Singapore International Festival of Arts 2024: Annual pinnacle performing arts festival is back!
Singapore is not known for its bustling arts scene, but there are a few high points on its arts and cultural calendar. Established in 1997, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) by Arts House Limited is one of them. The annual pinnacle performing arts festival brings to life varied works across theatre, music, dance, film and visual arts.
The theme for this year’s International Festival of Arts (17 May – 2 Jun) is The Anatomy of Performance – They Declare. SIFA provides a safe space for attendees to hear the perspectives of others. It also enables people to appreciate their co-existence with the natural world and be open-minded to different viewpoints and beliefs.
You’ll have to pay a fee to access many of the programmes. Here are some sneak peeks:
1. Sun & Sea (Esplanade, 30 May – 1 Jun)
Sun & Sea is a 60-minute ecological play performed on a fictional beach created via light, architecture and music. Holidaygoers in coloured bathing suits lie next to each other on the beach. The audience gets to watch them perform from a bird’s eye view.
Under the summer heat, characters start narrating their stories. Insignificant tales gradually progress into wider, more serious conversations. The opera develops into a universal human symphony addressing the climate crisis on an international scale.
The price of an adult ticket is S$68. Please note that the show is standing room only.
2. ‘the light gleams an instant,’ (Online, from May)
Can’t head down for SIFA 2024? You can catch this experimental short film at home for free. Directed and edited by filmmaker Natalie Soh, the film is entirely shot on the Video Home System with intentional generation loss, taking viewers on a path of self-reflection.
Inspired by the mysterious object ZRC_1_3200:3203 at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, the film unravels the linkage between memory and meaning-creation.
3. REFUGE by The Observatory (SG) (SOTA Studio Theatre, 31 May & 1 Jun, 3 pm & 8 pm)
REFUGE is a multi-disciplinary performance project that brings viewers into the realm of caves. It combines sound, live music performance, moving images and light into one.
As spectators embark on a metaphysical journey into the subterranean, they will scrutinise the link between self and the natural surroundings, the connection of the human body and the geological configurations of the land in the face of intense, continuous change.
As there are only 3 shows, get your tickets before they run out! The ticket price is S$48.
The post Singapore International Festival of Arts 2024: Annual pinnacle performing arts festival is back! appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
