A CELEBRATION OF SINGAPORE’S PERANAKAN CULTURE BABA HOUSE CHARITY TOUR

In conjunction with the Singapore Sun Festival 2009, Baba House will be organising special guided tours led by living treasure ‘Bibik’ GT Lye in his creative persona as the archetypal Peranakan matriarch. The tours lasts one hour and visitors will be served tea and delicious nyonya cakes.*

Baba House is Singapore’s first Straits Chinese heritage home which has been restored to its former glory circa 1920s. The interactive guided tours will showcase Peranakan culture within an old-world domestic setting. As participants explore this three-storey architectural icon, moving from the main hall to the inner family hall with its open air well, and exploring the private bedrooms and spaces on the second and third floors, they will discover the history of the house, the symbolism behind the ornate antique furnishings, and find out about traditional Peranakan customs.

Through the entertaining anecdotes narrated by Bibik GT Lye, the house comes alive as a living heritage home, and participants get the rare opportunity to touch and enjoy the antique artefacts and furniture in the house.

The tour concludes with a fine art photography exhibition by Chris Yap, held on the third floor of the Baba House. This area has been converted into a gallery space dedicated to exhibitions on Peranakan themes. Here, artist and photographer Chris Yap explores what it means to be Peranakan in our contemporary world by juxtaposing elements commonly associated with Peranakan culture against daily life and experiences.

Sat 10 - Sun 11 October 10 am & 3 pm, Baba House

ASIAN CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM – WHERE ASIAN CULTURES COME ALIVE

Housed in the grand Empress Place Building, the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) features more than 1,500 artefacts displayed over 14,000 square metres of gallery space. The museum’s growing collection traces the cultural roots of Singaporeans through its focus on Southeast Asia, South Asia, China and the Islamic world of West Asia. At every turn, Asia’s history and stories – from magnificent palaces and places of worship to humble villages – all come to life with the help of friendly virtual guides and multimedia features. Children and adults alike will enjoy getting hands on in ACM’s Explor’Asian Zones, interactive spaces within the galleries. Visitors can soak up the atmosphere of a noisy Chinese teahouse or relax in a West Asian tent as they practice calligraphy. Begin a journey of discovery at the Asian Civilisations Museum – Where Asian Cultures Come Alive!

Fri 2 - Mon 12 October Various times, Asian Civilisations Museum

EARTH AND WATER

MAPPING ART IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Southeast Asia comprises two broad geographical regions – the Mainland and the Archipelago. The former refers to Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Peninsular Malaysia. The latter is made up of the island arcs and archipelagos of the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore and West Malaysia. The diverse region of Southeast Asia is home to approximately 500 million people. The history and society of Southeast Asia has been shaped by a confluence of geographical, historical and cultural forces. With exhibits drawn from the Singapore Art Museum’s permanent collection, the theme of 'Earth and Water' conjoins two of the basic elements of life with the Mainland and the Archipelago. These works by the region's best known artists offer multiple manifestations of life, society and traditions in Southeast Asia.

19 April 2009 to 28 March 2010 10am - 7pm (Mon - Sun), 10am - 9pm (Fri), Singapore Art Museum

A SINGAPORE TALE OR TWO

PAINTING WORKSHOP BY DIANA FRANCIS

Plunge into the vibrant and colorful world of Diana Francis, and let your creative juices flow in these two fun-filled workshops sessions! Inspired by her experiences and travels through Asia, Diana applies a playful finesse to her artworks through the media of oil, where the subject is executed with vibrant colour, and the extensive use of knife to capture texture and depth for her paintings. “I hope to evoke in my paintings an emotional connection with the viewer so that they can relate to this country’s unique history. The roots and the soul of Singapore, for us not to forget this not so distant past.”

“The streets and their fivefoot ways, the trades and the people that primarily built this nation. For us not to forget Singapore’s unique originality”
DIANA FRANCIS

Glimpse into Singapore’s past both architecturally and culturally through oil painted perspectives of Singapore by Diana Francis, whilst author Dr. Julian Davidson (author ofOne For The Road, An Eastern Port and The Black and White House), also presenter of TV’s Site and Sound, tells Singapore Tales from his family memoirs and excerpts of his books. Be taken through stage one of your composition with Diana Francis, from the application of the paints to the finished piece, as you interpret your own Singapore Story, get inspired and produce your very own ‘masterpiece’! Indulge in fine wines and canapés in the stunning surrounds of the Singapore Art Museum and be inspired. You may wish to add one of Diana Francis’ prints to your personal collection as they will be on sale. Dr. Julian Davidson’s books will also be on sale and he will conduct a book signing session.

Painting blocks and acrylic paints will be provided.

DATE:

Friday 2 October & Friday 9 October • 7pm – 9pm

VENUE:

Singapore Art Museum, 71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore

Taiwan arts

Taiwan has eleven indigenous groups, namely the Amis(阿美族), Atayal(泰雅), Bunun(布農), Kavalan(噶瑪蘭族), Paiwan(排灣), Puyuma(卑南族), Rukai(魯凱族), Saisiyat(賽夏), Thao(邵族), Tsou(鄒) and Yami. Each has their own unique art and culture.
The Paiwan and Rukai peoples of southern Taiwan, for example, are especially known for their woodcarvings of stylized human figures, geometric patterns, and images of the hundred-pacer snake. The Yami of Orchid Island are best known for their sturdy, hand-built boats made without nails or glue; and the Atayal tribe was also known for using facial tattooing and teeth filing as rituals of initiation. The Atayal women use simple back-strap looms to create rectilinear patterns of squares diamonds and triangles.
Dance and music are among the richest legacies of Taiwan's indigenous peoples. Group dances that are performed at a wide variety of ceremonies and rituals consist mostly of simple but harmonious walking and foot-stomping movements. They are usually performed in unison and accompanied by melodic choruses. Indigenous musical instruments include drums, simple stringed instruments, woodwind instruments (such as flutes), and other percussion instruments (rattles, wooden mortars and pestles).
Taiwan arts consist of Taiwan folk arts, puppetry, painting, sculpture, ceramics, seal carving, music, drama, dance, cinema, indigenous literature, and literature in Taiwan. Most are from the indigenous groups with some influenced by foreign culture.
Taiwan is raising its cultural identity from the predominating western culture. Despite the important position of traditional Chinese music in Taiwan, Western classical music predominates. Many young classical musicians, having succeeded in international circles, have now returned to Taiwan as either visiting musicians or regular members of orchestras and chamber groups.

Music in China

Traditional Music
Traditional music in China is played on solo instruments or in small ensembles of plucked and bowed stringed instruments, flutes, and various cymbals, gongs, and drums. The scale is pentatonic. Bamboo pipes and qin are among the oldest known musical instruments from China; instruments are traditionally divided into categories based on their material of composition: animal skins, gourd, bamboo, wood, silk, earth/clay, metal and stone. Chinese orchestras traditionally consist of bowed strings, woodwinds,plucked strings and percussion.

Instruments
· Woodwind and percussion
sheng, paigu, gong, paixiao, guan, bells, cymbals
· Bowed strings
erhu, zhonghu, dahu, banhu, jinghu, gaohu, gehu, yehu, cizhonghu, diyingehu, leiqn
· Plucked and struck strings
guqin, sanxian, yangqin, guzheng, ruan, konghou, liuqin, pipa, zhu

Chinese vocal music has traditionally been sung in a thin, non resonant voice or in falsetto and is usually solo rather than choral. All traditional Chinese music is melodic rather than harmonic. Chinese vocal music probably developed from sung poems and verses with music. Instrumental pieces played on an erhu or dizi are popular, and are often available outside of China, but the pipa and zheng music, which are more traditional, are more popular in China itself. The qin is perhaps the most revered instrument in China, even though very few people know what it is or seen and heard one being played. The zheng, a form of zither, is most popular in Henan, Chaozhou, Hakka and Shandong. The pipa, a kind of lute, believed to have been introduced from the Arabian Peninsula area during the 6th century and adopted to suit Chinese tastes, is most popular in Shanghai and surrounding areas.


