The Hidden by Kamini Ramachandran

BY

KAMINI RAMACHANDRAN

(SINGAPORE)

3 - 6 May

THU & SUN, 7.30PM FRI & SAT, 7.30PM & 9.30PM

Armenian Church 1h, no intermission

MESSAGE FROM THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR I grew up looking forward to the Singapore Arts Festival every year.

Watching shows across different genres from around the world played a big part in shaping my artistic sensibilities. Shows such as Ninagawa’s Macbeth (1992), for example, entirely changed my perception of how Shakespeare could be performed.

In 1996, I acted in Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Sing To The Dawn; it was the first time a Singaporean musical opened the Singapore Arts Festival. Given this history, I was delighted and honoured to be asked to helm the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) for the next three years.

What is SIFA’s role? Where does it fit in the cultural landscape, both at home and internationally? Who does it serve?

Where would I like it to be in three years?

As I was thinking of how to shape the festival, what I did know was that I wanted to programme a festival that would inspire young people in the same way that I was impacted 25 years ago.

With the support of the phenomenal team at SIFA, I aspired to curate a season that would showcase different art forms and perspectives from Singapore and around the world. We also strove to programme a spectrum of shows that would appeal to a variety of audiences, from the first-time festival-goer to the seasoned art lover.

We believe we have programmed artists who are game-changers in their fields.

In parallel, discussions commenced with several of the game-changers in the Singapore arts scene. One of SIFA’s roles is to commission and facilitate the creation of new Singaporean work – giving artists the time and resources to develop shows over a two- or three-year horizon. We look forward to presenting the culmination of this process in SIFA 2019 and 2020.

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Two memorable experiences from arts festivals I have attended around the world have been the free outdoor performances, and a festival ‘village’ — a place where artists and audiences can meet after a show and discuss what they’ve just seen. Both these elements can be found in SIFA 2018. The free outdoor programmes on the opening and closing weekends have some sensational performances to be enjoyed with family and friends. Over these three weeks, The Arts House will become Festival House.

It will be the heartbeat of SIFA with performances, lectures, readings, music salons and, of course, a place to just hang out and chat. Artists will give talks, conduct masterclasses or host Q&As, and hopefully we will build relationships with them that last beyond the festival.

A key initiative that I introduced this year is the $10 front-row student ticket. I want the next generation of Singaporeans to know that they matter to SIFA. My hope is that they will fall in love with the arts in the same way I did at their age.

I would like to thank Sarah Martin and the incredible team of people I work with at SIFA and at Arts House Limited. Despite the tight six-month runway to programme this festival, they have been nothing short of amazing and have worked tirelessly to produce a festival that we hope resonates with you as much as it does with us.

Most of all, thank you for your support. The scope, breadth and reach of shows in SIFA will continue to grow over the next three years. We look forward to taking you on this exciting journey with us.

Gaurav Kripalani Festival Director

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

Festivals bring people together to celebrate causes or to mark momentous occasions. Arts festivals allow us to not only appreciate the arts, they allow us to experience and form lasting and transformative memories. It is through shared experiences that we come to form communities.

The inaugural Singapore Festival of Arts began in 1977 as a national showcase of the vibrant art forms found within Singapore’s diverse communities. In its many evolutions over the last four decades, the Festival has touched countless hearts, created invaluable experiences for many, and inspired even more to embrace the arts. From a time when Singapore was widely perceived as a cultural desert, the Festival has played an instrumental role in developing Singapore’s arts landscape and shaped the city-state into one of Asia’s leading cultural capitals.

This year, SIFA 2018 marks the 41st year and kicks off a new era with Gaurav Kripalani at the helm as Festival Director for 2018 – 2020. Condensed into 17 days of artistic adventures, it is our hope that

this exhilarating three-week format will create robust artistic engagement for a spectrum of diverse audiences. The Arts House will be transformed into the Festival House, and within its intimate spaces, there will be meaningful discourses on the various themes presented in the festival.

Built upon the foundation and achievements of those who came before, SIFA is the sum of many parts made possible by a team of many talents who has worked tirelessly and passionately to deliver the Festival Director’s vision.

I thank everyone who has had a hand in shaping the Singapore International Festival of Arts into a tradition for both new and existing audiences and making it the stalwart of Singapore’s dedication to artistic excellence.

Gaurav and the team have put together a festival of multiple layers allowing you to make up your own artistic adventures.

It is my hope that you will walk away with unique memories of the Festival.

Sarah Martin CEO, Arts House Limited

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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR In its oldest form, storytelling took place in open spaces where people used to gather and listen to an elder or a shaman impart ways of being. The oral tradition was practiced in spaces that were sacred and secular, around the fire and upon rugs placed on desert sands, within the cool walls of caves and under the roots of the banyan tree. I have told stories in many places, from rooftops and castles to inside a giant inflatable fish. The beauty of this art form lies in its freedom of expression, undetermined by space.

