Upcoming Programmes at Arts House Limited

Benchmarks

A placemaking initiative for the Civic District presented by Arts in the Civic District

Benchmarks (Image courtesy of Arts House Limited)

Benchmarks CVD Map (Image courtesy of Arts House Limited)

About Benchmarks
Benchmarks, a new public art trail commissioned by the Civic District Alliance and a placemaking initiative for the Civic District, presents a series of art benches sited between The Arts House and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

Designed by six Singapore-based artists, these benches actively invite visitors to engage with the Civic District’s rich history, serving as dynamic markers that encourage exploration and appreciation of the district’s cultural significance. The benches along the passage trail are akin to different punctuation marks, infusing one’s walk through the Civic District with rhythm and meaning. Just as punctuation marks provide breaks and structure to a passage of text, these artistically designed benches punctuate one’s journey, offering moments of pause and reflection.

Dates: Ongoing, 2023–2026 (Tenure of 3 years)
Venue: Civic District, Art Trail between The Arts House and Esplanade
URL: https://artshouselimited.sg/cvd-whats-on/benchmarks
Ticketing: Free

Singapore Writers Festival 2023

Organised by Arts House Limited,
Commissioned by National Arts Council,
Supported by Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth

Images courtesy of Arts House Limited (Photo credit: Moonrise Studio)

About Singapore Writers Festival
The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), one of Asia’s premier literary events, started in 1986 as a biennial festival. Now organised yearly by Arts House Limited, SWF is a much-anticipated event on the cultural calendar, presenting the world’s major literary talents to Singaporeans while shining a spotlight on home grown and Southeast Asian creative talents. Over the years, the festival has become an exciting meeting point for writers, academics and thinkers in a choice spread of panel discussions, workshops, lectures and performances over 10 days. It has hosted the likes of two-time Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood, Whitbread First Novel Award winner Zadie Smith, British poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Nebula winner Neil Gaiman and Lambda Literary Award winner Roxane Gay.

The Singapore Writers Festival is one of the few multilingual literary festivals in the world, celebrating the written and spoken word in Singapore’s official languages – English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil. For more information, please visit www.singaporewritersfestival.com.

2023 Festival Theme: Plot Twist
Maybe living in strange times means embracing strange approaches. An unexpected outcome, a sudden change in direction, unlikely connections. This year at SWF we’re embracing the unpredictable. What happens when you put things that seemingly don’t have anything in common, together? No spoilers please!

Join us at more than 200 programmes over two weekends. From festival favourites to unexpected new offerings, there is something for everyone of all ages in this year’s exciting line-up that spans immersive experiences, exhibitions, performances, film screenings, meet-the-author sessions and conversations.

Gain access to up to 150 programmes at SWF 2023 with the purchase of our Festival Pass or SWF Youth Pass.

Find out more at singaporewritersfestival.com.

Dates:  17 – 26 November 2023
URL: https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/
Ticketing: https://tickets.swf.sg/
Video Trailer: 2022 Wrap Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNtM-IKTU-Y&t=2s

Image Courtesy of Arts House Limited

SWF 2023 – Literary Pioneer

Tell Bowie He’s Only A Rock Star. I, However, Am A Poet.
Literary Pioneer Exhibition: Goh Poh Seng
26 September – 30 November 2023

The Singapore Writers Festival honours the late Goh Poh Seng as this year’s Literary Pioneer. A poet, dramatist, novelist and a visionary ahead of his time, Goh was also one of the original architects of the arts and culture scene of Singapore holding positions in the National Theatre Trust and the National Arts Council, where he lay the groundwork for the building of some of our best known national arts companies such as the Singapore National Symphony (known as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra today), the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the Singapore Dance Company. Within the literary arts, he is credited as being the first writer to introduce Singlish to the stage with his play, When the Smiles are Done. His first novel If We Dream Too Long won the inaugural National Book Development Council of Singapore Award for Fiction (known as the Singapore Literature Prize today) and is considered by many to be the first English-language Singaporean novel.

In 1983, Goh staged David Bowie’s first concert in Singapore. When he invited Bowie and his musicians to their home for a performance by classical Chinese musicians, Bowie’s band arrived without Bowie, who said that he did not “fraternise with concert promoters.” Goh Poh Seng’s blithe rejoinder “tell Bowie he’s only a rock star. I however, am a poet” compelled Bowie to turn up eventually. This exhibition hopes to capture and highlight key moments which demonstrated his dedication and rebel spirit that should continue to inspire us all.

Image Courtesy of Arts House Limited

SIFA 2023: Life Profusion

Organised by Arts House Limited,
Commissioned by National Arts Council,
Supported by Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth

Life Profusion is SIFA’s virtual platform, a portal for creation and discovery. This year, the platform presents Privacy by MOJOKO, a series of eight digital works from eight international artists exploring modern concerns of surveillance and personal data; and Prompt: Play curated by Hong Xinyi, which gathers creative responses to programmes at SIFA 2023.

Illustration: MOJOKO

Privacy
Curated by MOJOKO

Negotiating between the private and the public is one of the predominant challenges for humanity in the 21^stcentury. Staying connected to our digital identities requires us to pay with our private data, leaving us vulnerable to breaches of security and trust. When privacy is fast becoming a disappearing luxury, how do we safeguard our personal rights as people in today’s hyper-connected society? Do we value privacy or take it for granted? What is the impact of shifting boundaries of privacy on the collective mindset?

This series of ten short digital works from ten international artists gathers a diverse array of perspectives exploring the meaning of privacy and the cost of surveillance.

Illustration: Winnie Wu/studioKALEIDO

Prompt: Play
Curated by Hong Xinyi

A series of creative responses, in visuals and text, to programmes at SIFA 2023. Some of the creative responses are authored by writers from Critics Circle Blog (@criticscircleblog), a platform that hosts diverse voices responding in multiple ways to the performing arts in Singapore. Each article is accompanied by an illustration by Winnie Wu of studioKALEIDO.