Folk music
Han folk music thrives at weddings and funerals and usually includes a form of oboe called a suona and percussive ensembles called chuigushou. The music is diverse, sometimes jolly, sometimes sad and often based on Western pop music and TV theme songs. Ensembles consisting of mouth organs (sheng), shawms (suona), flutes (dizi) and percussion instruments (especially yunluo gongs) are popular in northern villages; their music is descended from the imperial temple music of Beijing, Xi'an, Wutai shan and Tianjin. Xi'an drum music consisting of wind and percussive instruments is popular around Xi'an, and has received some popularity outside China in a highly-commercialized form. Another important instrument is the sheng, pipes, which is an ancient instrument that is an ancestor of all Western free reed instruments, such as the accordion. Parades led by Western-type brass bands are common, often competing in volume with a shawm/chuigushou band.
Sizhu ensembles use flutes and bowed or plucked string instruments to make harmonious and melodious music that has become popular in the West among some listeners. These are popular in Nanjing and Hangzhou, as well as elsewhere along the southern Yangtze area. Sizhu has been secularized in cities but remains spiritual in rural areas.
Jiangnan Sizhu (silk and bamboo music from Jiangnan) is a style of instrumental music, often played by amateur musicians in teahouses in Shanghai, that has become widely known outside of its place of origin.Guangdong Music or Cantonese Music is instrumental music from Guangzhou and surrounding areas. It is based on Yueju (Cantonese Opera) music, together with new compositions from the 1920s onwards. Many pieces have influences from jazz and Western music, using syncopation and triple time. Famous Groups include Blacklist Studio.

Drama in China

Origin of Chinese Drama: It is the opinion of modern scholars that drama was not native to China, but was introduced, probably in rather an advanced state, by the Mongols in the thirteenth century. During the one-hundred and sixty-eight years of the Kin and Yuen dynasties the most celebrated plays were written. During this period (1200-1368) the style of acting, the subjects to be treated, and the general conduct of the theater were determined. The Chinese stage at the beginning of the twentieth century was practically the same as that of seven hundred years ago.

Famous Chinese Plays:
· The Little Orphan of the House of Tchao
· The Story of the Magic Lute
· The Sorrows of Han

Religious Influence on Chinese Drama: One does not begin to understand the Chinese drama without some knowledge of the religious doctrines and the demonology of the Chinese people. Not only was the stage intercepted by religious rite but it has remained dependent upon Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism for theme and character and symbol.

Superstitions inherited from Buddhist principles frequently denude the stage of mortality and are the playwright's inspiration for extravaganza; he may create a mise en scène in terrestrial immortality and people it with nostalgic gods and provoking genii and find it more absorbing to an audience than the type of play that transpires on an earthly plane and presents the principles of morality that Confucius meditated upon. The playwright may even unite the two--and add a theme from Taoism--in his high romance.

Confucianism is based upon ancestor worship and teaches that the source of morality is in filial piety. Confucianism is so definite a theory of conduct that it cannot be expressed in many symbolic forms such as Buddhism furnishes, but it provides themes for numberless librettos. Buddhism teaches that release from one's present existence is the greatest happiness. The most common form of Buddhist drama is the fantasia or the buffoonery of deity and demon symbols through which Buddha is frequently worshiped. Taoism teaches that contemplation and reason, avoidance of force, and disregard of mere ceremony, are the means of regeneration. It may be said that Confucianism is based upon morality, Buddhism upon idolatry, and Taoism on superstition. Or, in another form, Confucianism deals with the dead past, Buddhism with the changing future, and Taoism with the evils of the present.

During the twelfth century Kaing T'ai Kung deified many soldiers, and in the fourteenth century the first emperor of the Ming dynasty appointed a great number of city gods. It was then only a short step from a "Great man to a little idol" and ultimately to become both a household and a stage deity. There seems a god for every occasion and a dozen needs for his favour every day.

Such fantastic and traditional imagination, and such deification baffle the "barbarian" and disqualify him to accept a stage performance with a tenth part of the intelligence and, in the beginning, almost none of the pleasure he will remark in every Chinese in the audience. But as he continues to study the Chinese drama he will not fail to perceive the virtue--and the attendant weaknesses--of ancestor worship, of the belief in recurrent life, and the earned privileges of another existence, which govern and satisfy the great majority of the Chinese people.

If it seems strange to find dogma in the theatre, the fear of evil demons and the respect for, and placation of, symbols, we have only to recall that doctrines and drama have developed concurrently. Any attempt to separate them might destroy the potency of both; and would certainly rob the Chinese theatre of many of its most popular characters.

Rescues 500-Year-Old Kunqu Opera

Kunqu, a 500-year-old Chinese Opera is seeing a renaissance after it was listed as one of UNESCO's 19 masterpieces of "Verbal and Non-Material Heritage".
Since August, many Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou have held conferences and concerts celebrating the 80th anniversary of an Kunqu Opera Troupe.
The Chinese Ministry of Culture is also drafting a 10-year plan for the preservation and restoration of Kunqu Opera, making it the first theater art in China to enjoy special protection by the government.

Under the plan, China will step up collecting lists of Kunqu Opera plays, training new actors and actresses as well as setting up funds for the opera.
In 10 years, two training centers will appear in Beijing and Shanghai. A Kunqu art library will also be set up in three years.

In addition, ancient Kunqu theaters will also be protected.

Renowned Kunqu artists, who have witnessed the ups and downs of the great art, see the nomination by UNESCO as "the greatest ever chance" for the revival of Kunqu Opera.
"Kunqu is the mother of all Chinese operas," said Cai Zhenren, head of the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, "we have already lost two- thirds of the art. If we let go the last chance,we will feel guilty to our nation."

UNESCO launched the program to preserve basic elements of cultural diversity and announced the list in May. Chinese Kunqu Opera was nominated with unanimous approval by the 18-member international jury and was on top of the list.

Kunqu Opera, also known as "watermill song" because of its soft arias and the graceful movement of its performers, has been an elite opera since it was created in 16th century.
In its golden age, Kunqu was sung and loved by almost everyone in south China. In Suzhou City, Kunqu was performed almost every night in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The most shining Kunqu Opera plays are written by Tang Xianzu, who lived in 16th century and is now known as "China's Shakespeare ".
Although it is an ancient art form with rich artistic heritage which benefited and helped shape the well-known Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera has been suffering severe audience-decline for the past two centuries.

UNESCO's nomination is expected to put Kunqu Opera back on center stage. The organization urges countries with these diminishing art forms to draw up a 10-year plan for their rescue efforts.
This is the second time the Chinese government has come to its rescue.

In 1956, when not enough actors and actresses could be found to form a complete Kunqu Opera Troupe, late Chinese premier Zhou Enlai encouraged the Kunqu artists to write and stage a new play, which attracted new audiences to the opera.
However, with increasingly diversified choices of entertainment including foreign operas and pop concerts, Kunqu is becoming obsolete among Chinese audiences.
Though with a heavy doze of government support, the Kunqu Opera circle is determined to "preserve, inherit, innovate and develop" the art, though many problems still lie ahead.
"We have to tailor the opera to appeal to the tastes of modern Chinese, even though it is hard to innovate without destroying the fine and delicacy on which Kunqu Opera built its name," said Cai.
However, he quickly added: "Kunqu Opera must innovate if it is to live."

