It’s the season of giving, and so naturally you’re flat broke. This means no crazy parties or excessive drinking, but there are other places to go to enjoy yourself. Look at Nat Geo photographer Patrick Wack’s portraits of China, or chill with the emerging writer Sally Wen Mao at this month’s Speak at Canvas. Here’s where else to go:
Here There are Men
PHOTOGRAPHY
In Here There Are Men, Portrait(s) of China, photographer Patrick Wack is showcasing his portraits of men (and women) from the country’s different regions. Through Dec 26, 67 Kim Yam Road
The latest edition of reading series Speak at Canvas features American poet Sally Wen Mao (Mad Honey Symposium) as well as Vanessa Victoria and Stephanie Dogfoot of Sekaliwags fame. Dec 9, Canvas
World Lit featuring Cathy Linh Che and Nicholas Wong has these two poets and the very same Sally Wen Mao talk about what it means to be an international poet. There’s a discussion about translation, their writing processes and readings of their work. Dec 10, The Blue Room at The Arts House
Check out the Heritage Outdoor Film Screenings, in which the winners and finalists of this year’s Singapore Heritage Short Film Competition will be screened. One of the eight films includes, Kudang Kepang: Reviving the Culture, which is about a Javanese dance that is often linked to gangsterism in Indonesia, Dec 11-12. 17 Ann Siang Road
Get down and dirty at Roots, which has an urban farming workshop at 10am-12pm, and an 11pm talk about the same subject. There’s also a talk about the “kampong spirit” from 1pm-4pm, and what can be done for this camaraderie to be revived. Dec 12, Artistry
Migrant Worker Poetry Competition
LITERARY
The Migrant Worker Poetry Competition has entries from six different languages. The judges for this competition include Singlit poet Alvin Pang, poet and literary critic Kirpal Singh, BanglarKantha contributor Pampa Ghosh, Filipino poet Shane Carreon and others. Dec 13, The Possibility Room, National Library
Visiting Research Fellow and British art historian Tony Godfrey (who used to work for Sotheby’s) will show us his illustrated weekly letters that he emails friends and curators at Tuesday in the Tropics on Wednesday. Dec 16, NTU Centre for the Contemporary Arts
Aik Beng Chia is known for photographing Little India after dark in a monograph called Tonight The Streets Are Ours. More recently, his photographs were exhibited at the Invisible Photographer Asia (IPA) Gallery. Get him to sign his new book Sing Kar Por at this meet-the-author event. Dec 19, Books Kinokuniya
The Darker Than Wax Take Over ft. Ramesh & Ash features these DJs, as well as DTW selectors RAH and William. There will be a wide range of beats, from soul, hip-hop, jaaz, and Afro-latin heat. Dec 19, Cato
The 39th edition of the Singapore Really Really Free Market has people trading their secondhand goods, ranging from books, toys and even food and poetry. If you’re going, head to their Facebook page and state you’re attending so they can allocate a mat for your stuff. Dec 20, Hong Lim Park
