Singapore International Festival of Arts 2020 Festival Guide

FESTIVAL GUIDE SIFA.SG i

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SPECIAL THANKS TO PROGRAMME PARTNER

OFFICIAL PARTNER Official Outdoor Media Partner

SUPPORTERS

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ABOUT

SIFA

As Singapore’s annual pinnacle arts festival, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) presents captivating and diverse works across theatre, music, dance, film and visual arts. First launched as the Singapore Festival of Arts in 1977, the festival has gone through several evolutions and inspired generations of arts lovers and practitioners. Today, the highlyanticipated festival is a high-point on Singapore’s arts and cultural calendar.

INTRODUCING

FESTIVAL HOUSE Under the helm of Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani from 2018–2020, SIFA continues its festival mission to champion the creation and presentation of Singaporean and international works. At SIFA 2020, The Arts House will once again be transformed into the Festival House. With meaningful engagement opportunities from artists talks, workshops, discussions and the festival bar—House Pour, the Festival House breaks down the walls between artists and audiences to create unique experiences and inspiring artistic encounters.

ABOUT

ARTS HOUSE LIMITED Arts House Limited (AHL) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to enriching lives through the arts. AHL manages two key landmarks located in the heart of Singapore’s Civic District — The Arts House, a multidisciplinary arts centre with a focus on literary programming, and the Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, a heritage building that is home to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. It also runs the Goodman Arts Centre, Aliwal Arts Centre and Drama Centre. AHL presents the Singapore International Festival of Arts, the annual pinnacle celebration of performance and interdisciplinary arts in Singapore commissioned by the National Arts Council. ii

CONTENTS i

Special Thanks

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About SIFA

1

Message from the CEO

2

Festival Message

5

Volunteer with Us

25

Calendar of Events

BUDDHA PASSION Buddha Passion

3

13

Arts Equator

13

6

Incense, Music, and Celebrating Dunhuang (Singapore)

14

TAYLOR MAC 15

A DREAM UNDER THE SOUTHERN BOUGH: EXISTENCE

COLD BLOOD 19

20

Kidd Pivot

THE YEAR OF NO RETURN

QUEEN BLOOD

The Necessary Stage iii

Queen Blood (France) Paradox-Sal

The Year of No Return (Singapore)

Panel: Public Participation and Art Making (Singapore) Moderated by Producers SG

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Tang Xianzu: The Dreams Continue (Singapore) Dr Chua Soo Pong

REVISOR Revisor (Canada)

A Dream Under The Southern Bough: Existence (Singapore) Toy Factory Productions Ltd

Cold Blood (Belgium)

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Taylor Mac (USA) A 24-Decade History Of Popular Music

17

Astragales

The Paradox of Art and Climate Change (Singapore) Matthew Schneider-Mayerson and Melissa Lim

Chong Yuan Chien

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Podcast Live: Wrap up of SIFA 2020 (Singapore) Arts Equator

(China, Germany, Singapore & USA)

Tan Dun, Internationale Chorakademie Lübeck and Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Critics Live! : The Year of No Return (Singapore)

23

In Conversation with Ousmane Sy (France)

NO LONGER GAGOK: ROOM 5↻ 24

No Longer Gagok: Room 5↻ (Korea) Park Minhee

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Source x Audible Lands (Singapore)

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Jason Pomeroy (Singapore)

40

Is Green The New Black?

Michael Broadhead (Singapore)

THREE SISTERS

Eric Lee, Migrant Worker Musicians, Otomo Yoshihide and The Observatory

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Three Sisters (Singapore & USA)

Points of View 2020: Critical Frames for Performance Engagement (Singapore)

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Chekhov in Context: The Three Sisters (Singapore)

OIWA - THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA OIWA - The Ghost of Yotsuya (Singapore)

Nine Years Theatre and SITI Company

Professor Michael Earley and LASALLE College of the Arts

Developed by Asian Dramaturgs Network

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Urbanisation in Southeast Asia and Climate Change

44

Venues

MUSICAL SWINGS 45

Musical Swings (Canada) Daily tous les jours

The Finger Players

31

Oiwa, Godzilla & What? – The Many Faces of J-Horror Dr Lim Beng Choo (Singapore)

100% SINGAPORE 33

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In Conversation with Gaurav Kripalani (Singapore)

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Festival House Programmes

SINGULAR SCREENS

100% Singapore (Germany & Singapore) 49 Rimini Protokoll

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Ensemble intercontemporain The Wind Quintet (France)

AS THE WORLD TIPPED 37

Singular Screens Asian Film Archives

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Ticket Holder Privileges

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Ticketing Information

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Corporate Hospitality

As the World Tipped (UK) Wired Aerial Theatre

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MESSAGE FROM THE CEO The nation’s arts festival is indebted to a long line of Festival Directors whose creative forces has nurtured the Festival’s vibrancy since its birth over four decades ago.

It has since evolved from a showcase of regional arts back in 1977 to become our city’s pinnacle performing arts event – showcasing the best of Singapore and the world.

2020 marks a new milestone with the culmination of Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani’s three-year term. Right from the onset, Gaurav’s ambitions were clear: to curate performances for diverse communities and to propel SIFA as a global destination to watch for game-changing artistic work. His approach has had an exponential ripple effect, both widening and deepening SIFA’s reach on a local and international level.

This May, some of the world’s most game-changing artists will once again descend in Singapore for the 43rd edition of SIFA. Whether you’re an arts enthusiast with us from the start or coming to SIFA for the first time, these 17 days will offer inspiration and platform for life-long memories.

It has been a privilege to deliver this festival as organisers for the past seven years. We are proud to deliver a Festival that contributes to the cultural and intellectual life of our city. With The Arts House being transformed into Festival House as our epicentre, audiences can engage with the realities of our world through talks, workshops and post-show events. SIFA 2020 will also turn the spotlight to one of today’s most pressing issues – climate change – with landmark productions As The World Tipped, and The Year of No Return by Singaporean company, The Necessary Stage.

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It has been an absolute pleasure working with Gaurav to lead the festival from strength to strength and I would like to thank him for his vision and dedication. My gratitude also goes out to our wonderful team at Arts House Limited, our Board, the commissioners, the National Arts Council and all our partners who have made SIFA possible.

I invite you audiences past and present – to continue journeying with us now and for our future evolutions of SIFA.

Sarah Martin CEO, Arts House Limited

FESTIVAL MESSAGE Several years ago, I went to a tiny downtown venue in New York to watch an hour-long performance by Taylor Mac showcasing one decade of popular music (he went on to create a 24-hour show featuring 240 years of popular music). Marvelling at how Taylor had brought a diverse room of people together, I wondered if this show could happen in Singapore. When I was appointed Festival Director in 2018, I felt Taylor was exactly the kind of artist SIFA should present to help bring our multi-faceted communities together in celebration.

The festival has intentionally pursued this diversity – from curating works that speak to different communities, to the breadth of artistic experiences and ideas. This has allowed us to grow our reach and stature, both locally and internationally. Since 2018, one of the most gratifying things has been the huge upsurge in audiences who have attended a SIFA show for the first time.

Over the past three years, SIFA has attracted some of the world’s most exciting and accomplished artists to our shores. Opening the 2020 Festival will be Grammy and Academy award-winning composer, Tan Dun, conducting the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), and a 100-pax strong chorus from Internationale Chorakademie Lübeck and the Singapore Symphony Chorus in his majestic six-act oratorio, Buddha Passion. On a completely different scale is Korean artist Park Minhee who offers a radical interpretation of gagok, a form of traditional Korean music, where each audience member will get to experience the performance individually.

atmosphere of being part of our national arts festival. And of course, there is an incredible selection of films to watch, all of which are having their Singapore premieres as part of SIFA’s Singular Screens series.