Dance history in China

Dance is a sport and art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.
The earliest forms of dance in China grew out of religious rituals and drunken masked dances- and courtship festivals and developed into a form of entertainment patronized by the court.
In ancient times, dance was regarded as kind of physical exercise that help harmonise the body and mind. It was incorporated into confucian rituals and military exercises.
In the Tang Dynasty dances and music styles from outside of China were incorporated into Chinese dance and Chinese styles were passed onto other parts of the world, particularly Korea and Japan. Hundreds of young men and women were trained in dance and music at a school called the Academy of the Pear Garden. Tang poets wrote of “the dance of the rainbow skirt and feathered jacket” and described how dancer used their long silk sleeves to accentuate their hand movements. This kind of sleeve dancing was also depicted in Buddhist cave art from this period. After the Tang dynasty the custom of foot binding began to take root. This was a severe blow for women dancers. It is difficult to walk, let alone dance with bound feet.
Dance was widely promoted and utilized for propaganda purposes in the 1950s. A typical dance troupe performed a Lotus Dance, a dance infused with Russian folk-style dance steps, a comical lion dance, a trick wrestling bout and a classical sword dance. Such troupes often served to draw a crowds that were then indoctrinated with some kind of Communist message. These troupes also traveled around the world and later incorporated elements of Cambodian, Burmese, Indonesian and Ethiopian dances.
Dance in the Cultural Revolution was labeled as "bourgeois and decadent" and discouraged. Ballet and Western-style dancing were singled out for particularly vitriolic condemnation. Instead people were entertained with “revolutionary ballets” like The Red Detachment of Women and The White Haired Girl, both put together under the supervision of Jiang Qing, Mao’s wife and Gang of Four member. Nixon was entertained with a performance of The Red Detachment of Women when he made his historic first trip to China. Chinese who grew up in the Cultural Revolution do not know how to dance because dancing then was mostly banned.

Singapore Arts Festival 2009: outreach programme engaging audiences at every level

National Arts Council, 08 April 2009,Singapore

Singapore Arts Festival 2009: Outreach Programme

Engaging Audiences at Every Level

15 May – 14 June 2009

The Singapore Arts Festival 2009 announced today details of its month-long outreach programme as part of the Festival’s broad and inclusive programme, ranging from popular classics to contemporary creations. Featuring more than 400 free performances and 1,255 artists, the Festival’s 2009 outreach line-up features an extensive list of high quality, free and ticketed outdoor performances island-wide, bringing the arts to the doorsteps of Singapore audiences.

Said Mr Lee Suan Hiang, Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Council (NAC), “The Singapore Arts Festival's Outreach Programme is designed to reach out to the whole spectrum of the Singapore population. This year we have 420 diverse and high quality performances which are accessible and enjoyable to both regular Festival goers and first timers alike. To achieve these objectives, we are working with 18 strategic partners to stage shows in 32 interesting venues in different parts of Singapore, from ‘heartland’ locales to new iconic places like the Marina Barrage for this year’s Festival opening. We want to make it easy for Singaporeans and visitors to enjoy the arts by bringing the arts to where we live, work and play.”

Notably, the Singapore Arts Festival 2009 sees the introduction of a new impetus under the banner of Fest Connect, an extension of the Festival’s existing arts education and audience development initiative designed to foster greater understanding of the Festival’s performances, artists, and festival-making amongst schools, arts communities and the public. Through Fest Connect, the Festival is offering a series of public engagement activities to connect with arts practitioners and the public earlier, beginning six weeks prior to the start of the Festival. Eleven Arts Education Programmes (AEPs) were developed in partnership with leading arts organisations such as the Singapore Drama Educators Association, Drama Box, Singapore Lyric Opera, MOVING ARTS and The Triqnaqi, in conjunction with eight Festival productions, namely The Cherry Orchard, Long Life, Electra, Sutra, Seven Boards of Tricks, H3, Terima Kost and The Magic Flute – Impempe Yomlingo. To date, organisers have received 23 AEP bookings from 13 schools that will reach an estimated 4,300 students.

Said Ms Goh Ching Lee, Director for Singapore Arts Festival and Senior Director for Performing Arts, NAC, "The Festival remains true to its character to push boundaries in arts creation and appreciation, we continue to offer different opportunities and experiences for audiences to enjoy and be inspired by the arts. A special opportunity created this year is FEST CONNECT, an integrated platform towards raising awareness, appreciation, and dialogue amongst students, the arts community, and the general public. Its key aim is to deepen and widen students’ knowledge of the arts and of homegrown and international arts-makers, while enhancing the public's understanding of the arts creation and festival-making processes.”

Under Fest Connect, the public can attend a series of free engagement activities such as Festival Chats at the library@esplanade, or attend Festival Forums at The Substation to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Festival’s performances and lend a deeper experience in better arts appreciation. The National Library Board will be extending its Mobile Library initiative to support the Festival’s effort by making literature and audio-visual materials related to the Festival and its programmes available at performing venues and selected schools which have booked Fest Connect AEPs for public loan on the spot. Five public libraries – library@esplanade, Central Lending Library, Cheng San Community Library, Bishan Community Library and Toa Payoh Community Library – will also feature dedicated booths to display and stock materials relevant to the Festival.

In addition to the mainstay post-show dialogues conducted by the Festival for various ticketed performances, the Festival also presents a special post-matinee showcase, taking place after the H3 matinee on 20 May. Audiences at this special matinee performance showcase comprise primarily of students, and will be treated to an informative post-show dialogue conducted by The Triqnaqi, as well as an exciting exhibition battle between H3 performers and local break dancers. This unique showcase aims to enhance the young audience’s appreciation of artistic and cultural exchange. Ticketed workshops conducted by some of the artists will also be available for public participation.

Spectacular! Spectacular! - Coming to a location near you
True to its objectives of bringing the arts to a wider audience, this year’s Festival outreach programme will see the arts permeate the heartlands such as Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Yishun and Tampines, as well as various iconic spots about the city. The three-day Festival Opening, Hélios II, presented by La Compagnie Malabar (France), is a free event staged at the Marina Barrage featuring a titanic insect 24 metres long and nine metres high at the swaying rhythm of electronic compositions, surrounded by circus artists in aerial acts and live musicians, juxtaposed against a backdrop of shadows and lights. The Closing Celebrations takes to the open field at Yishun Central 1, with Crackers?, by U.K. artists The World Famous. Not for the faint hearted, Crackers? harnesses the beauty of fire and fireworks in presenting a spectacular symphony of light and sound.

Special events such as RED (Stalker Theatre Company, Australia), The Diamond (The Dream Engine, U.K.) and Transports Exceptionnels (Compagnie Beau Geste, France) are also scheduled to whet the appetites of arts lovers. Additionally, the Festival features a broad range of outreach events for a wide range of arts palettes, age and demographics, ranging from the Arts On The Move and Family Funfest to Asian Showcase. The Festival will be working with the Esplanade, PUB, NEA, URA, SMRT, SBS Transit, Singapore Street Festival, Central Singapore Community Development Council and other partners to bring the arts to the wider community.

