By Nur Athirah Abdullah The Rainforest Fringe Festival 2018 (RFF 2018) is less than a month away! Not to be mistaken for the Rainforest World Music Festival, one of the region’s best world music festivals, the Fringe is a cool combo of the very best of Sarawak’s music, art, craft, film, photography, and food. Helmed […]
Rainforest Fringe Festival 2018: Top 8 Picks Read More »
Art that Moves is an occasional series where we ask artists and other creative workers to reflect on artworks, performances or events that were personally important to them. Marc Nair, poet and photographer, is producer of Note for Note: #Skintones, an interdisciplinary performance by poets and musicians in collaboration, presented as part of Poetry with Music series by
Art That Moves: Marc Nair Read More »
Duration: 17 min Latest in the Fresh Blood series, we find out more about Singapore’s inaugural Queer Zinefest, a celebration of zine-making, queer art, and queer people, taking place on 14 July 2018 at Camp Kilo Charcoal Club. Beyond being a showcase of queer zines and zine-makers, the programme also features workshops, performances and other
Podcast 42: Queer Zinefest 2018 Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta, Ngawi and Bali from 18-24 June 2018 In the small town of Ngawi that is located on the border of Central and West Java, there will be a film screening and discussion of 5 Villages. Organised by Goethe-Institut Indonesia, 5 Villages showcases the documentary films created from
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (18 – 24 June 2018) Read More »
Suzhou Symphony Orchestra 2018 Asia Tour – Singapore by Suzhou Symphony Orchestra 18 June 2018 Maestro Chen Xieyang, along with the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra will present to you its programme featuring Profokiev’s epic tale of love and the powerful realism of Zhu Jian Er’s sonic world for the start for their Asian Tour 2018. The
Weekly Picks: Singapore (18 – 24 June 2018) Read More »
Live Fact Presents: Protomartyr, at Live Fact, 20 June, 8pm American rock band Protomartyr is performing in Live Fact this Wednesday. The band features Joe Casey on vocals, Greg Ahee on guitar, Alex Leonard on drums and Scott Davidson on bass guitar. Their latest album is Relatives in Descent. Admission is RM40 at the door
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (18 – 24 June 2018) Read More »
By Isaac Lim (810 words, five-minute read) At front-of-house before the doors open, a crew member encourages the audience to walk around the theatre space upon entering, and warns sternly against moving the seats. Neat rows of seats welcome the audience in the black box space at Centre 42. Random quotes relating to the number
“Fourteen” by Split Theatre: Getting Schooled Read More »
This article is the first in a series of essays by students from the Singapore Management University Arts and Culture Management programme. I’ve caught myself leaving a theatre many times unsure about how I felt about the production, questioning whether my interpretation of the production was valid, or sometimes even leaving with no idea what
SMU Series: A Dance Spectator’s Perspective On Engagement Read More »
By Soultari Amin Farid (800 words, six-minute read) “This body… This body is dangerous. It desires, it delights, it delivers, it dances.” On 25 May, I had the pleasure of experiencing a performance of great chemistry between Deaf and disabled artists at the National Museum of Singapore’s Gallery Theatre. And Suddenly I Disappear: The Singapore
“The Singapore ‘d’ Monologues”: And Suddenly I Reflect Upon My Privilege Read More »
By Corrie Tan (1,540 words, eight-minute read) Halfway through The Finger Players’ trippy, darkly comic Citizen Dog, I pause to consider the philosopher Zhuangzi’s anecdote on how we construct our realities: Once upon a time, I, Zhuangzi, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was
A surreal “Citizen Dog” sinks its teeth into your soul Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta and Bali from 11-17 June 2018 Barus is a region in Central Tapanuli in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Between the 7th and 15th century, Barus was a center of spice trading in Indonesia that connected the region to the West through the Silk Road. The traders of Iraq,
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (11 – 17 June 2018) Read More »
Kungfu Bonda by Purple Aura Productions 16 June 2018 Kungfu Bonda is Baggy’s new stand-up solo show. After his questionable success in his 20s, when Baggy approached 30, he hopes to be a comic where he lives his life one strip at a time and shares the cartoon of his existence with everyone. After his
Weekly picks: Singapore (11 – 17 June 2018) Read More »
Feedback Open Mic: feat Jumero & Josiah Tay, at The Bee, 12 June, 8pm Jumero’s hippie and happy beach music is always a great choice for a pick-me-up. They’ll be featured alongside Josiah Tay, who does covers of songs you know. Feedback Open Mic is also a reliable place for spotting the next rising star
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (11 – 17 June 2018) Read More »
By Eugene Koh (1200 words, 8 minute read) The Second Breakfast Company restaging Goh Poh Seng’s The Moon is Less Bright is akin to grabbing this behemoth of a national literary relic by its horns and tackling it. The play’s historical weight is considerable, its setting has become distant and its language almost absurdly lyrical.
The Second Breakfast Company’s “The Moon is Less Bright”: A New Phase Read More »
By Ke Weiliang (2,470 words, 10-minute read) In March 2017, Gaurav Kripalani was officially unveiled as the Festival Director for Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) 2018 – 2020. I was over the moon, but only because a rare opportunity to stop indiscriminately splurging my money on arts events seemed to have finally presented itself.
