The ultimate guide to Pearl's Hill Terrace

The only guilt you'll get at The Potters' Guilt is for making far too many beautiful ceramics. And it doesn't help that the teachers there are incredibly nice, patient and helpful. Located on top of Pearl's Hill Terrace, the studio beckons you to its wood-toned and minimalistic space, where you can begin your pottery journey with a pottery-on-the-wheel experience ($58) – or jump right into an eight-week Basic Potters' Wheel course ($520). Perfect for eager novices, the curriculum includes lessons in centering, throwing, trimming and glazing, yielding six to 10 fired pieces to bring home. 

Not many people are likely to think of taxidermy as a date idea – but that's what will make it memorable for you and your partner (or friend). At Black Crow Taxidermy & Art, taxidermist Vivian Tham turns insects, reptiles and even small mammals into works of preserved art. You can try your hand at this incredible practice too, through the studio's range of workshops, including butterfly dome or frame making, beetle or butterfly pinning, chick/duckling dome making, and animal dissection workshops. It's fun, engaging, and educational – and you get to walk home with a DIY decor piece. And in case you were wondering, all animals are ethically sourced. Check out our experience at a Black Crow Taxidermy & Art session. 

Film cameras are all the rage today – and if you're just getting into this hobby, then you have to get acquainted with Hands On Film. This independent studio and film lab manually develops and scans each and every film roll received, ensuring that your precious babies are treated with the utmost care. Prices start at $8 to develop a roll of 35mm colour film and $10 for a roll of 35mm black and white film, with top-ups for 120mm film, various file formats and scan resolutions. If you are into doing things yourself, take up their film developing workshop ($60) for a helpful primer on how to load film into a developing reel, all the way through to the scanning process. Hands On Film also sells film cameras and film rolls, and are always happy to answer any questions you may have about the craft. 

One of the latest new additions to the thriving community at Pearl's Hill Terrace is The Glass Hut, an immersive and multi-faceted art space designed to support the creatively curious. Helmed by a group of musicians and artists the likes of musicians Cruise Chen, Nathan Hartono and Farhan Remy; photographer Kah Mun; magician Kai Emmanuel and more, The Glass Hut hopes to support homegrown creators and build a community that encourages the movement for local arts appreciation – eventually helping them to build a career from music and art. Keep your eyes peeled for outdoor art markets, music performances, art activations and more. Both the indoor and outdoor spaces at Pearl's Hill Terrace are also available for rental for workshops, yoga classes, events and more. To be the first to be updated on events, follow their Instagram. 

Ever wanted to be a tattoo artist? You can give the practice a shot at State of Shiok. For $68 per person, you get three hours in a private space with friends, some 'fake skin', unlimited art supplies, and visual guides to help you create a tattoo masterpiece of your own. You can even frame it up for an additional $15. For something more free-flowing, try the studio's We Paint Bears class ($48/pax), and splash paint to your heart's content on some bear mannequins. A great playlist and good vibes included. 

Slow down for the weekend with an art jamming session at Art Nooq. At this cosy space, you can get a whole studio to yourself (minimum two pax), for a guided or unguided session of canvas painting. If that's too 'boring' for you, then try out the studio's more unique offerings – including a macaron art jam. Art that's good enough to eat!

Temporarily closed until July (appointment booking starts June 17)

Not exactly your run-of-the-mill shop, Asaru Studio is the place to go for curated Japanese items and handmade food. This cosy joint allows no more than five visitors at any given time, so you're recommended to book a slot – either an hour's session with light bites ($30, which you can use as shopping credits for items above $50) or 30 minutes to freely explore the studio. The hassle is well worth it – here you'll find lovingly made Japanese drinks and treats like strawberry daifuku, matcha swiss roll, and pour-over coffee made with beans from a roaster in Kyoto. Next, you can sift through the racks of Japanese branded clothing, accessories and lifestyle items. In true Japanese fashion, everything at Asaru Studio is simply and tastefully done. 

Another shop that you can visit to satisfy that shopping bug is The Everyday Club. Here's where you can find a good range of quality tote bags, pouches, masks and other accessories. Designs and colours at The Everyday Club lean towards neutral and minimalistic, but you can certainly satisfy your craving for some colour with the Courier-ful collection. For something roomier, get the signature double tote bag. 

You've probably heard the nursery rhyme that goes: Jack and Jill went up the hill to party. No? Well, there's definitely a new bar up a hill in the bustling Chinatown. New nightlife hangout, Kult Yard, now calls a former police barrack at 195's Pearl's Hill Terrace home. Brought to you by the brains behind Kult Kafe, it's a brand new cool sanctuary for musicians, design studios and makers. Find a secret flight of stairs that lead you to refreshing cocktails, aptly named Kultails, that blends local flavours like gula melaka and sambal belacan.

A true hidden gem – Wild Pearl is a music production studio in Pearl's Hill Terrace. Music creators are free to rent out the space in 2-hour or whole-day slots to record budding masterpieces. But what's got us excited is the occasional open house night hosted at Wild Pearl. By that, we mean parties – complete with drinks and DJs spinning the decks. It's all a little hush-hush. To find out more, get in touch with Wild Pearl via Instagram.