Entertainment where you least expect it
Arts on the Move is set to liven up the streets with an onslaught of dance, music and visual arts performances. Taking to various locations in the heartlands, shopping malls and food centres along Orchard Road, and even in the MRT, the programme features both local and international acts to inspire and engage Singaporeans from all walks of lives. From 16 May to 7 June, Arts on the Move closes the gap between the arts and the public with quirky and fun performances such as Baby Charli (Association de Malfaiteurs, France), Mono the Monkey (Electric-Circus, Netherlands) and Spaced Out Tourists (Sticky Planet Network, Australia), The Agency (The DCP, Beligum) and The Glittering Bestiary (La Compagnie Malabar, France). From the local scene, a new theatre company Scissors Paper Stone started by Chermaine Ang will present the interactive Three Blind Mice and Moving Arts will invite audiences to participate in their UarrangeMe. Arts on the Move is co-presented by the University of Western Australia in partnership with PSB Academy. Arts Where We Eat makes a return on weekdays to entertain lunchtime office workers and families, bringing a whole new meaning to the lunchtime experience.

Fun with the family
Taking place over three days on the last weekend of May at the Toa Payoh HDB Hub, The Big Game , the first of four shows under Family Funfest, by the Polyglot Puppet Theatre (Australia), extends a space where children and adults play together in teams. The Big Game combines sport, art and spectator interaction to bring out the passion and excitement rarely seen in theatre. More interaction ensues with the penultimate, Sienta la Cabeza from Spain, where the stage is transformed into a hairdressing salon for audience members. Hodman Dodmanott and Sally Forth by The Flying Buttresses (UK) will delight with a pair of wee, wonderful and world famous wanderers in Singapore! The entire family can also come as their favourite story book character, dressed in their most creative costumes and stand to win prizes in Be Spotted and Win.

Engaging the senses
Lovers of the visual arts can look to four visual arts exhibitions. What do you want to be, Strange·R? – a Festival installation (A project by [+O] in collaboration with Oforzero with the participation of Strangers and Friends) which will take place at Raffles City (Outdoors) along North Bridge Road, Reminiscient (The Observatory), to engage the senses and be entertained will take place at LASALLE College of the Arts. Eight Singapore artists will explore the questions of representation at Found & Lost (Osage Singapore) while TransportAsian (Singapore Art Museum) will present an Asian photography exhibition centered on the themes of ‘transport’ and ‘Asia’.

Drawing on Asia’s rich cultural heritage
A staple on the Festival outreach calendar is the Asian Showcase. Gentarasa 2009: Bapak Borek Anak Cerdik! focuses on a time travel journey by four teenage boys into the past to discover and appreciate Malay Culture. A fast-paced light hearted comedy drama science fiction, Gentarasa 2009 combines pre-recorded visual acts with live on-stage acting. SEIS Dance presents the Saman Traditional Dance, also known as the "Dance of a Thousand Hands," Aceh’s most popular traditional dance. The Pasar Theatre in Chinatown provides a throw back to the fifties with a programme of cross talk, evergreens, Chinese opera and the traditional arts.

In addition, the outreach programme features associated events with the Esplanade and the Singapore Street Festival; and CLAP! (Community Life Arts Programme) organised by the Central Singapore Community Development Council.

The Singapore Arts Festival 2009, organised by NAC, will feature seven new commissions, which include two world premieres and one Asian premiere co-commissioned with international partners, and five other Asian premieres. The Festival will see a broad and inclusive programme ranging from premier classics to contemporary creations, while it continues its strategic role as a global connector in the international festival circuit, and a national platform for the people to engage in the arts.

The Straits Times’ 6th LIFE! Theatre Awards Shortlist Is Out

FEBRUARY 10, 2006 - The Life! section of The Straits Times yesterday announced its shortlist of 59 nominees for The Straits Times’ 6th Life! Theatre Awards (LTA), which are Singapore’s only national accolades for theatre.

The list was drawn up by a panel of five judges, who also voted in the winners at a roundtable on February 4. The judges this year are National University of Singapore theatre lecturer K.K. Seet; freelance writer Sangeetha Madhavan; Business Times arts writer Parvathi Nayar; and Life! theatre critics Clara Chow and Hong Xinyi.
The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony on March 6 at the News Centre Auditorium in Toa Payoh, which was also the venue for the awards ceremony in 2004 and 2005. The judges promise surprises aplenty - for all the right reasons - when the victors are announced.
Second Minister for Finance and Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim will grace the evening as its guest of honour, while popular and talented actor and past LTA nominee Adrian Pang will host the show, as he has since its inception in 2001.
The organisers have heeded the theatre community’s call at last year’s awards ceremony to put backstage crew on par with producers, directors and casts. So, from this year, there will be full awards - and not just honourable mentions as in past years - for the technical achievement categories of Best Sound, Best Lighting, Best Costumes and Best Use Of Multimedia.
This change takes the total number of awards to 13 in all, up from nine in previous years.
That said, the judges felt no shows employed multimedia effectively enough to be noteworthy this year, and so there are no nominees in this category this time around. Last year, homegrown artist Brian Gothong Tan was the lone multimedia honourable mention.
Now into its sixth year, The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards were first given out in 2001 to laud the best and brightest in Singapore theatre, as well as encourage promising talents. Winners in past years have since found themselves enjoying greater local recognition and being able to travel farther professionally.
Indeed, industry players cite the awards as highlights in their portfolios as Britain would its Oliviers or the United States its Tonys.
Leading the pack this year for the most nominations for a single production is luna-id Theatre, which scored a total of six - including Production Of The Year, Best Director and Best Actor - for the play Quills, which was also one of the most talked about shows of the year with its dark themes and full frontal nudity.
Tied with five nominations each are last year’s big winner The Finger Players (for the HDB upgrading satire Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea), Action Theatre (for the tearjerking drama Everything But The Brain) and The Necessary Stage (for the terrorism spoof What Big Bombs You Have!!!)
Viewed overall, the established Singapore Repertory Theatre and the fledgling The Finger Players are tied for the most number of nominations - that is, seven - for two productions each: SRT for A Twist Of Fate and The Snow Queen, and Finger for Twisted and Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea.
While the contest on March 6 is shaping up to be a right proper tussle between theatre’s big boys and hungry independent artists, the most heartening trend on the shortlist this year is the many doffs to cultural diversity. These include Best Original Script and Best Ensemble Cast nominations for Miror Theatre’s Shanmugam - The Kalinga Trilogy; Singapore Arts Festival hit Impenjarament by Teater Ekamatra (two nominations); and Theatre Practice’s Menage a 13 and Lao Jiu: The Musical (three nominations collectively).
There is also a strong showing by Chinese language theatre this year, headlined by survivor troupe Drama Box scooping up an impressive four nominations for Best Original Script, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Set Design for Happy, its play on Oscar Wilde in Mandarin.
You may wish to refer to Appendix A for the full list of nominees and Appendix B for nomination tallies according to drama groups.
Guests this year, who will be the Who’s Who of the arts scene here as always, have been asked to come according to the dress code Spaghetti Western, in keeping with the event’s loopy yearly themes, all meant in wacky good fun.

MediaCorp celebrates 25 years of drama production with 2 events

By Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia
Posted: 09 December 2007 2326 hrs
SINGAPORE: For the first time, MediaCorp has prepared a double dosage of the annual Star Awards to mark 25 years of television drama production.