SIFA’s open call for projects on monuments struck a chord within me for a lot of my art is performed in museums and galleries. I have always had an affinity for old spaces and for finding links between artefacts and folklore. The Armenian Church holds a special place in my heart. The memorial garden is an oasis of green and calm situated right in the heart of the Civic District, a place where I came to know the late custodian of the church whose generosity of spirit and openness to other cultures and faiths inspired me to develop The Hidden.

The Hidden is reminiscent of a time when storytellers and musicians went from place to place telling stories and playing music while listeners followed the sound of their words and melody. Stories travel across time, over land and seas, adapt to language and geography and contribute to the culture of where they end up. Stories are nomadic, just like the travellers who tell them. The Hidden pays homage to tales from the oral tradition and how they may have an origin or source but their motifs and symbols are universal.

A monument is no different to the oral tradition. Filled with stories from a time long ago, it sits preserved. It is frozen in time and space ‌ The Hidden hopes to breathe life into the monument and the old stories. I am constantly thinking of the future of my craft and The Hidden features the next generation of storytellers alongside myself.

What does it feel like to be woven in time and space, unable to leave yet hear all that surrounds you? Through cloth as a symbol of shrouds and binding, you are invited to contemplate our relationship with the stories and the monument. For a moment we are suspended in time, in disbelief.

Kamini Ramachandran

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SYNOPSIS Harking back to a time when traditional storytellers and musicians travelled from place to place, connecting their listeners to their locales through stories and song, audiences will roam the Armenian Church’s grounds with Kamini Ramachandran, a pioneer Asian storyteller.

Centred around three locations within Singapore’s oldest Christian church, The Hidden is an intimate site-specific storytelling performance that takes place in a 183-year-old setting. Guided by a voice and live music, step into the chapel, then through the restored parsonage and into the memorial garden as tales unfold.

Who was here before? Why were they here, what were they seeking? Travellers, lovers, heroes from realms real and unreal. What of their lives? Invisible threads will connect you, as, among the silent tombstones, you too are wrapped in time and space.

For close to two centuries, the Armenian Church sat quietly in its secret garden in the heart of the city, a sanctuary for the soul and a place for remembrance. The Hidden invites audiences to step into this refuge, to contemplate our relationship with these stories and the monument.

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THE ARMENIAN CHURCH The Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator is the first Christian church to be built in Singapore in 1835. Designed by Irish architect, George D. Coleman, it is widely known to be one of his masterpieces.

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As the number of Armenian families grew in the early 1830s thanks to business prospects in Southeast Asia, a place of worship was deemed necessary. In 1833, the land was acquired from the government of the time. The majority of the funds needed for construction was raised by Armenians in Singapore, as well as, the Armenian communities of Calcutta and Java.

On 26 March 1836, the church was consecrated and dedicated to St. Gregory the Illuminator, a patron saint and the first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 1973, the building was gazetted as a national monument by the National Preservation Board.

Within the tranquillity of the tropical landscape lies the Memorial Garden with the tomb markings of Armenians who died in Singapore. The tombstones were transported here from the Bukit Timah Cemetery in the 1970s. The stones were assembled to form the Memorial Garden, a sanctuary to a small community with a strong heritage and ties to the socioeconomic development of this country.

The tombstones that lie in this compound are of prominent Armenians such as Agnes Joaquim who bred Singapore’s national flower and Catchik Moses who founded Singapore’s national newspaper, The Straits Times.

Source: The Armenian Apostolic Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR, KAMINI RAMACHANDRAN Kamini Ramachandran is a pioneer in the field of storytelling in Asia. She is the creative force behind MoonShadow Stories, which spearheaded performance storytelling for adult audiences in Singapore. Her childhood years were immersed in the oral traditions of the region and shaped by her grandfather who was a storyteller. She has always been drawn to the secrets of the past and giving voice to lesser-known folklore.

A fellow of the Royal Society of Arts with a BA in English Language & Literature and an MA in Arts Pedagogy & Practice from UK, Kamini is a highly sought after arts educator in the field who teaches the art of storytelling at LASALLE. She is Creative Producer of StoryFest: International Storytelling Festival Singapore and has also produced World Storytelling Day in Singapore since 2005. Kamini is the founding director of the non-profit arts organisation The Storytelling Centre Ltd where she leads the Young Storytellers Mentorship Programme to sustain the art of storytelling by nurturing emerging talents. She has performed commissioned works for The Esplanade, The Arts House and the National Arts Council. Her rich Asian repertoire of stories has taken her around the world enchanting audiences.

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THE PERFORMERS DAISY MITCHELL | Performer Daisy majored in theatre at School of the Arts and recently graduated from LASALLE with a Diploma in Performance. A versatile performer, she is comfortable engaging both children and adult audiences. She has played Zhu Di in Furthest North, Deepest South, Rachel Corrie in Let Me Stand Alone and Casca in Julius Caesar.