Art has the power to bring communities together, even more so in challenging times. Three years ago, I said I wanted SIFA to be known for presenting work by game-changing artists from Singapore and from around the world. 2020 will see the completion of the arc we envisioned to push boundaries and take both artists and audiences out of their comfort zone; to provoke and inspire them, but to also foster fruitful collaboration.

These past three years have been an incredible journey. As my tenure ends, I’m proud of what we have achieved for all the reasons I’ve mentioned.

My gratitude goes out to our CEO Sarah Martin, to the incredible SIFA producers, and to everyone who has played a part making SIFA a success. We have built a solid foundation on which I have no doubt SIFA will continue to grow from strength to strength.

Enjoy!

Gaurav Kripalani Festival Director

Probably the largest show undertaken by SIFA to date will be As the World Tipped, a spectacular piece of aerial theatre that addresses the issue of climate change. Performed at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay, this show can be enjoyed by the entire family. Another outdoor experience is Musical Swings at Cathay Green. If you would like to be part of creating art, please participate in this free installation!

As previously announced, SIFA 2020 also brings to fruition a bumper crop of new Singaporean work commissioned by SIFA, exemplifying our philosophy of facilitating our best artists to pursue their dream projects. All of the individuals behind these projects are game-changing artists in their own right.

Do join us at Festival House, which has been the epicentre of SIFA for the past three years.

Come meet all the artists as well as like-minded artsgoers, attend master-classes and talks curated around each show in the festival, or just have a drink at House Pour and soak in the 2

Tan Dun, Internationale Chorakademie LĂźbeck and Singapore Symphony Orchestra

BUDDHA PASSION (China, Germany, Singapore & USA)

15 & 16 May 2020 Fri & Sat, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall

$48*, $68, $98, $118 *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors Limited student tickets at $10 2h 30m Including a 20min intermission Rating to be advised

Programme Partner:

Performed in Mandarin & Sanskrit with English and Chinese surtitles

MUSIC

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Photo Credit: Dunhuang Academy Photography by Wu Jian

“But when a piece of music reminds you of what is important in life you sometimes stand as a reaction to awe. That felt the rare case at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday night after the U.S. premiere of Tan Dun’s Buddha Passion.”

LA Times

From world-renowned composer Tan Dun, Buddha Passion is a sweeping work of imagination and a luminous meditation on the life and teaching of the Buddha.

For Buddha Passion, Grammy and Academy award-winning artist Tan Dun has travelled the globe, from the mystical Buddhist caves of the ancient city of Dunhuang to the storied libraries of Europe.

Richly evoking an allegorical world inspired by Buddhist philosophy, Buddha Passion is marked by mythical characters and eastern landscapes in a multi-layered performance of narrative, rich chorals and orchestra.

Buddha Passion unfolds over six acts. It begins with a mural alluding to Buddha’s moment of nirvana. A little prince learns all lives are equal while a man reaps the fruits of karma after betraying the Deer of Nine Colours. Princess Miaoshan’s sacrifice transmutes into the ultimate symbol of compassion, while a Zen Master and lowly woodcutter debate on the true meaning of Zen. In a chance encounter on the Silk Road, a minstrel monk finds himself inexorably drawn to the fate of a dying woman.

Together with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, witness Tan Dun’s prodigious, genre-breaking gifts which have won standing ovations from audiences globally.

Shimmering with mythic grace, Buddha Passion incarnates the timeless message of peace, compassion and gentleness and is a thrilling musical achievement not to be missed.

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VOLUNTEER WITH US! Intrigued about what goes into the making of a pinnacle arts festival? Join us as a Festival Ambassador in the month of May, and be exposed to cutting-edge artists and all the behind-the-scenes action with the Festival’s creative team.

As a Festival Ambassador, you’ll get to meet new people, share your passion for arts with thousands of festivalgoers as well as gain access to exhibitions and festival spaces. Our volunteers also enjoy exclusive SIFA merchandise, attractive ticket discounts, and will receive a certificate at the end of the festival as a badge of honour.

“

Volunteering for SIFA 2019 gave me a chance to try a myriad of roles and meet many cool and interesting people! If you enjoy working in a team and learning more about the local arts scene, this is the place to be. Highly recommended for anyone!

Clement Yeo

”

2019 SIFA Volunteer

Be a Festival Ambassador now, and write your chapter of our SIFA story together.

Job description: • Succinctly communicate and handle patron’s feedback •

Intrigue public with nuggets of information on SIFA, shows & exhibitions

•

Fearless in the pursuit of capturing patron footfall

•

Distribute relevant brochures and flyers to patrons

Commitment: Festival Ambassadors are expected to minimally commit to at least four 5-hour shifts or accumulate 20 hours throughout the festival period.

Register your interest at sifavolunteer@artshouse.sg Closing date for SIFA Festival Ambassador registration: 27 March 2020, Friday

JOIN SIFA’S MAILING LIST Want to be kept up-to-date with the latest festival news and promotions?

Join our mailing list at sifa.sg and get festival updates sent right to your mailbox.

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INCENSE, MUSIC, AND CELEBRATING DUNHUANG 焚香 抚琴 礼敦煌 (Singapore, 新加坡)

Chong Yuan Chien 袁旔 The ancient Chinese city of Dunhuang served as a gate between Eastern and Western Asia.

Travellers of diverse ethnicities and religions passed through here, including Han, South Asians, Xiongnu, Scythians, Sogdians, Persians, Greeks, Romans and Caucasians.

What these sojourners left behind have become traces of history. Today, Dunhuang is a cultural treasure trove of texts, arts, religious artifacts, murals, and carvings as evidence for a bygone era.

Join independent researcher and feature writer Chong Yuan Chien in this talk which aims to introduce some of Dunhuang’s highlights, from its texts, religion, thought, art, costume to folk practices.

16 May 2020 Sat, 4pm Play Den, Festival House

FREE with registration at sifa.sg 1h 30m No intermission Conducted in Mandarin, with some English translation

TALK

在中国历史的长卷上，中国古城敦煌曾是中西 交通的重要枢纽，是来自四面八方不同种族和 宗教人士必经之地。这当中有汉人、南亚人、 匈奴人、斯基泰人、粟特人、波斯人、希腊 人、罗马人和白种人。在这样一片东西文化荟 萃的沃土里，烙印着千百年来许许多多过客留 下的历史轨迹。今天的敦煌，是一座文化宝 藏，其大量的文字、艺术、宗教文物、壁画和 雕刻，都是昔日辉煌的佐证。 独立研究学者和专题作者袁旔，将在这个讲座 上介绍有关敦煌艺术文化内涵的博大精深、文 字、宗教、思想、艺术、民族服装和民间习 俗。欢迎大家踊跃出席。 6

Astragales

COLD BLOOD

(Belgium)

Created by Michèle Anne De Mey and Jaco Van Dormael Written by Thomas Gunzig

15 & 16 May 2020 Fri, 8pm Sat, 3pm Drama Centre Theatre

$38*, $58 *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors Limited student tickets at $10 1h 15m No intermission Rating to be advised Admission for audience age 13 years and above

DANCE

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FILM

Photo by Julien Lambert

“Cold Blood is a bewitching, beautifully evocative work, one that shifts wittily between the literal and the abstract, but always with a moving mix of joy and grief”

theartsdesk.com

Belgium artists Michèle Anne De Mey and Jaco Van Dormael spin seven mini-stories around death – with dancing hands, nano-sets and sheer cinematic flair.

Following the international success of their work Kiss & Cry, Belgium filmmaker Jaco Van Dormael and choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey present this intriguing “feature-length film shot on a kitchen table”, about different people who go through a series of deaths and resurrections.

Meet three dancers who turn their hands and fingers into unlikely stars. These ‘hands’ cavort through a series of miniature sets – forests, a strip club, skyscrapers – placed on rolling tables.