The first instalment was aired "live" on Channel 8 on Sunday evening, with more than 100 artistes attending the event. Awards were given out for 11 categories such as the Top 5 Dramas, Top 10 Villains, Best Screen Couple and Evergreen Veterans. Xie Shao Guang won the award for My Favourite Actor, while Huang Bi Ren walked away with the award for My Favourite Actress. Felicia Chin was voted to join the ranks of Zoe Tay and Chen Li Ping as Screen Sweetheart. The presentation of awards for other entertainment shows will be held next Sunday, 16 December. The annual awards ceremony is held to honour the best of local talents, including the Best Host and Best Newscaster. - CNA/so

Apocalypse: LIVE!

published on Aug 18 2008 - 17:49

The Lion City has been destroyed – so what happens next? A pitch-black new comedy posits a much funnier scenario than you might expect. Laura Dannen gets perspective on Singapore’s fictional finale It’s 2058: Singapore faces annihilation, melting under a rain of fire, and no one knows what the hell to do. Cue a story that’s part-political satire, part-social commentary, asking the question: when the time comes, will Singaporeans help each other, or just themselves? Though Apocalypse: LIVE! – part of the OCBC Singapore Theatre Festival and presented by W!LD RICE – might sound a bit heavy, its treatment by award-winning local director Samantha Scott-Blackhall (The Physicists, Quills) and script by Straits Times reporter-turned-playwright Ken Kwek are anything but. Reactions to the natural disaster vary from terror to concern over whether the Great Singapore Sale will be interrupted. This is black comedy incarnate. ‘The play deals with a pretty intense situation, but it’s still definitely funny,’ says Risa Okamoto, 29, who plays Asian-American news reporter Lisa, assigned to cover the apocalypse with local anchorman David. ‘Serious topics might be intimidating to think about on their own, but with a light sprinkling of clever humour, they become more accessible, inviting more analysis.’ Witty banter between journalists, military officials and Singaporeans running amok comes courtesy of Kwek, 29, who turns to long-form playwriting for the first time after a successful premiere with short plays. (He won the Best Playwright award for his ten-minute piece at June’s Short + Sweet Singapore festival.) After ending his two-and-a-half-year stint as a political reporter for the Times last August – during which he went head to head with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in a moment often referenced on local blogs – Kwek had plenty to say about a journalist’s role in Singapore, too. ‘I was very close to the material, and foolishly, of course, wanted to shed light on what the newspaper industry is really like in Singapore,’ says Kwek, noting that his first script for Apocalypse: LIVE! was much longer and dealt with significantly less ‘theatrical’ issues like censorship. ‘[But] I don’t want to simplify this play as a diatribe about press freedom, or lack thereof – it’s not.’ Rather, the play imagines the state of Singapore 50 years from now, from the make-up of its people to its landscape; after decades of change and growth, what does it look like? ‘It looks pretty much exactly as it does now,’ says Scott-Blackhall with a smile, ‘but with much more technological advancement, and a lot more commercialisation. Not with the sci-fi element though.’ Though she remained tight-lipped about details of the play’s plot and set, Scott-Blackhall did say one visual concept might make its way onstage. ‘I always wonder where our waste goes – are we using it to reclaim land?’ she asks. ‘So if there’s a natural disaster, does that mean everything is going to come up? Are we just going to be a country of rubbish?’ So, feasibly, the story goes like this: a day after ‘Singapore gets blown to smithereens’ (to quote Okamoto), some intrepid Singaporeans – led by activist Jessie Soon and spiritual leader Simon Sitoh – tackle rebuilding their home amid the wasteland of water bottles and nasi lemak takeaway containers. Reporters David and Lisa sort their way through truth and fiction, depending on the sound bites they get from Major General Abdul Aziz, who assumes control of the Lion City in a ‘non-effeminate military coup’. (Great line alert: ‘You’re a vaguely articulate piece of nothing,’ the general tells David.) The result is a hilarious discussion as to whether the best – or worst – of Singapore will come out in a crisis. ‘[In simpler terms], if something goes wrong, if a road block happens, does anyone actually stop to direct traffic? Or do we go, aiyah, where’s the police, why aren’t they here yet?’ asks Scott-Blackhall. ‘With so much progress, we become a lot more selfish. We tend to just look out for ourselves as opposed to looking out for society or your community… [ultimately], how much responsibility do you take as an individual, or is it all about the Government taking care of it? ‘The play looks at these questions,’ she adds. ‘Not necessarily answers, but looks.’

Top arts school holds auditions

Nov 1, 2009
By Eisen Teo

A LEADING school in the performing arts is trawling for young acting talent here.
The University of London's Central School of Speech and Drama held auditions last Wednesday at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
This is the first time the 103-year-old school is staging auditions in Singapore.
It boasts Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter and Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame among its alumni.
Hong Kong and Toronto, Canada are the other new locales the school is touring this year to add to its pool of international students.
They will make up about 100 out of the school's 800-strong student population next year. There are at least three Singaporeans currently enrolled in the school right now.

Singapore Rolls Out Inaugural Inbound Residency Programmes

Source: Government of Singapore
Posted on: 10th November 2009

NAC partners local Chinese language theatre groups on inbound residency programmes
Chinese language theatre practitioners looking to hone their skills will have more opportunities to do so in the coming months when the International Arts Residency (IAR) initiative rolls out its inaugural inbound residency programmes.
The National Arts Council (NAC) will be partnering local Chinese language theatre groups Drama Box and The Theatre Practice (TTP) to launch a series of masterclasses and a drama camp aimed at developing Singapore’s Chinese language theatre scene. The programmes are set to recur over the next three to five years, and are supported by the IAR initiative, which was launched by NAC under the third phase of the Renaissance City Plan.
Ms Elaine Ng, Director for Arts Development for NAC, says, “The start of these inbound residencies represents a step towards providing more resources for local arts professionals to share and learn from their international counterparts. By partnering with local arts groups, we hope to enable our arts groups to become world-class hosts for residencies.”
“Recent years have seen a brief and encouraging revival of Chinese language theatre in Singapore. As such, it is important that we nurture a sustained interest and passion for Chinese language theatre in the younger generation, and in turn build the pool of talent and create future audiences for Chinese language theatre. These programmes aim to do so by addressing specific gaps in the scene.” says Ms Ng.
Drama Box
Contemporary Chinese language theatre company Drama Box is offering masterclasses by esteemed international theatre masters. Titled Blanc Space Masterclass Series, the classes are aimed at local and regional Chinese language theatre practitioners. The series will begin with a prelude workshop from 20 to 23 December 2009 conducted by renowned Hong Kong theatre director Tang Shu-wing, Dean of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Following this, a two week long masterclass will take place from June to July 2010, also conducted by Tang and Danny Yung, Founder and Artistic Director of avart garde art collective Zuni Icosahedron.
Mr Kok Heng Leun, Artistic Director of Drama Box, says, “It has been heartening to see more talents emerging and their interest in Chinese language theatre. Drama Box’s Blanc Space Masterclass Series serves as an important space to facilitate these creative talents to learn, experiment and conduct exchanges. Through such masterclasses, we hope to see more practitioners join the scene, and perhaps the formation of more Chinese language theatre groups, leading to a proliferation of creative forces and exciting new work!”
The Theatre Practice
Students and young theatre professionals keen on getting a glimpse of the profession will be able to participate in a three-day drama camp led by TTP which is slated to take place in June 2010. Yung will head the drama camp, together with theatre practitioner and founder of PIP School Olivia Yan and Lang Zhu Yun, a veteran of the Taiwanese arts and entertainment industry and founder of Chun Wo Theatre.
Says Ms Kuo Jian Hong, Artistic Director of TTP, “This is an important initiative by NAC. It provides us with the resources to reach directly to youths that are exploring Chinese language theatre and the young professionals who work in Chinese language theatre. Important artists such as Danny Yung, Gao Xing Jian and Stan Lai were introduced to Singapore through Chinese drama camps held in the 1980’s. Those camps made significant, long term impact on the Chinese language theatre community. Relationships were built, knowledge exchanged, and many minds – including my own – were inspired. We are excited that through this opportunity to begin a new series of Chinese drama camps, we will have the return of Danny Yung, as well as new guest teachers Lang Zu Yung and Olivia Yan, offering diverse and inspiriting perspective to camp participants.”
The programmes will be adapted and expanded over consecutive editions to suit the participants and each year’s agenda. Theatre actors and directors who are conversant in Chinese and are interested in registering for the prelude workshop are invited to send in their personal details and CVs to Drama Box. Applications should be sent to blancspace@dramabox.org. Registration closes 10 December 2009.

