Where can we find each other? And where do we go from here? Happening on Saturday, January 23 2021, Festival Forum: Meeting-In-Progress discusses ideas, processes and ways forward in this new year of not-so-new normals.
Both an agitation and undulation towards a common point of reference, Meeting-In-Progress is an attempt to gather everyone in a room, where we can have urgent conversations and find moments of light and lightness. The Festival Forum is co-curated by ArtsEquator and National Gallery Singapore as part of Light to Night Festival 2021.
All programmes will take place live at National Gallery Singapore with limited capacity. You must register if you want to secure a spot. Otherwise, you can also catch a livestream of this event on National Gallery Singapore’s or ArtsEquator’s Facebook page.
Join the conversation and register today!
Burning Questions: Should We Rethink the Necessity of Travelling in the Arts? [Artist Panel]
Date: 1.30-2.30pm (GMT +8)
Is the image of the travelling artist on a journey of discovery an outdated one? In an increasingly socially distanced world, where Zoom is a venue and residencies go digital, what does it mean to be a “local” or “global” artist? This panel, featuring artists Eugene Soh, Alecia Neo and Shubigi Rao, and moderated by curator Zulkhairi Zulkiflee, will interrogate this provocation, re-examining the privilege of travel and the relevance of the globally connected artist. The Burning Questions series was introduced by ArtsEquator in 2020 to ask big questions in the midst of a global crisis.
Pandemic as Zeitgeist, Opportunity and Muse [Roundtable]
Date: 3.30-4.30pm (GMT +8)
Decades from now, will we look back on the pandemic as a period of creative growth? While it’s too early to call it a cultural zeitgeist, it has allowed institutions and groups in Singapore to make creative work and gather community in new and experimental ways. Listen and be inspired by new visions and speculations for the future. Moderated by curator Adele Tan from National Gallery Singapore, this roundtable brings together Rupert Thomson from Arts House Limited, curator Tulika Ahuja from multimedia art consultancy MAMA Magnet, Kamiliah Maimon-Bahdar from collaborative project soft/WALL/studs and art production company ARTFACTORY.
So You Think You Can Work In A Museum? [Performance]
Date: 5.30-6.30pm (GMT +8)
Four individuals will compete to work in a museum as a curator, exhibitions manager and a security guard. Taking the form of a mock reality show, So You Think You Can Work In A Museum? will put our colourful contestants through the wringer in their quest towards finding gainful employment, while shedding light on the realities of working in a museum. The winner will be determined by a panel of judges made up of real-life museum staff. Featuring performers Munah Bagharib, Hafidz Abdul Rahman, Neo Swee Lin and Krish Natarajan, and our fabulous host, Becca D’Bus.
Note: Registration for So You Think You Can Work In A Museum? is full. You may try to walk-in on the day itself, though admission will be subject to availability of seats. Alternatively, you can also catch the livestream of this event on National Gallery Singapore’s or ArtsEquator’s Facebook page.
About the author(s)
Nabilah Said is an award-winning playwright, editor and cultural commentator. She is also an artist who works with text across various artforms and formats. Her plays have been staged in Singapore and London, including ANGKAT, which won Best Original Script at the 2020 Life Theatre Awards. Nabilah is the former editor of ArtsEquator.