Overhead cameras float around these sets, filming these dancing hands as they perform seven mini-stories around death. Scriptwriter Thomas Gunzig crafts surreal vignettes about “mechanical deaths”, “organic deaths”, “silent deaths”, even “erotic deaths” – all with a dash of offbeat humour.

Brimming with inspiration from film noir, old Hollywood, and blockbuster war movies, these atmospheric scenes then erupt via a live feed onto a giant screen – in a performance that dazzles the mind and eye.

Wonderfully inventive, don’t miss Cold Blood as it takes you through the absurd, sometimes funny and unexpected moments in the final journey of life.

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ASIAN PREMIERE

Kidd Pivot

REVISOR

(Canada)

Created by Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young “The show is not called Revisor for nothing. The pun is evident from the beginning, Young and Pite revising not only Gogol but narrative dance itself.�

Vancouver Sun

16 & 17 May 2020 Sat, 8pm Sun, 5pm Esplanade Theatre

$38*, $58, $78 *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors Limited student tickets at $10 1h 30m No intermission Rating: General Admission for audience age 6 years and above

DANCE

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THEATRE

Photo by Michael Slobodian

An audaciously funny piece of dance-theatre, choreographer Crystal Pite and writer Jonathon Young present a stunningly original take on Nikolai Gogol’s farcical play about deception and mistaken identity, taking apart the archetypal comic plot while unleashing the potent relationship between language and the body.

Hailed for her work with Nederlands Dans Theater, Paris Opera Ballet and The Royal Ballet of London, Crystal Pite is one of the most sought-after choreographers in dance today. As the artistic director of Vancouver-based dance company Kidd Pivot, she displays her knack for combining dance, visual arts and theatre to create dazzling productions.

Together with her long-time collaborator, theatre artist Jonathon Young, Pite takes audiences on an electrifying ride in this witty yet introspective adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s comedy of errors from 1823, The Inspector General (Revizor in Russian).

Revisor begins with a quirky retelling of a mediocre and vain clerk who gets mistaken for a lofty government inspector by the residents of a corrupt little town – a tragicomic blunder that leads to the downfall of this self-preserving community. Eight Kidd Pivot dancers embody the inane characters in Gogol’s well-known satire, lip-syncing to Young’s script and a recorded dialogue by some of Canada’s finest actors. The physical comedy warps, loops and morphs with Pite’s hypnotic choreography driven by a soundscape of text and haunting music.

Set against today’s strange panorama of fake news and misinformation, Revisor reveals itself to be a strikingly timely work – a powerful narrative in movement told with panache by two of today’s most daring artists.

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FESTIVAL COMMISSION

The Necessary Stage

THE YEAR OF NO RETURN

(Singapore)

21 – 23 May 2020 Thu – Sat, 8pm Victoria Theatre

$38*, $58 *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors Limited student tickets at $10 1h 30m No intermission Advisory: Some Mature Content Admission for audience age 13 years and above Performed in English, Japanese, Malay and Tagalog with English surtitles

THEATRE

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Photo by Tuckys Photography

Rising sea levels. Melting polar ice caps. Biodiversity loss.

Food shortages resulting in war, strife and refugee crises…

Every day, we are inundated with dire consequences of the climate emergency.

In the face of this threat to humanity, what do we do? Recycle?

Switch to environmentally-friendly products? Be a vegan?

Stop having children? What can we do?

But, despite evidence of our rapidly changing environment, why do we have such different responses to climate change?

What makes one a denialist, or compels another to commit acts of civil disobedience in the name of climate justice?

What are our personal stories and struggles? Can we as individuals, and collectively, affect change? Or will politics and profit dictate the fate of this planet—our only home?

A groundbreaking interdisciplinary collaboration with artists from Japan, Malaysia, The Philippines and Singapore, The Year of No Return by Singapore theatre company The Necessary Stage seeks to unravel the complications and contradictions in humanity’s responses to climate change, to question whether we live in an age of despair—or one of hope in the dark.

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CRITICS LIVE! : THE YEAR OF NO RETURN

(Singapore)

22 May 2020 Fri, 9.45pm Victoria Theatre

Created by ArtsEquator to offer a platform for critical dialogue independent of the art makers, Critics Live! is a critics-led post show discussion on a theatre or dance performance and its themes.

FREE

Join us in a post-show conversation about The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage (Singapore) and see the work through the different perspectives of four theatre critics.

Featuring renowned theatre critics from ArtsEquator.com, this critics-led discussion will offer an incisive take on the production and its themes.

Open to all ticket holders to The Year of No Return. Flash your ticket for entry.

45m No intermission

TALK

Critics Live! is a programme series of post-show talks produced by ArtsEquator Ltd.

PODCAST LIVE: WRAP UP OF SIFA 2020 (Singapore)

30 May 2020 Sat, 5pm House Pour, The Arts House

The ArtsEquator Podcast, a platform for regional arts reviews and news, is back again with another episode to round off SIFA 2020, but this time they’re doing it live!

Join theatre podcast hosts Matt Lyon, Naeem Kapadia, Nabilah Said and a guest critic, for a live podcast recording as they talk through some of their favourite (and not-so-favourite) shows from this year’s Festival line-up. Expect honest reviews, some laughs and maybe even a fight or two.

FREE with registration at sifa.sg 1h No intermission

TALK 13

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THE PARADOX OF ART AND CLIMATE CHANGE (Singapore)

Matthew Schneider-Mayerson and Melissa Lim Moderated by Felipe Cervera

25 May 2020 Mon, 5pm Blue Room, Festival House

FREE

with registration at sifa.sg 1h 30m No intermission

TALK

With climate change at the top of the global conversation, artists have emerged as some of the most vocal exponents for the shifting of climate paradigms, by making work that raises awareness and tackles the issues of climate change on the socio-political level.

However, we cannot deny that the creation of artistic work can also be deeply unfriendly to the environment. Be it flying international artists around the world or the high consumption of electricity for a production, how can we reconcile the need to make work responding to the crisis with the environmental costs of execution?

Join our panellists of academics and practitioners, including Melissa Lim, General Manager of The Necessary Stage, Matthew Schneider-Mayerson, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Yale-NUS College, along with moderator Felipe Cervera, as they unpack this paradox.

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TAYLOR MAC

(USA)

A 24-DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC

22 & 23 May 2020 Fri & Sat, 8pm KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT

$48* *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors 2h No intermission Rating to be advised Admission for audience age 18 years and above

MUSIC

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THEATRE

Photo by Little Fang Photography

In a fabulous hybrid of performance art, music, theatre and social commentary, American theatre artist, Taylor Mac performs a dazzling mashup of American popular music from the last 240 years.

At 246 songs and 24 hours long, the original 2016 performance of A 24-Decade History of Popular Music was recognised as the Guardian’s top five most important theatre works of the 21st century.

It’s devised by Taylor Mac – drag queen extraordinaire, a Tony nominated playwright and Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Drama – who’s no stranger to flipping history on its head or giving voice to the outliers of America’s counterculture.

This ambitious and audacious two-hour version is a gorgeously realised feat of storytelling chutzpah. Expect an outrageously entertaining crash course in the last 240 years of American music, history and dysfunction. Yet cleverly embedded in this extravaganza are Mac’s astute commentaries about politics, marginalised groups, and queer culture.

Joined by music director Matt Ray, costume designer Machine Dazzle, and an incomparable band, Mac dazzles through musical styles and artistic voices ranging from murder ballads to disco, Walt Whitman to David Bowie and beyond.

Told with a generous humanity that will provoke and embrace diverse communities, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music is a landmark work that will open your mind to the imaginative possibilities of art and the constructed histories around us.