Big Little Nyonya

Sunday November 22, 2009
By ELIZABETH TAI
starmag-feedback@thestar.com.my

The current Singaporean drama series The Little Nyonya has received an awesome reception from both sides of the Causeway. We speak to its two main stars, Jeanette Aw and Qi Yuwu.
PLAYING two Straits-born Chinese ladies was the perfect way for Singaporean actress Jeanette Aw to reconnect with her heritage.
“I’m Peranakan myself, so it was a good way to get back to my roots and to truly feel the culture and traditions come alive before me,” says the 30-year-old star via e-mail.
Yueniang (Jeanette Aw; centre) teaching her best friend Huang Yuzhu (Joanne Peh) how to cook while Ah Tao (Huang Hui), her loyal maid, looks on. The Little Nyonya took pains to depict the Peranakan culture as authentically as possible. – Photos courtesy of Ntv7
Aw is the lead actress in the hit Singaporean drama The Little Nyonya, currently on Ntv7. Since it started airing on the channel on Oct 26, the series has registered high ratings. The first episode itself drew an impressive 570,000 viewers, despite the fact that The Little Nyonya had premiered on Malaysian television on Astro in March.
The drama, which spans 70 years and begins in 1930s Singapore, follows the life of Yueniang, a Peranakan woman who has to endure the schemes of her capricious relatives. Aw plays Yueniang and her mute mother Juxiang.
The 34-episode series debuted with a mighty splash in the island republic last November. According to Singapore’s Channelnewsasia.com, the show was MediaCorp Channel 8’s highest rated series in 15 years. Its two-hour finale on Jan 5 snagged 1,672,000 viewers.
The series has been praised for its acting, detailed attention to the Peranakan culture and for its lavish costumes and sets. (Aw bought over some of her costumes. “I think they serve as wonderful memories,” she says.) Some of the scenes were even shot in Penang and Malacca.
In order to be a convincing Nyonya, Aw researched extensively for her role; she visited the Peranakan Museum in Singapore, read books, spoke to Peranakan women and even went to a university for more references. Aw and the other actors also took cooking and etiquette classes as well as sewing and beading lessons. They had to learn to eat with their bare hands too. All so that the actresses could carry themselves authentically as Peranakan women.
“We were also taught how to wear the sarong kebaya in the correct way,” she reveals.
This is the first time that Aw, who began acting in 2001, had to play double characters in a show. Though both roles are rather different – one is demure, the other is outspoken, she says – the two have similar goals in their pursuit of happiness.
“They are bonded as mother and daughter, having the same belief that they should fight for their own happiness. They have the same kind of courage and fire within them and it was a challenge making this spirit in them manifest in two different ways,” she explains.
However, as The Little Nyonya soared in popularity, Aw had to contend with gossip spread through tabloids, blogs and forums about her being a divorcee (not true), and how she got a male co-star sacked for being “too frisky” during a love scene (again, untrue). According to an article in Singapore’s The Straits Times, some speculated that the role of mute Juxiang was written for her in order to cover up her bad Mandarin.
“Naturally, comments like these would sting a little initially,” says Aw, who took Mandarin classes at the National University of Singapore (NUS) for six months to polish up her speech. Aw has also told The Straits Times: “Some people say I try too hard to pronounce every word. Some say I’m not very clear. I’m confused.”
Fortunately, she doesn’t have to fight these petty battles alone; the production team, the directors and fans were all behind her. (There’s an active Jeanette Aw fan club – called “Jeanius” to rhyme with “genius” - in Singapore.)
“My fans have been my biggest source of encouragement,” she says.
Aw was doing her final year of theatre studies at the NUS when she started attending auditions. “One audition happened to be for the then Media Works (a Singaporean TV station).”
Ironically, she didn’t want to be a television actress. “I wanted to be a stage actress. But I guess life is amazing in this sense,” she says.
In fact, if not for her foray into acting, she would’ve become a ballet teacher as dancing is her “first love”.
“I love dance, and I even had dreams of becoming a professional dancer,” she says.
But except for the occasional gossip, Singaporean actors lead a “blessed” existence, says Aw.
“We have relative freedom to express ourselves and we don’t get stalked by paparazzi. We do lose a certain extent of our privacy, which is inevitable, but that’s something we need to accept for being in the media,” she says.
Aw’s next drama series is New Beginnings in which she plays a funeral director. On Nov 12, she received an Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the NUS, where she graduated in 2003 with a major in theatre studies and a minor in psychology.

National Arts Council of Singapore launches Int'l Arts Residency

The National Arts Council (NAC) has unveiled recently its third initiative under the third phase of the Renaissance City Plan, the International Arts Residency.

Under this scheme, the performing, visual and literary arts sectors will benefit from $2 million in funding over five years, to support Singapore arts practitioners'participation in prestigious residencies overseas on the one hand, and the development of hosting entities for international residencies located in Singapore, on the other.

"Many Singapore arts practitioners have the talent and are ready to make their mark internationally but lack the opportunities on the world stage. The International Arts Residency provides this critical boost by opening doors for Singapore artists to prestigious residencies where they can immerse in new spaces, widen their horizons and gain new insights into arts-making. In these world-class environments, they will have ample opportunities to be exposed to and connect with the best in their fields from around the world. This Initiative will also facilitate international residency in Singapore. This will add to Singapore's attractiveness as a magnet for talent and a crucible for creativity and cross-cultural exchanges.",said Mr Lee Suan Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of NAC.

Overseas Residencies

NAC, in consultation with its resource panellists and industry practitioners, will identify and establish partnerships with prestigious international residency providers and invite Singapore artists to apply to the joint residency initiatives organised overseas.

Singapore artists can aspire to undertake some of the best residency programmes overseas, such as stints at the well-known studio complex, Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, facilitated under the Singapore-France cultural agreement signed in January 2009.

Visual artists can also apply for residencies at prestigious centres like Germany's Künstlerhaus Bethanien international studio programme and Japan's Arts Initiative Tokyo. Residencies for writers include centres like the University of Iowa International Writer-in-Residence programme in the United States and the Arvon Foundation in the United Kingdom.

In performing arts, residencies for playwrights and theatre directors include the Royal Court International Residency for Emerging Playwrights in the United Kingdom and Italy's annual LaMaMa International Symposium for Directors.

