from creatives of all stripes – artists, film makers, designers, visionary  entrepreneurs. To get your story featured, you’re invited to submit video, imagery, or audio content reflecting your future-shaping vision of ‘What’s Your Scope?’ Your project should align with at least one of the four core pillars of SCOPES: pioneering spirit, tradition, sustainability, and design. 

If you’re just looking to get inspired, be sure to check out SCOPES’ Instagram page for a slew of live talks on ‘What’s Your Scope?’ Coming up in the next few weeks, you can tune into stories from Katrina Razon, yoga teacher and founder of Wonderfruit Festival, as well as Sharina Shahrin, mixed-media visual artist and co-founder of Safe Space.

SCOPES Driven By Porsche runs from 1 August to mid-September 2021. Stay tuned for more programme updates on their Instagram page. 

This post was brought to you in collaboration with Porsche.