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FESTIVAL COMMISSION 艺术节委约作品

Toy Factory Productions Ltd, Toy肥料厂

A DREAM UNDER THE SOUTHERN BOUGH: EXISTENCE 《南柯一梦》之辱梦 (Singapore, 新加坡)

22 – 24 May 2020 Fri – Sat, 8pm Sun, 3pm Drama Centre Theatre 戏剧中心剧院

$38*, $58 *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors *学生、国民服役人员与乐龄人士优惠票有限

Limited student tickets at $10 学生券$10，票券有限

2h 20m Including a 20min intermission 演出时长2小时20分钟，包括20分钟中场休息

Rating: General 演出有待分级

Admission for audience age 6 years and above Performed in Mandarin with English surtitles 华语演出，附英文字幕

THEATRE

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A Dream Under The Southern Bough is renowned Ming Dynasty writer Tang Xianzu’s play about naval officer Chun Yu Fen who plunges into a dream world he never knew existed.

Following the wonder of The Beginning, and the beauty of Reverie, A Dream Under The Southern Bough: Existence unfolds with bold and ambitious glory in this triumphant culmination of an epic trilogy.

But trouble soon arrives in paradise, as a series of tragic events threaten to unravel everything Chun loves. Disillusioned and heartbroken, Chun drowns himself in work and drunken merrymaking. But his indulgences take their toll and he finds himself banished from the Ant Kingdom.

As dream and reality collide, Chun abruptly wakes up from his twenty-year dream to discover time has barely passed. Chun realises he has spent an entire lifetime in his slumber, traversing the blurred lines between dreams and reality…

《南柯一梦》是明代著名剧作家汤显祖的力作。说的是海军军 官淳于棼深陷一个从未存在的梦境。 承继首部《入梦》的奇幻，二部《如梦》的绮丽，《南柯一 梦》三部曲的收官之作《辱梦》，将以气魄恢弘之势，展现梦 境最终的澎湃高潮。 在这个极尽奢靡的梦境国度里，坏事悲剧接踵而至，像要摧毁 淳于棼所有的一切。面对美好生活的幻灭，他心碎失落，他埋 首工作，但却又在纸醉金迷的环境中堕落腐朽，最终被蚂蚁国 王给驱逐出境，为他自己的恃宠纵欲付上了代价。 当现实与梦境相交抵触，淳于棼陡然惊觉——梦中的20载， 实为瞬间刹那。短短数分钟内，他竟在来回梦境与现实中沉睡 了一生。 18

TANG XIANZU: THE DREAMS CONTINUE (Singapore)

Dr Chua Soo Pong

17 May 2020 Sun, 5.30pm Living Room, Festival House

FREE with registration at sifa.sg 1h 30m No intermission

TALK TALK

Tang Xianzu (1550 – 1616) wrote his great plays during the late Ming dynasty, while halfway around the world, William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) lived and worked in roughly the same time period. Like Shakespeare, Tang’s plays continue to be performed, not just in Kun opera styles, but also in different genres of Chinese opera, from Cantonese opera, Teochew opera to Hokkien opera in China and Singapore.

Join Dr Chua Soo Pong, an ethnomusicologist, playwright, director and choreographer, in this insightful talk discussing the diverse contemporary interpretations of Tang’s landmark four plays based on dreams – The Handan Dream, A Dream Under the Southern Bough, The Purple Hairpin and The Peony Pavilion – through these forms of Chinese opera, dance drama and other art forms.

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PANEL: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND ART MAKING Moderated by Producers SG

(Singapore)

24 May 2020 Sun, 4pm Blue Room, Festival House

FREE with registration at sifa.sg 2h No intermission

TALK

Traditional notions of making art have always made a distinction between the artist and the audience. While the relationship between these two entities has been central to artistic practice, what happens when this boundary becomes so porous and the audience becomes an integral part of the artist’s work and creative process?

Join us for this panel discussion that explores the blurred lines between performance and reality when the audience becomes an active participant in art making.

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Playfully brash and in-your-face, Queen Blood’s exploration of femininity showcases sharp house dance moves and a charismatic female squad.

With Queen Blood, French choreographer Ousmane Sy delivers a dance act every bit as energetic and entertaining as his earlier work, Fighting Spirit.

Steeped in a hybrid milieu of Afro house rhythms, hip hop, and dance battle, Sy’s choreographic ethos mirrors both the freewheeling spirit of hip hop and the disciplined rigour of a corps de ballet.

Headlining Queen Blood is Paradox-Sal, a seven-piece female power squad who have spent years training in house dance with Sy. The result of this long-time collaboration is a stunningly eloquent vocabulary – shining through the group’s technical mastery and confident performance.

From the struggle to achieve recognition from their peers in Fighting Spirit, Queen Blood continues to explore the journey of womanhood from intimacy to emancipation.

Each dancer reveals their singularly unique expression of femininity, nurtured by their personal experiences, cultural and artistic background.

Brimming with attitude, Queen Blood will fascinate you with its indomitable love of dance and fearless expression of what it means to be a woman today.

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21

Photo by TimothĂŠe Lejolivet

Paradox-Sal

QUEEN BLOOD

(France)

Created by Ousmane Sy

23 & 24 May 2020 Sat & Sun, 8pm SOTA Studio Theatre

$38* *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors 1h No intermission Rating to be advised Admission for audience age 6 years and above

DANCE

22 22

IN CONVERSATION WITH OUSMANE SY

(France)

23 May 2020 Sat, 11am Blue Room, Festival House

FREE with registration at sifa.sg 1h No intermission

TALK

Join us for this illuminating chat with French choreographer and house dance extraordinaire, Ousmane Sy. Presenting Queen Blood at SIFA 2020, Sy’s artistic world is made up of step-overs, lunges between the dance floor and the stage, and his contemporary dance style of “Afro House Spirit”. With one foot in the club, and the other in dance battle, his eclectic influences include the rigour of the corps de ballet, African lineages of house rhythms, the freestyle spirit of hip hop, to the tactical steps of eleven-member sport teams, underlying his philosophy that identity must serve the group.

Find out more about the diverse influences and confluences that have inspired Sy’s work, in this intimate conversation with one of France’s most dynamic choreographers.

Photo by Yann Peucat

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Park Minhee

NO LONGER GAGOK: ROOM 5↻

(Korea)

22 – 24 May 2020 Fri, 7.30pm Sat, 3pm & 7.30pm Sun, 3pm Living Room, Festival House

$25* *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors 30m No intermission Performed in Korean with some English translation

MUSIC

No Longer Gagok: Room 5↻ is an intimately poetic and utterly contemporary experience of a traditional Korean art form, conceived by Korean gagok vocalist, Park Minhee.

What does it mean to perform traditional music in the present-day?

For Park Minhee, a traditional vocalist trained in gagok, the process lies in an endless negotiation between past and present, re-interpreting the attitudes of past eras for a contemporary audience.

Cue No Longer Gagok: Room 5↻. Established in the 18th century, the highly regulated gagok form transforms into an intimate spatial experience in this work.

Representing a cyclical movement, audience members enter seven rooms – five in which they come up-close with performers, and two holding rooms.

In these compact spaces and brief encounters, Park invites audiences to experience – and not watch – the performance, allowing gagok’s beauty to permeate each listener’s being.

Is this gagok? Or no longer gagok?

Subtly moving, No Longer Gagok: Room 5↻ is an ode to the deeply affecting power of the voice and an insightful glimpse into the changing faces of tradition.