Singapore Signs First Film Co-production Deal with Korea

Seoul, Sept 4, 2009 - (ACN Newswire) - Production work for the US$10 million Host 2 film kicked off today following the signing of the production agreement between homegrown Boku Films, Korea's Chungeorahm Films and the Media Development Authority.Scheduled for a 2011 release, Host 2 will be jointly-produced by renowned Korean producer Choi Yong-Bae of Chungeorahm."The Host is a well-known and proven box office success. Having Boku Films and Chungeorahm onboard the project is an excellent opportunity for Singapore and Korean producers to work together to lend a new Asian touch to the genre. Talents like Kelvin Tong will be able to bring their perspectives and contributions to bear on the project, to produce content that will resonate with a global audience."KOCCA recently announced that it would support production company Chungeorahm and its CGI partner Macrograph to research and develop CGI for Host 2. Na Moon-sung, head of KOCCA's Cultural Technology department said, "We expect this project to acquire competitiveness comparable to overseas films in not only visual quality but also production efficiency, and anticipate this will upgrade the overall level of the Korean CGI industry."Said Mr Kelvin Tong: "The Host was a huge hit all over the world when it was released in 2006 and all eyes will be on its sequel. We have a lot to live up to but I am confident that the Korean and Singapore creatives working on this epic project will deliver a movie of monstrous proportions."Said producer and Chungeorahm Film's chief executive Mr Choi Yong-Bae: "I am confident that this collaboration between Chungeorahm Film, Boku Films and the MDA will develop Host 2 into the best Asian creature movie ever. This is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the ties between the Korean and Singapore film industries."Currently at the scripting stage, Host 2 is scheduled to go into production in 2010. The director and the cast are yet to be confirmed. About MDAFormed in 2003, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) plays a vital role in transforming Singapore into a Global Media City and positioning it at the forefront of the digital media age. MDA spearheads initiatives that promote developments in film, video, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation, media services and Interactive Digital Media. At the same time, in ensuring clear and consistent regulatory policies and guidelines, MDA helps to foster a pro-business environment for industry players and increase media choices for consumers

SINGAPORE: New film makes fun of Singapore censors

Now the wait is on to see if sideswipe at censors will be censored

The Straits Times
Sunday, March 7, 2004
By Wong Kim Hoh

Call it shear audacity.
Last year, Singapore's film censors 'traumatised' filmmaker Royston Tan by demanding 27 cuts before giving his film, 15, an R(A) rating.
The best therapy, he decided, was to confront his tormentors head on.
So he made Cut, a 12-minute musical that satirises censorship in Singapore, and lampoons Ms Amy Chua, director of media content at the Media Development Authority (MDA).
'I could cry about it or I could laugh about it. I decided to do the latter,' said Tan, 27, who pumped $15,000 of his own savings into Cut and roped in actor-director-playwright Jonathan Lim to help him with the script and music.
Scheduled to premiere at next month's Singapore International Film Festival, the spoof features a cast of 180 including the who's who of Singapore's creative community such as director Eric Khoo, actress Beatrice Chia and fashion photographer Geoff Ang. All worked for free.
Jonathan Lim, 29, plays a rabid movie fan who harasses Ms Chua (played by actress Neo Swee Lin) in a supermarket by recounting, with academic precision, all the deletions she has ordered on movies in Singapore.
In one scene, Lim's character tells Ms Chua he worships her style of censorship. 'Highly original, so daring, sometimes too Wong Kar Wai.' Wong Kar Wai is the internationally acclaimed Hong Kong director of films such as Happy Together and In The Mood For Love.
The short film ends with a campy song-and-dance sequence in a carpark where the cast belts out its own version of hits such as Wham's Last Christmas and Abba's Thank You For The Music. The lyrics, of course, have been doctored to send up censorship in this country.
Sung to the tune of We Are Singapore is this number: This one is PGThat one is GThis one is R(A) You cannot seeYou're only old enoughAfter armyThis is SingaporeCensorship is free'
Neo, 40, said she took on the film with no hesitation because it was fun and made a statement about censorship. 'I believe censorship kills creativity. If we're really after a creative society, and a renaissance city, we have to loosen up,' she said.
Tan and Lim took a month to research and put the project together.
So, will Cut fall foul of the censors?
Tan said: 'The film was done in the spirit of fun so no one should take offence. I certainly hope the Board of Film Censors and Amy Chua would have a sense of humour.'
He said the prestigious Cannes film festival is considering screening it and more than 16 international film festivals have already pre-booked the movie.
Lim added: 'I don't think Amy Chua will be pleased. But no one who is in a position of authority should be free from scrutiny or satire.'
The Singapore festival, which hopes to screen it next month, submitted Cut to the Board of Film Censors for a rating about three weeks ago. The BFC hasn't yet indicated if it will be passed, passed with deletions or banned.
When contacted, an MDA spokesman said more than 300 films have been submitted for the festival and they were still being assessed.
'This is in addition to the many films the Board of Film Censors receives from the industry and public for classification,' she added.
There was also no response from Ms Chua as to whether she objected to being satirised.

S'pore amends films act

Ban on party political films partially lifted
By Clarissa Oon

SENSATIONALISTIC documentaries that distort facts should remain off limits if serious and rational political debate is to be maintained, Parliament heard on Monday.
Speaking during the debate on changes to the Films Act, Senior Minister of State (Information, Communications and the Arts) Lui Tuck Yew said Singapore's democracy would be 'debased' if it was 'reduced to sleek commercials, clever editing, sharp sound bites and political spin'.
The changes to the 11-year-old Act which Parliament passed, partially lift a ban on party political films and allow for the making and screening of certain types of films, including those of political party manifestos and factual documentaries.
Four MPs backed the changes. Of the other two who spoke, Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim criticised it, while Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong objected to the amendments altogether.
The changes came after a government-appointed advisory council on new media recommended that the ban on party political films be lifted in stages.
While the rationale for keeping out films that sensationalise and distort remains valid, a total ban on all party political films is no longer tenable because political films can easily be uploaded and viewed on the Internet, Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui explained.
Young Internet-savvy Singaporeans also want more space for political discourse, and political parties could use film and new media tools to reach out to them, as politicians elsewhere are doing.
Given the evolving new media environment, he said the Government would make further changes to the Films Act 'when it is appropriate to do so'.
As it stands, the changes 'will allow much leeway for parties, election candidates and individuals' to produce such films while keeping political debate 'serious and robust', he told the House.

Martyn See's "Singapore Rebel" film gets green light

By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 11 September 2009 1724 hrs
SINGAPORE : The government has lifted a four-year ban on the film "Singapore Rebel".

The film, about Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan, is now rated M18, which allows those above 18 years old to view it. It is the first political film to be allowed since the Films Act was amended in March. This follows the formation of an independent Political Films Consultative Committee to assess if such films are suitable for public viewing. Even though the film was banned in 2005, "Singapore Rebel" has been extensively viewed by about half a million people online, according to its filmmaker Martyn See. In May this year, Martyn resubmitted the film to the Board of Film Censors for vetting. The Media Development Authority said on Friday that the Board of Film Censors had referred the film to the Political Films Consultative Committee (PFCC) for advice on whether it should be regarded as a party political film under the Films Act. And after reviewing the film, the committee said "Singapore Rebel" is a documentary and not a party political film. Amy Chua, chairman, Board of Film Censors, said: "The government has amended the Films Act to allow for more types of party political films that do not dramatise and/or present a distorted picture, as part of the government's move to further liberalise and expand the space for greater political discourse. The applicant (Martyn See) has requested that his film be assessed as a documentary without any animation and composed wholly of an accurate account depicting actual events, persons or situations. "The PFCC had assessed that the film would fall under the statutory exclusion set out in section 2(3)(e) of the Films Act." It is the first film to be assessed and allowed by the new committee. While the man behind the film has welcomed the move, he still has mixed feelings about the lifting of the ban. Martyn said: "First of all, it is symbolic. Symbolic because it has been watched by half a million people on YouTube and Google Video for the last four years. "In that sense, I am not too elated about it but on the other hand, it is a good step forward in the sense that other future film makers who want to attempt to do the same kind of films will know where the boundaries are." Martyn has no plans to screen the film any time soon. But he is hoping that his other film, "Zahari's 17 Years", about former political detainee Said Zahari, will get the green light as well. - CNA/ms

