Yahoo! Singapore Answers blog

The S$7 million Singapore Arts Festival this year saw an attendance of about 600,000 people, but it was in fact a 7% drop as compared to the previous year. Local newspapers and forums have been discussing and debating why this drop could have happened. Channel News Asia has even suggested starting the festival a week earlier, before the school holidays.

(Photo by ReiShin)

So Goh Ching Lee, Director of the Singapore Arts Festival, asked the Answers community what they think could help make next year’s festival better. The Best Answer went to Jo, who felt that the Arts Festival could be extended to other mediums such as film and literature.

Ching Lee replied saying, “The writer has aptly thought about how connections with other non-performing arts medium could enrich and stretch the festival programme and reach out to a wider audience. Indeed, some festivals have a writer’s festival as part of its programme. Incidentally the Singapore Writers Festival was initially created in the arts festival in 1986 and subsequently spun off as a separate event. Perhaps it’s time to re-introduce a small literary component of writers to complement the writers and playwrights already featured in the main Festival. We also share the writer’s thoughts on linking performing artists to visual arts and film. It’s not uncommon to find today, theatre directors or choreographers who are also visual artists and film makers. It would be great to be able to host separately their exhibitions and installations in gallery and museum spaces, or to feature a Festival Films component screening their feature movies or documentaries made by them. Making these different kinds of connections would help to deepen understanding of the artist’s mind and world. I also applaud the writer’s attitude towards the arts – that one should have an open mind to try understanding it.”

Well, we’ve given our suggestions to the Arts Festival team, so let’s sit tight and wait to see what will be offered next year!

(Photo thanks to Suzz.com)

Yup, the metal thingy that covers the “entrance” to the sewer! Though who wants to go in there (besides those who absolutely need to for work) beats me. *Shrug* It’s just a metal cover that I tread upon day after day, thus why the fuss?

Well we may not pay much attention to it, but do you know that some countries spice up their manholes with special designs? Bet ya didn’t know that! When I was backpacking in Hokkaido with my friend in 2002, we saw the cutest manhole with 3 smiley squids on them (Photo thanks to Mr Wabu). Don’t they look absolutely happy? And while backpacking in the island of Rhodes, Greece, my friend and I spotted manholes with delicate steel etchings of the famous deer. These manholes are an art on its own!

Speaking of art and manholes, there’s an ongoing contest by the Singapore Arts Festival hosted on Flickr Groups called ArtsFest Photo Shootout. Believe it or not, even the manholes in over 15 locations in Singapore are involved in the Arts Fest! So try and spot the Arts Fest sticker-covered manholes and snap away with your cameras or trusty phones. The most creative photos (and their ‘owners’) get to win prizes such as Arts Festival tickets, Kenneth Cole watches and even a 3D/2N stay at Bangkok! Wow!

You have up to Sunday, 15th June 2008 to compete for the tickets and watches, and up to Monday, 30th June 2008 for the trip (all submitted entries are eligible for the trip). So what are you waiting for?

(Psst, if you are out of ideas, maybe you can get a group of friends and get them to wriggle their fingers around the manhole sticker. *Giggle*)

The Singapore Arts Festival is in full swing and we’ve featured two folks from the Festival here on Answers. The Festival Director, Goh Ching Lee, kicked off this year’s season by asking, “What is the most memorable performing arts performance you have attended, and why?” and she received some very heartfelt answers to her question. The one that touched her the most was from cotcorn02 who said (in part), “[The performance entitled] ‘(AND)’ by Needcompany. it was shown at the arts fest quite a few years back, but it was my first venture into experimental theatre and it has left a great impression on me ever since. Stunning ideas, movement and music. At times highly disturbing but it broke boundaries and barriers with the audience. I’ve been waiting for Needcompany to return ever since!” We’re sure that Ching Lee was touched that cotcorn02’s answer was based on an earlier Singapore Arts Fest performance.

Now Ching Lee has a second question for you: “What do you think about Singapore artists who achieve success in the international arts arena?” Be sure to head over to her question to share your thoughts. Oh, and Natalie Hennedig, the artistic director of Cake Productions, has been getting many good responses to her question: “What was your first encounter with Theatre and the experience it gave you?” Don’t forget to share your thoughts with her as well.

By the way, some of you may have spotted these Arts Fest manholes around the city. They are part of the ArtsFest Photo Shooout contest. You’re invited to take a creative photo with these manholes (there are 15 of them all over the island) and the most creative shots stand a chance to win Arts Fest tickets as well as Kenneth Cole watches. How cool is that? Check out the Flickr group for more details.
And finally, don’t forget to get a glimpse of all that’s happening at the Arts Fest with the Arts Fest Flickr Group.