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15 – 31 MAY

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 15 – 17 MAY

PRE-FESTIVAL PROGRAMME FROM

FRI – SUN

BUDDHA PASSION 15 & 16 May Fri & Sat, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall

COLD BLOOD

1 MAY

15 & 16 May Fri, 8pm Sat, 3pm Drama Centre Theatre

INCENSE, MUSIC, AND CELEBRATING DUNHUANG 16 May Sat, 4pm Play Den, Festival House Photo by Cushy Creative

Buddha Passion

REVISOR

16 & 17 May Sat, 8pm Sun, 5pm Esplanade Theatre

Photo by Julien Lambert

Revisor

TANG XIANZU: THE DREAMS CONTINUE

Musical Swings

MUSICAL SWINGS 1 – 31 May Daily, 10am – 10pm Cathay Green

Photo Credit: Dunhuang Academy Photography by Wu Jian

Photo by Julien Lambert

Cold Blood

17 May Sun, 5.30pm Living Room, Festival House

SINGULAR SCREENS

22 – 25 MAY

FRI – MON

PANEL: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND ART MAKING 24 May Sun, 4pm Blue Room, Festival House

SOURCE x AUDIBLE LANDS 24 & 25 May Sun & Mon, 7pm Play Den, Festival House

28 MAY THUR

IS GREEN THE NEW BLACK? 25 May Mon, 3.30pm Blue Room, Festival House

THE PARADOX OF ART AND CLIMATE CHANGE 25 May Mon, 5pm Blue Room, Festival House

URBANISATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND CLIMATE CHANGE

OIWA - The Ghost of Yotsuya

OIWA – THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA 28 May Thu, 8pm Victoria Theatre

25 May Mon, 2pm Blue Room, Festival House Source x Audible Lands

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SINGULAR SCREENS

VARIOUS TIMINGS

T

The Arts House will be transformed into Festival House during SIFA. Theatre

Music

Dance

Film

Talks, Discussions, Conference

Free

Installation

FOR FULL FESTIVAL LINE UP, VISIT SIFA.SG

22 – 25 MAY

21 MAY THU

FRI – MON

THE YEAR OF NO RETURN 22 – 23 May Fri – Sat, 8pm Victoria Theatre

Photo by Tuckys Photography

CRITICS LIVE! : THE YEAR OF NO RETURN 22 May Fri, 9.45pm Victoria Theatre

TAYLOR MAC

Photo by Tuckys Photography

The Year of No Return

THE YEAR OF NO RETURN 21 May Thu, 8pm Victoria Theatre

22 & 23 May Fri & Sat, 8pm KC Arts Centre

A DREAM UNDER A SOUTHERN BOUGH: EXISTENCE

NO LONGER GAGOK: ROOM 5↻ 22 – 24 May Fri, 7.30pm Sat, 3pm & 7.30pm Sun, 3pm Living Room, Festival House

IN CONVERSATION WITH OUSMANE SY 23 May Sat, 11am Blue Room, Festival House

QUEEN BLOOD 23 & 24 May Sat & Sun, 8pm SOTA Studio Theatre

22 – 24 May Fri & Sat, 8pm Sun, 3pm Drama Centre Theatre

Photo by Little Fang Photography

Taylor Mac

VARIOUS TIMINGS

29 MAY 29 –– 24 31 MAY

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

FRI – SUNFRI – SUN CHEKHOV IN CONTEXT: THE THREE SISTERS

T Photo by Pek Min Han

100% Singapore

100% SINGAPORE OIWA – THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA 29 & 30 May Fri & Sat, 8pm Victoria Theatre

OIWA, GODZILLA AND WHAT? 30 May Sat, 11am Living Room, Festival House

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

29 & 30 May Fri, 8pm Sat, 3pm Esplanade Theatre

30 May Sat, 3pm Living Room, Festival House

ENSEMBLE INTERCONTEMPORAIN The Wind Quintet

AS THE WORLD TIPPED

31 May Sun, 5pm Chamber, Festival House

29 – 31 May Fri – Sun, 8pm The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay

IN CONVERSATION WITH GAURAV KRIPALANI

THREE SISTERS 29 – 31 May Fri & Sat, 7.30pm Sun, 2pm Drama Centre Theatre

31 May Sun, 2pm Living Room, Festival House

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Eric Lee, Migrant Worker Musicians, Otomo Yoshihide and The Observatory

SOURCE X AUDIBLE LANDS

24 & 25 May 2020 Sun & Mon, 7pm Play Den, Festival House

$25* *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors 1h 20m No intermission Rating to be advised

MUSIC

FILM

(Singapore)

Curated by iconic Singaporean band The Observatory, Source x Audible Lands is a one-of-a-kind film and music performance featuring musicians from the local migrant worker community.

From The Observatory, one of Singapore’s most influential experimental bands, comes Source, a film and music series that pushes the envelope of expression through amplifying movements along the periphery of life, art and culture.

The latest edition – Source x Audible Lands – unearths the unexpected talents and creativity bursting from our city’s fringes. It is a lifeaffirming celebration of friendship and trust, in a unique collaboration that spans ideologies, culture and a sense of belonging.

Local filmmaker Eric Lee premieres his documentary about the lives of musicians from Singapore’s migrant worker community – while migrant worker musicians take the spotlight, performing an improvisational set alongside storied Japanese musician Otomo Yoshihide and The Observatory.

The Observatory presents Source x Audible Lands, an intimate, humane, and boundarybreaking musical performance that will move your heart and mind.

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POINTS OF VIEW 2020:

CRITICAL FRAMES FOR PERFORMANCE ENGAGEMENT (Singapore)

26 – 31 May 2020 Various sessions Blue Room, Festival House

FREE Participation through registration.

Visit asiandramaturgs.com to apply.

WORKSHOP

Points of View 2020: Critical Frames for Performance Engagement invites young performing arts practitioners to explore various ways of viewing and approaching artistic works. Held over six days during the 2020 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), POV 2020 participants will engage a range of performances, meet with SIFA artists and organisers, dialogue with industry experts and fellow critical thinkers, and attend workshops that aim to broaden and deepen their practice.

Facilitating the programme are experienced practitioners Charlene Rajendran, Chong Gua Khee, Corrie Tan, Kok Heng Leun, and Robin Loon.

Developed by

Organised by

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FESTIVAL COMMISSION

The Finger Players

OIWA –

THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA (Singapore)

28 – 30 May 2020 Thu – Sat, 8pm Victoria Theatre

$38*, $58 *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors Limited student tickets at $10 2h No intermission Advisory: Some Mature Content Admission for audience age 12 years and above Performed in Japanese with English surtitles

Programme Partner:

THEATRE

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With an innovative ensemble of puppeteers and actors, this age-old Japanese ghost story of betrayal and revenge is magically reinvented by Singapore’s The Finger Players.

Based on blood-tingling real-life events and historical figures from the Edo period, the tale of Oiwa – a jilted wife who haunts her murderer – continues to reverberate through its countless adaptations.

Now, one of Singapore’s leading theatre companies The Finger Players retells this timeless tale through an innovative ensemble of puppeteers and actors.

Actors simulate the movements of puppets, while shadowy puppeteers manipulate these human puppets, with techniques inspired from Japanese Bunraku – a traditional form of Japanese puppet theatre.

Witness the scorned and powerful figure of Oiwa and the fearsome scavengers and peasants who commit horrific deeds around her, in this riveting tale of revenge, betrayal and heartbreak.

A legend with a contemporary resonance, OIWA – The Ghost of Yotsuya promises an enthralling performance with hauntingly beautiful moments that unfold one after another.

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OIWA, GODZILLA AND WHAT? –

THE MANY FACES OF J-HORROR Dr Lim Beng Choo

30 May 2020 Sat, 11am Living Room, Festival House

FREE with registration at sifa.sg 1h No intermission

TALK

When we talk about “J-horror” the first image that comes to mind is probably that of a woman with long black hair in a white long dress lurking behind unsuspected people and scaring them to death. There are actually a large number of supernatural creatures that are related to “J-horror”, ranging from vengeful female ghost like Oiwa to disgruntled early Heian court official. In this talk audience members will be introduced to the fascinating world of J-horror characters and what have they done to be classified as “horror.”