From www.nac.gov.sg

Speech by RADM (NS) Lui Tuck Yew at the 2009 Arts Supporter Award Ceremony

SPEECH BY MR LUI TUCK YEW, ACTING MINISTER FOR INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS AT THE 2009 ARTS SUPPORTER AWARD CEREMONY ON 20 NOVEMBER 2009, 7.00PM AT LASALLE ICA GALLERIES Mr Edmund Cheng, Chairman of National Arts Council, Our Esteemed Partners Ladies and Gentlemen Overview for Arts sponsorship in 2008 I am pleased to be here tonight on this happy occasion to celebrate and honour the 187 Arts Supporters for your generous contributions to the arts in 2008. In a year of economic challenges, your generous contribution of $3.7 million, in cash and in kind, has supported more than 40 beneficiaries. It also enabled the arts scene to remain buoyant with a 10 per cent increase in the number of arts activities in 2008. Arts Supporter Award 2 Arts and culture play an important role in our society, enriching our lives, strengthening our sense of belonging and the fabric of our society. Our vision for the arts and culture scene in Singapore is to be more inclusive and accessible and for individuals to take greater ownership in the arts. We also believe that contribution to the arts should encompass a broader community. The Arts Supporter Award was thus launched to recognise contributions from a wider section of the community, such as local businesses, small-medium enterprises, grassroots organisations and community groups. 3 Donations, in all forms and amounts, not only benefit the arts community, but more importantly, create an opportunity for organisations and individuals, like yourselves, to embrace greater ownership of the arts in Singapore. When the first awards were given in 2001, there were 135 recipients who contributed $2.7 million. Since then, our pool of arts supporters has grown steadily, with a 37 per cent increase. 4 Tonight, we recognise 146 organisations and 41 individuals who have contributed generously to the arts with the Arts Supporter Award. We are pleased to note that more individuals have stepped forward to give to the arts, and this is complemented by steady contributions from foundations, community organisations and businesses. Notably, eighty-two recipients are first-time donors. It is encouraging to see more local companies embracing arts partnership to help raise their corporate profiles and complement their branding initiatives. 5 In 2008, our arts supporters contributed mainly in three areas: enlivening the arts scene through their support for festivals, productions and exhibitions; outright donations to arts groups and institutions; and developing talents through scholarships and bursaries. I am glad to know that your support was extended across all art forms, to professional arts companies and community groups, traditional arts and contemporary practices. New Initiatives 6 The arts scene in Singapore thrives on the tripartite partnership of public, private and people sectors. Private giving amounts to around $40 million per year on average. There is scope to grow this further in Singapore. There is also a need to cultivate organisations and individuals who proactively take a stake in developing the arts, by contributing time, effort or finance. For these reasons, my Ministry has set up the Arts & Culture Development Office in September this year. The Office aims to foster greater public, private and community partnerships that will broaden and deepen the support base for arts and culture in Singapore and to promote a stronger culture of philanthropy. One of its first initiatives is to launch an arts and culture donation and volunteer platform to cultivate a greater spirit of giving, be it in cash, in kind or in service. Conclusion 7 On behalf of the Council and the arts community, I would like to offer my gratitude and appreciation to all the recipients this evening. I look forward to your continued support and contributions to help us grow a more vibrant arts sector. Thank you and have a pleasant evening.

NLB And COMPASS Embark On Initiative To Preserve Singapore's Music Heritage

Release Date : 13 Nov 2009

MusicSG expected to benefit enthusiasts of Singapore's rich and diverse music traditions

Singapore, 13 November 2009 – In the first-of-its-kind collaboration between the National Library Board (NLB) and the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), locally published musical works will be archived in a digital format with the aim of preserving and promoting Singapore's music heritage. The non-profit venture to create the music archive was inked today by NLB and COMPASS, best known for their expertise and best practices in archiving knowledge and copyright guardianship, respectively.

Initiated by NLB, MusicSG aims to encourage Singaporean artistes and composers and other music industry players to submit locally published musical works to the newly created depository. The works could include scores, lyrics and recordings published in Singapore or by Singaporeans overseas.

In addition to archiving Singapore's musical works, MusicSG intends to raise the awareness and to deepen an appreciation of Singapore's music heritage with avid music followers and the general public.

Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive of the National Library Board (NLB) said, “NLB is proud to partner COMPASS in this meaningful project that aims to preserve Singapore's music heritage. We firmly believe that MusicSG will not only serve as a comprehensive repository of Singapore music but will also act as a social glue that brings past and present generations closer together through the love and appreciation of Singapore music. This joint effort supports our Library 2010 vision to promote a knowledgeable and engaged society through a comprehensive range of information services and resources that are relevant to the community. We believe that knowledge is not only about books. Libraries should also play a role in engaging users to discover the arts in an environment that inspire learning, creativity and innovation. We hope that MusicSG will be to music lovers what the library is to avid readers and that it ignites curiosity about Singapore music heritage beyond our shores.”

MusicSG will also provide support to researchers and individuals pursuing studies in music and its related subjects. NLB on its part will work with COMPASS to ensure that intellectual property rights are respected and that copyright statutes are correctly adhered to.

Said Dr Edmund Lam, Chief Executive Officer of the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS), “We are extremely elated to be able to collaborate with NLB to support the establishment of MusicSG. We have an estimated 22,000 of local musical compositions in various music genres written by some 1000 members of COMPASS. The project is very timely as it will ensure our music history is properly preserved and easily accessible by present and future generations for education and enjoyment.”

An advisory committee chaired by Dr N Varaprasad, Chief Executive of NLB has been formed to oversee the project. The committee includes renowned Singaporean music makers such as Mr Mark Chan and Mr Vernon Cornelius, as well as members from professional bodies such as Ms Barbara Wong, General Manager of Recording Industry Association and Mr Yusnor Ef, President, Persatuan Penyanyi dan Karyawan Muzik Melayu Singapura (PERKAMUS). Please refer to Annex for the list of advisory committee members.

MusicSG hopes that donors will come forward to support this public initiative by donating music materials related to Singapore, as well as musical works created, composed or performed by Singaporeans particularly from the '40s to the '80s. These include vinyls; cassettes; CDs; VCDs; DVDs; posters; programme notes; pictures; photos, and newspaper and magazine clippings.

“I am happy that the two years I spent exploring the concept with NLB is finally bearing fruit, and to have played a leading role in sparking interest in the NLB to undertake this project. As an artiste and composer, I will certainly be honoured to deposit my works with MusicSG and to also encourage my colleagues in the industry to do likewise. In fact, I would like to see MusicSG being the catalyst for other Asian countries to start archiving their own music heritage and even form partnerships with leading archiving institutions around the world,” said Mr Mark Chan, a member of the MusicSG advisory committee.

“Any effort to make Singaporean composers and Singaporean music more visible to the music lovers is a worthy one. This effort by NLB and the cooperation with COMPASS is a truly innovative one and it is my hope that this will make Singaporeans aware of the vast body of high quality musical works created by our treasured musicians, past and present. I also hope that people around the world will make use of this service as a valuable resource,” commented Professor Jeremy Monteiro, board member of COMPASS.