SIFA has grown to multiple dimensions under the artistic vision of Festival Director Ong Keng Sen. Innovation and risk-taking have been hallmarks of his approach to curation and his last edition will be no exception.
His vision and the festival will come full circle in his fourth and final year with the focus being a biennale of Singapore expressions. Sixteen commissions focusing on the Singapore artist and international collaborations will form the core of the festival.
Opening SIFA for the first time will be a new script from Singapore Mandarin theatre group Nine Years Theatre. Its Art Studio is adapted from Cultural Medallion recipient Yeng Pway Ngon’s novel.
In addition to this. the spotlight will also be on ordinary Singaporeans who take the international platform with their ideas and performances. Together, they generate more than 90 unique events led by Singapore-based artists and participants, on top of the seven international productions which are all Asia-Pacific premieres.
The festival this year will offer many intimate moments for audiences as well as a chance to form deeper connections. New and creative perspectives abound with the exploration of boundaries with fresh inter-disciplinary work. SIFA 2017 is definitively an innovative and participatory festival in format and form.
The theme of Enchantment is especially powerful in light of a world that battles with disenchantment. It is the will to still believe. It is to be connected to what is real with the issues around you. It is to continue to engage with the ecosystem that you live in. And it is to embrace a hope for the future.
These essential elements of living are the threads that weave through the very dynamic and rich landscape of thought and perspective which form the vision for this year’s SIFA.
– Sarah Martin (Arts House Limited CEO)
(Source: Arts House Limited Programme)