Singapore arts fest turns 35

The festival, which will be held from May 18 to June 2, will present 14 ticketed and 66 nonticketed productions with more than 500 local and international artists. Ticket sales open today (March 15).

Over the 16 days, the city will comes alive with an infusion of performances of theatre, dance, film and multidisciplinary works at the Festival’s hub – the Festival Village at Esplanade Park and other key venues. 

Low Kee Hong, general manager of the festival, says that the Singapore Arts Festival 2012 not only offers audiences performances that touch the heart and stimulate the senses but also provides a platform to engage with different communities in the city state by providing them with unique opportunities to take part in the process of artcreation. 

The Festival will showcase local and international acts, collaborations and projects that take audiences into exciting new venues, pushing the boundaries of traditional performance. This year’s festival completes a trilogy with the theme “Our Lost Poems”, which began two years ago with “Between You and Me” in 2010 and “I Want to Remember” in 2011.

The Festival Village at Esplanade Park is a key emphasis of the festival this year. It will feature eightperformance spaces and play host to more than 300 free performances. Audiences will enjoy free performances from a wide range of artists and arts groups, ranging from the T’ang Quartet and Budak Pantai, to special showcases by professional traditional arts groups as well as children. Highlights such as Bridge Cafe Project by Japanese artist, Kim Itoh, and Dream Country by Marion d’Cruz will bring a strong local community participation component to its programme, which audiences will enjoy. 

The village will open daily during the festival from 4pm to midnight on weekdays and to 1am on weekends.