Dr Lim Beng Choo is Associate Professor at the Department of Japanese Studies, NUS. Other than teaching courses on Japanese film and anime, she also researches on digitization and traditional Japanese theatre, as well as Chinese elements in traditional Japanese theatre.

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(Singapore)

House Pour @ Festival House

15 – 31 MAY

The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429

Gather with fellow artists and audiences at House Pour @ Festival House! This interactive setting is the place to meet, chat and discuss your post-show musings over food and drinks after every performance. You’ll also enjoy special promotions off drinks and light bites by presenting your SIFA 2020 ticket stub.

Visit sifa.sg for more exciting deals.

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Rimini Protokoll

100% SINGAPORE (Germany & Singapore)

29 & 30 May 2020 Fri, 8pm Sat, 3pm Esplanade Theatre

$38*, $58 *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors Limited student tickets at $10 1h 40m No intermission Rating to be advised Admission for audience age 12 years and above

THEATRE

33

Photo by Pek Min Han

Staged in over 35 cities around the world, Berlin-based performance group Rimini Protokoll’s ground-breaking 100% City series now arrives in Singapore.

100 minutes. 100 everyday Singaporeans. In 100% Singapore – the Singaporean edition of the acclaimed 100% City series – meet 100 statistically-selected individuals, each of them representing an estimated 57,000 inhabitants of our city, in a vibrant clash of diverse identities and views on Singapore.

Berlin-based performance group Rimini Protokoll invites 100 citizens to become part time ‘actors of themselves’ on the theatre stage. Using snowball sampling, the group first selects one local participant, who then selects and suggests the next participant based on a set of demographic criteria in a ‘statistical chain reaction’.

The result of Rimini Protokoll’s special staging methodology is a dynamic, fascinating cross between a social experiment and reality theatre, using the stage as a micro model of society.

It reveals the faces behind the numbers, presenting their combinations of opinions and experiences where we often only see fragments.

Unexpected and utterly local, don’t miss this exciting living and breathing portrait of Singapore and gain a new appreciation for the multifarious individuals who call Singapore home.

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35

ENSEMBLE INTERCONTEMPORAIN The Wind Quintet

(France)

In a tribute to the natural world, Parisian group Ensemble intercontemporain make their Singapore debut in a mesmerising evening of 20th century music.

31 May 2020 Sun, 5pm Chamber, Festival House

$25* *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors 1h 30m With 20min intermission

MUSIC

Parisian group Ensemble intercontemporain is hailed as one of the world’s leading contemporary music ensembles. Led by artistic director Matthias Pintscher, the group’s 31 soloists explore instrumental techniques and develop projects interweaving music, dance, theatre, film, video and visual art.

For their Singapore debut, the group’s wind quintet presents a passionate overview of 20th century music. Inspired by nature and her sounds, and reflecting her imagined spaces and peculiar discoveries, the wind quintet features music from decorated composers including Claude Debussy, Pierre Boulez, John Cage, Luciano Berio and more.

The programme segues from György Ligeti’s bucolic Bagatelles with refined harmonies full of melancholy in its reinterpretation of Hungarian folklore to Luciano Berio’s Ricorrenze which grows unpredictably from a musical “seed”, to Flamen by Ivan Fedele which explores the spatial dimension of sound and John Cage’s Music for Wind Instruments featuring varying combinations of the quintet’s instruments to create captivating yet radical musical landscapes.

Lush and virtuosic, Ensemble intercontemporain – The Wind Quintet will lead you into a fascinating period of experimentation from the turn of the century.

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Wired Aerial Theatre

AS THE WORLD TIPPED

(UK)

29 – 31 May 2020 Fri – Sun, 8pm The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay

Venue Partner:

37

$15 1h No intermission Rating to be advised Admission for audience age 6 years and above

THEATRE

Photos by James Mulkeen

As the World Tipped arrives at an urgent time for climate change – performers act out a real life disaster movie in the sky in this outdoor aerial theatre event.

Greeted with enthusiastic reviews from around the world, this extraordinary piece of aerial theatre arrives in Singapore at The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay. This exciting event is also a stunning piece of activism for one of the most urgent issues facing our planet – climate change.

The performance begins with a strangely familiar scene. At the Secretariat of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, chaos ensues as harassed staff fail to notice the world tipping towards environmental disaster.

Directed by Nigel Jamieson – best known for his large-event productions including Tin Symphony at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games – along with Aerial and Technical Directors Wendy HeskethOgilvie and Jamie Ogilvie from Wired Aerial Theatre and produced

by XTRAX, As the World Tipped takes the metaphor of ‘lives dangling on a thread’ as a reflection of the state of our planet.

Expect a genre-bending performance, combining dramatic film, visuals, dance, and aerial theatre as performers are suspended in the night sky.

Awesome and thought-provoking, come witness this fascinating live spectacle and enjoy an unusual evening out with family and friends.

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URBANISATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND CLIMATE CHANGE (Singapore)

Jason Pomeroy

25 May 2020 Mon, 2pm Blue Room, Festival House

FREE with registration at sifa.sg 1h No intermission

TALK

Join award-winning architect, academic and TV presenter Jason Pomeroy as he takes a look at the pressing issue of climate change in Southeast Asia as cities continue to rapidly develop here. Known for raising the cultural awareness of cities through his TV programmes, Pomeroy is also acclaimed for his work in sustainable architecture.

In this insightful talk, Pomeroy offer insights into urban planning interventions that can take help to increase a city’s resilience to climate change, as well as how can we also ensure cultural sustainability in the face of urbanisation.

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IS GREEN THE NEW BLACK?

(Singapore)

Michael Broadhead

25 May 2020 Mon, 3.30pm Blue Room, Festival House

FREE with registration at sifa.sg 1h No intermission

TALK

Can we buy our way out of environmental problems? Products with labels like carbon neutral, biodegradable, green, recyclable, local, and eco-friendly are increasingly showing up everywhere. Is this green-washing to increase profit margins at the expense of good intentions of eco-conscious consumers? Join us to explore these questions through real-world examples...

BIO Michael Broadhead works to inspire responsible living through sustainability and compassion.

Originally from a farm in rural Canada, Michael has lived in various countries across Asia and helped initiate new projects in Singapore: EarthFest and Animal Allies.

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FESTIVAL COMMISSION 艺术节委约作品

Nine Years Theatre and SITI Company, 九年剧场与SITI剧团

THREE SISTERS (Singapore & USA, 新加坡与美国)

29 – 31 May 2020 Fri – Sat, 7.30pm Sun, 2pm Drama Centre Theatre 戏剧中心剧院

$38*, $58 *Limited concessions available for students, NSFs and seniors *学生、国民服役人员与乐龄人士优惠票有限

Limited student tickets at $10 学生券$10，票券有限

3h 20m Including a 20min intermission 演出时长3小时20分钟，包括20分钟中场休息

Rating: General 演出有待分级

Admission for audience age 7 years and above Performed in English, Mandarin and Japanese with Chinese and English surtitles 英语、华语和日语演出，附中、英文字幕

THEATRE 41

The award-winning ensembles of Singapore’s Nine Years Theatre and the SITI Company of New York join hands to present this multi-lingual retelling of Anton Chekhov’s classic play Three Sisters.

2020年的新加坡国际艺术节将推出契柯夫的 经典剧作《三姐妹》，由两个获奖剧团—— 新加坡九年剧场和美国纽约SITI剧团联合 演出。

Three Sisters, by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, stands as one of the most outstanding plays of his career. Olga, Masha, and Irina – the titular sisters – fritter away their lives in a provincial town, while they dream of returning to Moscow, the cosmopolitan city where they grew up.

