Tons of Interactivity At This Year's i Light 2023

Hi Huneybees,

Phew! There's so much happening this June at Marina Bay and I'm playing octopus here trying to keep up with my articles and social media postings. I shared about GastroBeats in my previous post and this one's dedicated to i Light Singapore 2023 itself.

Curated to the theme of A New Wave this year, most of the artworks are anchored on the colour

blue which is omnipresent in nature’s blue spaces such as oceans and rivers, and often associated with emotions such as calmness and serenity, inspiring us to contribute to a more sustainable future as we interact with each installation.

If you are making plans to head down, here are some tips...

1) Not just for the weekends

This year's i Light is not only happening over weekends, so to beat the crowd, try making plans to check them out on weekdays instead. I bet it will save you more time trying to "erase" these people from your Instaworthy shots.

2) Get geared up

Spreading across more areas like South Beach and Millenia Walk, be sure to dress comfy and cool. Prepare your mini fans, and chilled drinks and get ready to clock those steps, or get geared up and rent a bicycle to enjoy these art pieces whilst enjoying the breeze along Marina Bay. 

3) Fringe Programmes

This year's iLight will see a lot of fringe events alongside the light installations, so take note of these dates if any catches your eyes...

● GastroBeats

Bayfront Event Space (4pm – 11pm daily)

As the Festival Village of i Light Singapore, GastroBeats offers a month-long celebration of good food, good music and good fun with can delicacies served up by 50 homegrown F&B vendors and live performances by talented local musicians from a variety of genres, such as 53A and Tabula.

*General admission to the Festival Village is free, while charges apply for selected activities. 

● Lightwave: Turning the Tide, presented by Alibaba Cloud

The Promontory at Marina Bay 

Weekdays: Sunday to Thursday – 7.30pm to 11pm (last experience at 10.40pm)

Weekends: Friday and Saturday – 7.30pm to 12am (last experience at 11.40pm)

Lightwave: Turning the Tide imagines a future where human exploits have damaged the world around us irrevocably. Transported to an underwater world, visitors are left to ponder: How have we come to this? Through three unfolding chapters of thought-provoking multi-sensorial light experiences, explore how our way of life has impacted nature, and be inspired to make a change and turn the tide.

*Admission tickets are priced at SGD5 each and can be purchased from Klook.

● Light Wash

Key buildings and bridges across Marina Bay precinct

7.30pm – 11pm daily (with extended hours to 12am on Fridays and Saturdays)

In line with the Festival’s colour theme for this edition, key buildings and bridges around the Bay will be lit up in a blue hue on Festival nights, complementing the light art installations and evoking a tranquil ambience.

● Guided Walking Tour by Let’s Go Tour Singapore

i Light Singapore festival grounds

3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25 June (Saturdays and Sundays): 8pm to 9.30pm

On this specially curated walking tour conducted by Let’s Go Tour Singapore over four weekends, hear from experienced guides about this year’s Festival theme, A New Wave, as well as the creative ideas, stories and trivia behind the delightful artworks.

*Tickets for the guided tours are priced at SGD30 each and can be purchased from Let’s Go Tour Singapore here. 

● Rediscover Marina Bay Walking Tour

Marina Bay

7, 14, 21 June (Wednesdays): 5.30pm, 6pm, 6.30pm

Find out how the sea was transformed into a distinctive and sustainable district in the heart of our city. Discover what lies beneath Marina Bay to support sustainable living, and how urban planners sculpted a skyline that is distinctively Singapore. Get the story behind the centrepiece of Singapore’s transformation efforts by joining this special 90-minute walking tour led by URA volunteers. A

*Tickets for the guided tour are free and available on a first-come-first-served basis. Sign up here to reserve a spot.

4) Make a pledge

i Light i Pledge, presented by Alibaba Cloud

This year, the Festival is once again partnering susGain, a local social enterprise championing sustainability, on i Light i Pledge. Pledge your commitment to eco-conscious practices by making small but impactful changes in your daily lifestyles to cultivate sustainable habits.

● The Switch Off, Turn Up (SOTU) pledge calls for all to switch off non-essential lighting and turn up air-conditioning temperatures during and beyond the festival period. Since the Festival’s inception in 2010, SOTU has been a key component of i Light Singapore’s sustainability drive. The initiative has rallied many building owners, corporations and businesses around and beyond Marina Bay to

reduce their energy consumption in lighting and air-conditioning. This year, over 100 buildings and properties will be participating in the initiative (see list of participants here). The programme has also been extended to the public and schools for the first time this year.

● The Be a Zero Hero pledge encourages the public to adopt zero-waste habits such as reducing the use of single-use items and food waste. For each pledge submitted by participants up to the first 5,000 pledges, All Clear - a sustainability enterprise providing offshore and ocean clean-ups - will remove 100g of waste from Singapore waterways. As such, up to 500 kg of waste will be removed as an outcome of the pledge. 

For each pledge submitted online, a visual that is unique to each pledge will be generated using Alibaba Cloud’s AI technologies. The visuals can be viewed on i Light i Pledge’s website and as part of the last chapter at Lightwave: Turning the Tide. This initiative aims to demonstrate how a small step taken by an individual can contribute to a larger sustainability objective. Take part in the i Light i Pledge here and stand to win attractive prizes.

5) Key Highlights

This edition will see 22 artists from eight countries coming together to showcase 14 captivating light art installations. There's a few that caught my eye and I feel are definitely not to be missed...

