Welcome to the 2015 edition of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA).
In its 38th year, SIFA will deliver to the nation what may be the largest ever assembly of new Singapore performing arts commissions, marking 50 years of nationhood. If you wish to read the arts festival as a manifestation of the state of development of a nation, as well as a nation’s worldview, SIFA 2015 demonstrates confidence and diversity. These are certainly characteristics of the artistic community here, as well as Singapore society as a whole.
We are particularly moved by the enthusiasm of our artistic comrades who have embraced the invitation to create and to perform at SIFA. In 2013, Festival Director Ong Keng Sen embarked on a journey of re-discovery with artists such as Goh Lay Kuan, Santha Bhaskar and Som Said, whom we had admired as youngsters. He has done the same with artists who are his contemporaries: Ivan Heng, Kumar, Melvyn Tan and the T’ang Quartet, as well as a group of younger artists who have done consistently good work. This year’s presentation will be a microcosm of Singapore’s creativity, cutting across generations and representative both of where we have come from and what we are heading towards. Our deep appreciation of the dedication of the artists is matched only by our excitement, growing as the Festival draws near.
But our arts festival would also be incomplete without a demonstration of our love and connection with the wider world. The international performances this year vary in their scale and focus: some are engaged with issues, some invested in intercultural exchange and collaboration, some devoted to exploration of form and aesthetics. We can’t wait to see how they work with the local commissions.
As we proceed into the third year of the Festival's independence, we can only pause and ponder briefly. We have to charge on. Ultimately, what will guide us is our eagerness to connect with one another through the arts.
– Lee Chor Lin (Arts House Limited CEO)
(Source: Arts House Limited Programme)