《三姐妹》是俄罗斯剧作家契柯夫最杰出的剧 作之一，故事围绕住在一个小省城里的三姐 妹 -- 奥尔加、玛莎和伊琳娜。她们各有憧憬 却没有实际行动，只能盼望着能重返承载了童 年美好回忆的莫斯科，最终在空想中虚度了 生命。

Chronicling their tangled relationships, ordinary frustrations and search for meaning, Three Sisters opens a moving window into the human condition, and reveals Chekhov’s profound understanding of universal themes.

In this new rendering of this classic play, Singapore Mandarin theatre company Nine Years Theatre (NYT) joins hands with the SITI Company of New York – backed by a talented multi-lingual cast and co-directed by NYT’s Nelson Chia and SITI’s Barney O’Hanlon – to re-tell an utterly human story of survival in a changing world.

全剧以细腻的笔触描绘了众角色纠结的关系， 生活的挫折，以及他们对生命意义的渴望， 以此为观众打开了一扇窥视人性状态的窗口， 也见证了契柯夫对人性和旷世课题的深刻 理解。 在这个经典剧作的全新演绎中，新加坡的华语 剧团九年剧场将协同美国纽约SITI剧团，由九 年的谢燊杰和SITI的巴尼•奥汉隆共同执导， 联同两个剧团的核心演员，以多语言方式讲 述人们在多变的环境中极力求存的故事。 经典剧目的力量，结合多元文化和语言的视 角，以及演员们精准且富张力的肢体语言， 《三姐妹》展现了人性的荒谬、勇气和温情， 演出精简意赅，切勿错过！

Don’t miss this timeless play that reveals the absurdity, courage and tenderness of the human condition – now seen through the eyes of contrasting cultures, languages, and the actors’ powerful physicality.

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CHEKHOV IN CONTEXT: THE THREE SISTERS Professor Michael Earley and LASALLE College of the Arts

(Singapore)

30 May 2020 Sat, 3pm Living Room, Festival House

FREE with registration at sifa.sg 1h 30m No intermission

TALK

43

Russian playwright Anton Chekhov is considered the greatest of modern dramatists. His plays continue to fascinate and challenge directors, actors and audiences around the world.

Join Professor Michael Earley, Dean of Performing Arts at LASALLE College of the Arts, to explore Chekov’s theatrical work and his classic play, The Three Sisters. You’ll get an insight into landmark productions of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters; then, watch actors perform scenes from the play in different styles and using different acting approaches. The performance will be followed by a discussion between the audience, Professor Earley and the actors.

VENUES

Join SIFA at these performance venues around the city.

THE ARTS HOUSE IS FESTIVAL HOUSE

VICTORIA THEATRE & VICTORIA CONCERT HALL

ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY

1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429

9 Empress Place, Singapore 179556

1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981

DRAMA CENTRE

SCHOOL OF THE ARTS (SOTA)

KC ARTS CENTRE – HOME OF SRT

1 Zubir Said Drive, Singapore 227968

20 Merbau Road, Singapore 239035

OLDHAM THEATRE

THE MEADOW

CATHAY GREEN

National Archives Singapore, 1 Canning Rise, Singapore 179868

Gardens by the Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore 018953

Field across The Cathay

#03-01 National Library Building, 100 Victoria St, Singapore 188064

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Take a siesta, hop on a swing and make collective music in this refreshing urban installation by Canadian artists Daily tous les jours.

From Canadian artists Daily tous les jours – the talented people behind We Can Dance (SIFA 2019) – comes Musical Swings, a whimsical game of swings that takes a fresh look at the idea of cooperation.

Known for their deft blend of storytelling and technology to transform urban spaces, Daily tous les jous now turns the everday swing into a site for collaboration, cooperation and connection with others.

Already a celebrated icon in Montreal’s entertainment district, Musical Swings invites people of all ages to make music together.

Each swing in motion triggers different notes, while secret melodies are unleashed only through ‘cooperation’ – when the movements of different swings are synchronised.

SIFA 2020 now brings Musical Swings to the heart of the city in Dhoby Ghaut’s Cathay Green. Come enjoy a day out, let your hair down and be part of these spontaneous musical compositions.!

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Photo by Cushy Creative

Daily tous les jours

MUSICAL SWINGS

(Canada)

1 – 31 May 2020 Daily, 10am – 10pm Cathay Green

FREE INSTALLATION

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IN CONVERSATION WITH GAURAV KRIPALANI (Singapore)

31 May 2020 Sun, 2pm Living Room, Festival House

FREE with registration 1h No intermission Rating to be advised

TALK

47

2020 concludes Gaurav Kripalani’s tenure as the festival director of the Singapore International Festival of Arts.

Meet Gaurav as he reflects on the challenges and successes over the course of three editions of SIFA: from starting from scratch with a new team, to opening up new audience segments through the breadth of his curation and his ruminations on the future of the festival.

FESTIVAL HOUSE PROGRAMMES Attend exhibitions, talks, workshops and participate in panel discussions curated around each show at the Festival House. Visit sifa.sg for more details.

15 – 31 MAY

16 MAY SAT

17 MAY SUN

Exhibition

Workshop

Workshop

100% SINGAPORE EXHIBITION

FIRETALK WITH ARTSEQUATOR: COLD BLOOD

WORKSHOP WITH JONATHON YOUNG Co-Creator of Revisor

4.45pm Drama Centre Theatre Foyer

10am Blue Room

10am – 10pm Gallery II

17 MAY SUN

23 MAY SAT

Talk

Workshop

Talk

IN CONVERSATION: KIDD PIVOT

FROM OPINIONS TO VIEWPOINTS: AN INTRODUCTION TO PERFORMANCE CRITICISM

IN CONVERSATION: TAYLOR MAC

2pm Living Room

1pm Blue Room

3.30pm Blue Room

23 MAY SAT

24 MAY SUN

30 MAY SAT

Talk

Talk

Panel

IN CONVERSATION: MACHINE DAZZLE

IN CONVERSATION: RIMINI PROTOKOLL

SIFA2020 WRAP UP WITH ARTSEQUATOR

4pm Blue Room

2.30pm Blue Room

5pm House Pour

31 MAY SUN Panel

Talk

POINTS OF VIEW SHARING BY ASIAN DRAMATURGS’ NETWORK

IN CONVERSATION: ANNE BOGART

4.30pm Blue Room

11am Living Room

MORE PROGRAMMES TO BE UNVEILED 48

SINGULAR SCREENS Curated by Asian Film Archive 7 – 31 May 2020 Various Timings Screening Room, Festival House and Oldham Theatre National Archives of Singapore Tickets at $12 Bundle of 3 different films at $30* FILM

A LOVE UNKNOWN

A woman in New York and her abandoned daughter in Singapore, both grappling with thoughts of suicide, pursue a change in their lives. Over four days, their lives unravel revealing an inter-connectedness between mother and child.

CEMETERY

After a devastating earthquake, Nga, an old elephant and Sanra, his mahout, set out to find the mythical elephant’s graveyard.

Poachers follow them deep into the jungle, only to mysteriously die one after another, until the spectator becomes the only protagonist.

49 *Terms and conditions apply.

Curated by the Asian Film Archive (AFA) for the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2020 (SIFA), Singular Screens celebrates diverse, independent and singular visions from Singapore and around the world. Discover a bold palette of cinematic adventures, featuring the ingenious and risk-taking in film.

Screenings will be held at the Screening room at SIFA’s Festival House and Oldham Theatre.

Ratings for all films to be advised.

FOR FULL LINE UP, VISIT SIFA.SG

ABOUT ENDLESSNESS

Simultaneously an ode and a lament, About Endlessness presents a kaleidoscope of all that is eternally human, an infinite story of the vulnerability of existence in its beauty and cruelty, its splendour and banality.

EMA

After a shocking incident upends her family life and marriage to a tempestuous choreographer, Ema, a reggaeton dancer, sets out on an odyssey of personal liberation, in this incendiary drama about art, desire, and the modern family from director Pablo Larraín.