JEREMY LEONG | Performer Jeremy is a trained actor, storyteller and puppeteer. His enthusiasm for the stage is driven by a passion for stories. His stage credits include The Greatest Treasure in the World, a National Museum Singapore commission as part of The British Museum exhibition and children’s school touring show WonderWords, directed by Daniel Jenkins.

Jeremy and Daisy are Associate Young Storytellers with The Storytelling Centre Ltd and helm the weekly Terrific Tales storytelling series at The Artground.

DERRICK TAY | Composer and Musician Derrick is an actor, singer, musician and educator best known for his use of traditional music in theatre productions. A graduate of performance studies, popular music teaching and theatre arts, Derrick started performing at the early age of 11, published his first music composition when he was 17 and became a member of Composers and Authors Society of Singapore.

His recent works include the Peranakan musical Unforgettable Love fusing both traditional Nanyin, gamelan and contemporary music by Siong Leng Musical Association, as well original music composition and accompaniment for Shapeshifter Stories by Moonshadow Stories.

THE CREATIVE TEAM Storyteller and Director: Kamini Ramachandran Performers: Daisy Mitchell and Jeremy Leong Composer and Musician: Derrick Tay Production Coordinator: Nur Khairiyah Ramli 8

TICKET HOLDER PRIVILEGES

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For more festival deals, please visit sifa.sg Terms & Conditions: Unless otherwise stated, all promotions are valid till 13 May, Sun. Not applicable with other promotions, discounts, vouchers and offers by credit or privilege cards. Ticket stubs presented must be in its original condition. Management reserves the right to amend any promotional terms and conditions without prior notice. Merchants’ terms and conditions apply.

ABOUT SIFA Into its 41st year, Singapore International Festival of Arts 2018 presents diverse and distinctive work from Singapore and around the world that ignites the imagination, inspires myriad audiences, and provokes reflection and dialogue.

Get ready for a plethora of theatre, music, dance, literary and visual arts at the pinnacle national arts festival that will happen over three weeks from 26 April to 12 May, and across ten performance spaces, including the Festival House, located at The Arts House.

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 multi-disciplinary 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 and Aliwal Arts Centre, two creative enclaves for artists, arts groups and creative businesses, and performing arts space 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.

AHL was set up in 11 Dec 2002 as a company limited by guarantee (CLG) under the National Arts Council and was formerly known as The Old Parliament House Limited. It was officially renamed Arts House Limited on 19 Mar 2014.

AHL BOARD Chairperson: Christine Ong Members: Chong Yuan Chien, Deborah Ho, Kelvin Ang, Lynette Pang, Madeleine Lee, Maniza Jumabhoy, Mok Wei Wei, Ong Chao Choon, Ong Choon Fah, Paul Tan, Sarah Martin (Ex-Officio)

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS THE SIFA TEAM Chief Executive Officer: Sarah Martin Festival Director: Gaurav Kripalani Chief Financial Officer: Yong Yuet Mei Advisor: J P Nathan Head, Programming: Jobina Tan Head, Production: Cindy Yeong Head, Marketing: Jasmine Gan Head, Communications: Carolyn Tay Head, Partnership Development: Payal Michelle Parekhji Assistant Head, Event Services Management: Emma Izzabella Tagoe PROGRAMMING Producers: Sara Joan Fang, Rydwan Anwar, Ye Junmin Senior Manager: Lisa Marie Lip Senior Manager, Place Making: Natalie Tan Managers: Kong Yen Lin, Shridar Mani, Pang Su Li Assistant Manager: Alicia Chong PRODUCTION Production Managers: Christopher Chua, Natalie Lim Production Co-ordinators: Celestine Wong, Melissa Chin Technical Co-ordinators: Huang Xiangbin, David Li Production Assistant: Chong Wee Nee MARKETING Senior Managers: Elizabeth Wong, Winnie Chan Assistant Manager: Koay Yi Ling Senior Designers: Muhammad Hakim bin Rahim, Md Firdaus bin Wari Executives: Diana Othman, Juliana Tan Interns: Clara Janssen, Lim Yi Shuen, Michelle Chia COMMUNICATIONS Assistant Manager: Willy Beh Wei Hong Intern: Rifdi Jaffar TICKETING Executive: Nor Limah binte Ja’ffar PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Manager: Norita Senin Executive: Tan Yanru EVENT SERVICES MANAGEMENT Frontof-house Hospitality Manager: Dorothy Neo Front-of-House Manager: Mohd Afham bin Abbas Back-of-House Hospitality Manager: Nursheehana binte Akbal Ahmad Event Services Manager: Johnson Kee Secretariat Manager: Carine Lee Transport Manager: Syafiq Zulkepli FINANCE Manager: Vivian Gan Executives: Mandy Choo, Lai Zhi Ying, Priyasini D/O Balachandran HUMAN RESOURCE Manager: Noraliza Ramli Senior Executive: Elaine Neo ADMINISTRATION Manager, Arts: Liza Mustapha Executive: Norhanim binte Mohamed Tayib 10

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26 Apr - 12 May, daily, 10am - 10pm Gallery II, Festival House

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