Traditional art forms have a tendency to be overlooked, but the Stamford Arts Centre (SAC) will be spotlighting these art forms by making them more accessible this 2021.
Launching an entire slew of activities this year, the centre will soon be presenting performances and exhibits that showcase cross-cultural collaborations as well as innovative uses of technology.
Beginning with a virtual Open House this weekend (Mar 19), arts enthusiasts can head online to check out a digital performance that’s a collaboration between dance company P7:1SMA and Ding Yi Music Company, and a 360 Virtual Tour of SAC.
The former is a National Arts Council (NAC) commission known as Kedai Sinseh that sees a 30-minute performance where malay dance meets Chinese music; while the latter offers an online tour of the SAC premises supplemented with interactive features and educational elements.
Full dress rehearsal of Kedai Sinseh by P7:1SMA and Ding Yi Music Company. Image courtesy of Grace Baey & P7:1SMA Ltd.
Although the Open House is a virtual one, Stamford Arts Centre will still house two physical exhibitions throughout the year to entice visitors.
Having completed a tour around Singapore’s three regional libraries last year, the Chinese Opera Roving Exhibition will find its home at SAC from Apr 3 to end-Aug, allowing all to discover the history of Chinese street opera or wayang. It also offers a virtual reality Chinese opera stage tour that provides a behind-the-scenes look at opera performances.
Besides the opera showcase, the all-new Traditional Arts Exhibition will run from Jun 12-Sep 12 to focus on traditional dance forms. The experience will take guests through a 10-minute immersive journey of the history and evolution of these art forms. In addition to life-sized holographic mesh projections, visitors will also be educated about the arts through informative narrations.
Head over to the Stamford Arts Centre’s website to learn more about the various traditional art programmes.
Stamford Arts Centre’s virtual Open House 2021 happens from Mar 19 onwards. More information available here.
