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For
three weeks in June every year, the Singapore Arts Festival - which
aspires to be an international arts event with a distinctly Asian
identity - brings together great local and overseas works and artists
who seek to inspire, challenge, surprise and entertain.
The fun kicks off with traditional village performances, where
tribal and folk music, as well as dance from all over the world
are complemented by the glorious colours and tastes of ethnic crafts
and cuisine.
With a programme of some 80 performances by over 30 foreign and
local groups, the Festival sets standards by introducing world and
Asian premieres to the Singapore arts scene.
Talented individuals and groups like Robert Wilson, Robert LePage,
Trisha Brown Company, National Ballet of China, Taipei Dance Circle,
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Atelier, just to name a few,
have graced the stage during the Festival. Without ever forgetting
tradition, a strong emphasis is placed on showcasing contemporary
arts as we move into the new millennium.
Key
components of the Festival include Arts On the Move, which brings
free events to public parks, town centres and shopping districts,
the Late Night Series, with its cutting edge performances by young
debutantes from Singapore's very own arts community, and Kidsfest,
organised specially for the young and young at heart.
All this helps to create the mood of festivity around the island,
culminating in the climax of an outdoor arts spectacle. During each
Festival, an aggregate total of over 300 activities are staged by
some 2000 Singaporean and foreign artists, reaching an audience
of about 218,000. |
