Taking place from Apr 26 to May 12, the 41st year of Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) will see more than 100 events by performers from 15 countries at 13 venues. Spanning theater, dance, music, film, visual arts and dialogue sessions with artists, SIFA 2018 promises three weeks of daily arts adventures. This year’s festival also marks a change of the guard at the helm as Singapore Repertory Theatre director Gaurav Kripalani takes over as the festival director. With so many events and so little time, we’ve put together this video to help you pick out the festival’s biggest highlights.
George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece 1984 might have been written close to 70 years ago, but it is as relevant today as it has ever been. Get reacquainted with Big Brother at the Southeast Asian premiere of a production of 1984 (Apr 26 to 29).
Tap dancing is as timeless as it is uplifting and if you want to see some of the world’s best tap dancers in action, check out The Blues Project (May 8 and 9). A collaboration between Michelle Dorrance, Derick K Grant, Toshi Reagon and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards, it promises to be an energetic exploration of the links between music, sound and movement.
Performed by Ballet Preljocaj, Playlist #1 (May 9 and 10) is a retrospective of Angelin Preljocaj’s choreography from 1994 to the present day. A Parisian with a background in classical ballet, Preljocaj’s influential works in contemporary dance have been performed by some of the world’s great companies across Milan, New York and Paris.
Starting out as a YouTube sensation, British singer Jacob Collier (Apr 27 and 28) is already a two-time Grammy-winner at the age of just 23. Discover his unique musical stylings for yourself at his debut shows in Singapore.
And finally, join the crew from Schaubuhne Berlin as they put a contemporary spin on Henrik Ibsen’s 19th century classic An Enemy of the People (May 11 and 12). This is another production that will have its Southeast Asian Premiere at SIFA 2018.
These five shows are just the beginning—other highlights to consider include Singular Screens, a selection of new films curated by the Asian Film Archive; The Hidden, a festival commission that delves into the history of Singapore’s oldest church; and Nico Muhly Speaks Volumes, the multi-talented classical composer’s first concert in Singapore.
Tickets are available from Sistic. For more information, visit the SIFA website or Facebook page.
