Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) returns from May 17 to Jun 2, 2024, with a wide range of works across theatre, music, dance, film, and visual arts. Presented by Arts House Limited (AHL) and commissioned by the NAC), the line-up features five newly commissioned plays, seven invited international presentations, and an entirely new programme for families and children.
Festival director Natalie Hennedige (whose tenure has been extended until 2025) continues to push the boundaries of performance, anchored by the guiding framework The Anatomy of Performance which has been the festival’s recurring title since 2022.
This year’s theme is “They Declare” which celebrates diverse voices and encourages audiences to reflect on their environment to gain a deeper understanding of other beliefs.
Newly commissioned performances include:
Suara/Oro Rua (May 24 to 26), conceived by Singapore music artist Safuan Johari in collaboration with Maori choreographer Eddie Elliott. It features original compositions centred on and driven by choral singers from diverse musical backgrounds, string and electronic music, and New Zealand dancers as it imagines a post-Anthropocene future.
Wilful Machine (May 24 to 26), a performance-installation work by local visual artist Genevieve Chua that explores the concept of humanness in the age of data and algorithms.
The Prose And The Passion (May 31, Jun 1 and 2) by theatre-makers Haresh Sharma and Chong Tze Chien. Inspired by the works, letters and life of E. M. Forster, fictional characters from Forster’s novels interact with characters from Sharma’s imagination.
Refuge (May 31 to Jun 1), a live performance by Singapore band The Observatory. It explores the relationship between self and nature in a world of profound and constant change through sound, live music, moving images and light. Dates: May 31 to June 1 at SOTA Studio Theatre.
Edgy international works include:
Moby Dick (May 17 to 18) by Norwegian director, actress, puppeteer, and Plexus Poleaire artistic director Yngvild Aspeli. This is a 90-minute live adaptation based on Herman Melville’s mythical story about an ancient white whale. With seven actors, 50 puppets, and video projections, it manipulates audiences’ perspective with filmic techniques, captivating puppetry, and clever stagecraft, provoking them to reflect on nature and civilisation.
Sun & Sea (May 30 and 31, Jun 1), an international award-winning experiential opera performance by Lithuanians Rugile Barzdziukaite, Vaiva Grainyte and Lina Lapelyte. First shown at the 2019 Venice Biennale, it makes its Southeast Asian debut at SIFA 2024. An ecological work, it depicts an imitation beach indoors with lounging performers singing about everyday life, worry, boredom, and the planet’s degradation.
The Romeo (May 18 to 19) by American dancer, choreographer, and SIFA 2016 alumni Trajal Harrell. It is a fresh take on the Shakespearean archetype of Romeo that incorporates fluid, wavy and undulating dance movements and bizarre outfits, creating multiple protagonists.
Una Isla (May 18 to 19) by Spanish theatre company Agrupacion Senor Serrano. It explores what it means to come together and how it relates to humanity in search of new ways to live together.
The vitality and diversity of Singapore’s creative talents
Over two festival weekends (May 17 to 10 and May 31 to June 1), the programme “Tomorrow And Tomorrow” transforms Stamford Arts Centre and 42 Waterloo Street into a sandbox of works-in-process. It allows everyone to see how Singapore theatre groups perform on a single stage, laying the groundwork for future performances and revealing the country’s fertile theatre environment.
Two examples are Hong Xinyi’s Fl(u)orescence and URL To IRL: SIFA Digital. In the first, contributors offer creative responses to the festival 2024’s line-up, whereas the latter showcases digital and creative responses to SIFA performances from three years in a real-life installation.
Festivalgoers can also experience SIFA in the digital space through Natalie Soh’s the light gleams an instant. A SIFA 2024 digital commission, Soh’s experimental short film investigates the intersection between art, music, and nature, revealing insights into Yong Siew Toh’s Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and artist-jeweller Shing of Argentum.
New for families
SIFA 2024 will feature a series of family-friendly programmes from May 24 to 26 as part of its goal to nurture new audiences. Little SIFA introduces children to the diverse performing arts world through art encounters. At Cathay Green, everyone can enjoy The Dancer’s Fair with a big-hearted ballerina and seven fascinating machines from Antigua i Barbuda presented as separate installations. Made of repurposed materials, visitors can interact with and breathe new life into them.  At SOTA Drama Theatre across the street, Manual Cinema presents Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster to SIFA-goers of all ages. It uses hundreds of illustrated paper puppets, book pages, 2D props, furry monster puppets, and songs to bring American author Mo Willems’ books to life. Audiences can watch the artists below as they create the story in real time, or approach the production as if it were a traditional movie. |
Tickets for all the shows are available at www.sifa.sg. For full programme information, visit sifa.sg/2024-programmes.