I WAS AT HOME, BUT

ISADORA’S CHILDREN

Phillip, a thirteen-year-old school boy, disappears without a trace for a week.

When he reappears, his mother is confronted with questions that lead to a changed view of her life and family.

Following the death of her two children in April 1913, the legendary dancer, Isadora Duncan, created a farewell solo entitled Mother in which a mother cradles her child for the last time before letting him go. A century later, four women encounter the heartrending dance.

NO DATA PLAN + DISTANCING

SÁTÁNTANGÓ

Come discover two films about migration and statelessness: Distancing documents the Miko Revereza’s decision to leave the United States and return to the Philippines, while No Data Plan captures the boredom, precarity and fantasies of an undocumented immigrant crossing America by train.

On the heels of a financial windfall, members of a small agricultural collective set out to leave their village after the fall of Communism. A mysterious character, long thought dead, returns and alters the course of everyone’s lives forever.

SO PRETTY

TAMARAN HILL

Four young queers in New York City struggle to maintain their proto-utopian community against the outside world, as their lives curiously merge with the 1980’s German novel So Schön by Ronald M. Schernikau.

On her mother’s grave, Hinako sees a flower of cosmos. Her father calls to say he can’t come home and repeats “Tamaran” in frustration. On her way home, Hinako buys a book, Tamaran Hill, only to find that same flower offered by her late mother’s sister the next morning.

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TICKET HOLDER PRIVILEGES

FLASH YOUR 2020 SIFA TICKET TO ENJOY SPECIAL DEALS AT OUR PARTNER OUTLETS

RAFFLES HOTEL 328 NORTH BRIDGE ROAD, SINGAPORE 188719 15% off total bill*

BURGER & LOBSTER

Valid from 1 May – 31 May 2020 *Not valid on eve of and on public holidays *Not valid for a party size of more than 8 pax *Not valid at other outlets

GOODMAN ARTS CENTRE 90 GOODMAN ROAD, BLOCK N, #01-56, SINGAPORE 439053 1 STARS AVE, #03-01, SINGAPORE 138507 15% off total bill with minimum $80 spending (excluding promotional items)

CAFE MELBA

Valid from 1 May – 31 May 2020

ESPLANADE 1 ESPLANADE DRIVE, #01-K7, ESPLANADE WATERFRONT, SINGAPORE 038981 10% off all items

CO+NUT+INK

Valid from 1 May – 31 May 2020 *Not valid at other outlets

NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE 1 ST. ANDREW’S ROAD, SINGAPORE 178957 10% off total bill Valid from 1 May – 31 May 2020

GALLERY & CO. ESPLANADE 8 RAFFLES AVE, #01-10/12, SINGAPORE 039802 15% off total bill Valid from 1 May – 31 May 2020

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MISCHIEF

NATIONAL LIBRARY 100 VICTORIA STREET, #03-01, NATIONAL LIBRARY BUILDING, SINGAPORE 188064 10% off total bill (Except alcoholic beverages)

OTC CAFÉ

Valid from 1 May – 31 May 2020

ASIAN CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM 1 EMPRESS PLACE, #01-02, SINGAPORE 179555 10% off a la carte F&B items Valid from 1 May – 31 May 2020 *Not valid at other outlets

PRIVÉ ACM ALIWAL ARTS CENTRE 28 ALIWAL STREET, #01-07, SINGAPORE 199918 20% off food and beverages Valid from 1 May – 31 May 2020 *Not valid at other outlets

THYME THE ARTS HOUSE 1 OLD PARLIAMENT LANE, SINGAPORE 179429 10% off a la carte F&B items Special 1-for-1 house wine or beer promotion at $9.60 Special set lunch menu at $15 Special set dinner menu at $25

TRIBE

Payment in either cash or credit card only Valid from 1 May – 31 May 2020

ZOUK 3C RIVER VALLEY ROAD, CLARKE QUAY, #01-05 TO #02-06, THE CANNERY, 179022 Complimentary entry into Zouk, Phuture and Capital for the first 50 SIFA ticket holders before 12am

ZOUK

Valid from 15 May – 31 May 2020 Not valid on special guest DJ nights, eve of and on public holidays

For more ticket holder privileges, please visit sifa.sg Terms & Conditions Unless otherwise stated, all promotions are valid from 1 May to 31 May 2020. Not applicable with other promotions, discounts, vouchers and offers. Ticket stubs or E-tickets must be presented in their original condition before payment. Management reserves the right to amend any promotional terms and conditions without prior notice. Merchants’ terms and conditions apply.

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TICKETING BOOK NOW! Tickets are available via online booking at www.sifa.sg, phone booking (+65 6348 5555) and at all SISTIC outlets.

EARLY BIRD SAVINGS Till 24 Mar 2020

$10 FRONT ROW STUDENT SPECIAL

20% off ticket purchases*

Applicable to Cat 1 and/or Cat 2 tickets.

Selected Programmes

Students (with a valid student pass) are entitled to a special rate of $10 for front row seats at selected programmes. Limited tickets available at SISTIC outlets.

BUNDLE OF 5

25% off ticket purchases*

Till 24 Mar 2020

Valid with purchase of 5 or more different SIFA programmes.

BUNDLE OF 3

15% off ticket purchases*

From 25 Mar – 31 May 2020

Valid with purchase of 3 or 4 different SIFA programmes.

FAMILY & FRIENDS

20% off ticket purchases*

From 25 Mar – 31 May 2020

Minimum purchase of 4 tickets to a SIFA programme. Applicable to Cat 1 and/or Cat 2 tickets.

*Applicable for selected programmes only.

Concessions SIFA offers 20% off ticket purchases to local and international students, NSFs, and seniors aged 55 and above (Applicable to selected ticket categories and programmes).

Tote Board Arts Grant For selected programmes approved by Tote Board Arts Grant, government schools may enjoy subsidises of up to 50% of the ticket price. Applicable to Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges, Centralised Institute and Institute of Technical Educations (ITE).

Special Education Schools may use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise up to 70% of the programme cost. For more details on school bookings or Tote Board Arts Grant, please email sifatickets@artshouse.sg.

Corporate Bookings For corporate bookings of 25 tickets and more, please contact sifacorporatebookings@artshouse.sg.

For more details and queries on bulk purchases, please email sifa@artshouse.sg.

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CORPORATE HOSPITALITY PACKAGES The Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) has inspired countless audiences with game-changing performances from Singapore and from around the world.

As we enter a new edition of SIFA, we are thrilled to offer our premium corporate hospitality packages which include private receptions, intermission drinks and more.

For more information on customising a hospitality experience for your guests and clients, speak with us today!

BUDDHA PASSION (China, Germany, Singapore & USA) Esplanade Concert Hall See Page 3 for show details

100% SINGAPORE (Germany & Singapore)

OIWA - THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA (Singapore)

REVISOR (Canada) Esplanade Theatre See Page 9 for show details

Victoria Theatre See Page 29 for show details

Esplanade Theatre See Page 33 for show details

Contact us at 6435 0104 or email lizam@artshouse.sg to book your corporate hospitality package*! * Corporate hospitality packages are subject to availability.

Kindly check with our team for more information.

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AS THE WORLD TIPPED

by Wired Aerial Theatre (UK) Photo by James Mulkeen

SIFA.SG i All information is correct at the time of print. Every reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information within, hence, Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) cannot accept responsibility for errors and/or omissions however caused. Every effort has been made to identify copyright holders. We deeply regret that if, despite our concerted efforts, any copyright holders have been overlooked or omitted.

Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or the official policy and position of SIFA and their related corporations. Any reproduction, retransmission, republication, or other use of all or part of this publication is expressly prohibited, unless prior written permission has been granted by SIFA or the appropriate copyright owner. SIFA reserves the right to make changes and modifications to the programme without prior notice. For updates, please visit our website at sifa.sg.

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