Was a Skeptic, Still a Skeptic: A Festival-Goer’s Impressions of SIFA 2018 Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Bali, Yogyakarta and Jakarta from 4 – 10 June 2018 We begin our weekly picks in Bali with the True Line exhibition by Sanggar Bares. Created by I Nyomana Bratayasa, Sanggar Bares is a studio where children of all ages can come to express themselves through drawings. The
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (4 – 10 June 2018) Read More »
Zalila Lee at Merdekarya, 6 June, 9pm Singer-songwriter Zalila Lee returns to Merdekarya. This performer is a versatile talent, but for her solo performances, you can generally expect folk-blues with a boom voice and soul cutting lyrics. The show starts at 9pm, but open mic may begin before. There is no cover charge at Merdekarya,
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (4–10 June 2018) Read More »
Duration: 21 minutes Latest in our Fresh Blood series, the spotlight is on Split Theatre, a feisty young outfit that is staging their third production “Fourteen” on 8 June at Centre 42 Black Box. We chat with director Darryl Lim, actor Elizabeth Samosir and production manager Chia Xin Ying about how they met, what “Fourteen”
Podcast 41: Split Theatre’s “Fourteen” Read More »
25th Singapore International Piano Festival by Singapore Symphony Orchestra, 7-13 June 2018 This year’s celebration brings in six phenomenal virtuoso pianists from across Asia, Europe and the Americas. All six pianists will present varied, colourful programmes in The Singapore International Piano Festival for their 25th anniversary with a variety of works from Mozart, Beethoven,
Weekly Picks: Singapore (4 – 10 June 2018) Read More »
By Chloe Chotrani (990 words, 4-minute read) Garden Uprooted is a performance work drawing from nature as the source, a collaboration with The Philharmonic Orchestra Singapore and The Arts Fission Company. Subtle tonalities slowly seep into the theatre, and contradicting erratic yet fluid movements in space and time. Throughout Garden Uprooted is nature-inspired music by
“Garden Uprooted”: Fluctuations of Silence Read More »
Lim Chin Huat shares about his journey of learning one artistic discipline after another, his approach to creating work, his struggle with calling himself an artist, and how his current project In Her Hands traces its origins back to more than ten years ago. He currently teaches movement full-time at the Intercultural Theatre Institute. CH: I was a science
Lim Chin Huat and Negotiating Positionalities across Time (via Talking Circles) Read More »
StoryFest: International Storytelling Festival Singapore, The Arts House, 1-3 June 2018 Come and listen to tales both old and new from Singapore and around the world at StoryFest 2018. StoryFest is back for their second edition this year with the theme Be Legendary. The festival that is happening from 1-3 June at the Arts House features a
Weekly Picks: Singapore (28 May – 3 June 2018) Read More »
By Lainie Yeoh The Narrow Bridge (film screening), at HELP College, 28 May, 8pm Kelab Seni Filem Malaysia and Wayang Budiman are presenting a screening of Indonesian drama The Narrow Bridge. The film is directed by Chaerul Umam, and follows the story of a young Islamic teacher sent to work in a village full of
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (28 May – 3 June 2018) Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Yogyakarta and Jakarta from 28 May – 3 June 2018 It’s a brand new week and we’re bringing you a variety of selections of art events in Indonesia that are happening this week! Stories and storytelling are integral parts of various cultures. The Javanese culture is one
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (28 May – 3 June 2018) Read More »
By Daniel Teo (1340 words, six-minute read) In Pissed Julie, the magic number is three. The play begins with a row of three chairs, dwarfed by a succession of three enormous three-sided wooden frames. The actors emerge from the darkness and dance to a waltz in triple metre. And, in this bold adaptation of August
Nine Years Theatre’s “Pissed Julie 茱莉小解”: Third Wheelings Read More »
Seven-piece band The Venopian Solitude is set to become the first Malaysian band ever to perform at Sónar! For those who’re in the dark, Sónar is a three-day electronic and advanced music festival which was started in Barcelona, Spain in 1994 by music journalist Ricard Robles and musicians cum visual artists Enric Palau and Sergio Caballero.
Malaysian Band To Perform At Europe’s Biggest Electronic Music Fest! (via Eksentrika) Read More »
Visual Amek Gambar (Taking Pictures) – Peranakans and Photography by Peranakan Museum 5 May – Sun 3 Feb 2019 This exhibition displays the lives of Peranakans across Southeast Asia through a large collection of photographs. The role of photography was evident as Peranakans took advantage of this visual art form over the last 160 years. From
Weekly Picks: Singapore (21 – 27 May 2018) Read More »
By Lainie Yeoh NINE Theatre Festival, at Sunway University Rooftop Theatre, 21 & 22 May The students from the Diploma in Performing Arts 2016 of Sunway University offer a wide selection of staged performances, readings, and site-specific installations in this festival. The themes explored are Love, Time & Death. Individual shows are RM15, a festival
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (21 – 27 May 2018) Read More »
Spoiler Alert: If you’re planning to watch Underclass, please note that this review discusses certain plot points. By Corrie Tan (2,200 words, 11-minute read) You know that auntie. You’ve waved her off at the hawker centre, or maybe you’ve apologised, under your breath, because “I already have tissue”. You’ve plotted paths of avoidance around her
“Underclass” twists the knife in your middle-class guilt Read More »
Performing a dance in red stilettos is not allowed at Angkor Archaeological Park, but that’s not stopping Khun Sreynoch from working on it. As members of Cambodia’s first contemporary dance company, Ms. Sreynoch and her closest colleagues have known each other since they were children studying Cambodian classical dance, or Apsara. But in fusing old