● Tree Man by ENESS (Australia)

Location: Event Square

Encircling a sapling in his arms, Tree Man provides sanctuary for a young tree while carving out an inner sanctum for visitors. Falling into his arms feels so warm, so protected as though hugging a real-life BayMax, so comfy to just lean against it.

As one enters the arms of Tree Man, light switches across a spectrum of colours, and sparse melodies on top of a forest-inspired soundtrack are triggered, leaving one to wonder if we can ever find a balance between the digital and natural world. The act of nurturing and connecting with our environment is emphasised in these whimsical light sculptures. Emitting light with heads that are shaped like digital screens, the artwork invites reflection on humans’ insatiable preoccupation with devices, which could be detrimental to our circadian rhythms. 

● Glacier Dreams by Refik Anadol Studio (USA) and Julius Baer

Location: Façade of ArtScience Museum

Inspired by both the beauty and fragility of glaciers, Glacier Dreams is the result of a groundbreaking, long-term research project involving machine learning, environmental studies, and multi-sensory media art. Visual materials collated from publicly available data and institutional archives, together with glacier images personally collected by Refik Anadol in Iceland, are processed through machine learning algorithms and transformed into Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based multi-sensory narratives.

The artist, together with his Los Angeles-based team, hopes to raise awareness of climate change and rising sea levels through poetic glacier-themed experiences, and also contribute to the study of glaciers with their existing AI tools.

● Trumpet Flowers by Amigo & Amigo (Australia)

Location: Clifford Square

Inspired by gramophones, these super-sized flowers burst to life occasionally with a specially commissioned musical score by Otis Studio, accompanied by some of Sydney’s finest jazz musicians. Immerse yourself in this playful and fun musical garden using the interactive keys and try to activate to "whole band". I love how everyone comes together to create a beautiful piece of music, bring in your friends or simply work with the other visitors...

● Résonances by Louis-Philippe Rondeau in collaboration with ELEKTRA (Canada)

Location: Open Plaza, OUE Bayfront

Résonances is an interactive installation that embodies the inexorable passage of time. It seeks to reveal the limit between present and past. As an arch of light appears in darkness, a temporal portal emerges. When visitors cross this threshold, their image will be projected onto the adjacent wall and seem deployed in time through the slit-scan technique. In this visual metaphor, the past constantly takes over the present, and visitors will see their own image fade inexorably into the oblivion of white light. The artwork emphasises that all light is the manifestation of events that have already occurred; the twinkle we see in the night sky is but a bygone snapshot of the stars. Try walking through the portal in different poses, with different people and create your very own timeline artwork.

● Show III by Chen Jiawen, Lai Ling Ling Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore) and James Cook University  (Singapore)

Location: South Beach Main Entrance (next to JW Marriott Singapore South Beach drop-off point)

What does one usually think about in the shower? Let's take a quick one in public?

Inspired by a belief that showers are perfect settings for self-contemplation, Show III is an invitation to unwind outdoors by soaking in its calming blue light, with the company of a composed soundscape and virtual water droplets. The act of showering without water serves as a reminder for visitors to reflect on their water usage. It also aims to provide an alternative environment where one can be free of worries in the bustle of the city.

Ok, spoilers up to here, the rest is for you to experience and enjoy.

i Light Singapore 2023, presented by DBS, will be held from 1 to 25 June 2023, 7.30pm to 11.00pm daily with extended hours to 12.00am on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is free, while charges apply for certain programmes. Visit https://www.ilightsingapore.gov.sg for more information.

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Singapore's Pop Icon - Kit Chan to Celebrate 30th Anniversary With “Little Things” Concert This September

Hi Huneybees,

Photo Credits: Banshee Productions

Kit Chan, Singapore’s very own national pop icon will be celebrating her 30th anniversary as a singer with a three-night concert titled 'Little Things - Kit Chan 30th Anniversary Concert' at Sands Theatre from 8 to 10 September 2023.

Presented by Base Entertainment Asia, the 'Little Things - Kit Chan 30th Anniversary Concert' with Kit herself overseeing the creative direction, will include a set list with fan favourites, songs that have never been performed at her concerts before, as well as the first live rendition of Kit’s 30th-anniversary song, specially written for her by long-time friend and music collaborator Tom Pan 潘协庆, among other surprises for the night.

“When I first thought about 30th anniversary, it sounded like such a big thing and everyone wanted to know, ‘What are your thoughts, what are your perspectives after being in this business for 30 years?’, and I realised it was really all the little things that mattered, that kind of led me to this point, and not like, big milestones.” --- Kit Chan, when asked about naming her concert 'Little Things'.

Another reason for this theme goes back to her childhood, to a song she sang in the school choir. The title of the song is a blurry memory now but it was about all the “meaningless little things” in life that make up life itself.

“Even though I was only 11-years-old, I don’t know why I was very taken by this song. I have always been a magpie and am the kind of person who would keep a box with mementos, old photos, little knick-knacks, handwritten notes and cards I can never let go of. These meaningless things, they’re actually very meaningful to me. They speak of experiences lived and shared, and memories made over time.”

Leading the band for this concert is Music Director Bang Wenfu, who has worked with Kit on many projects including studio albums and singles, Kit’s 25th-anniversary concert “25 Years On A Time For Everything” in 2018, “Reignite – Kit Chan ‘Live’ in Concert” in 2021 and also on the Chinese reality singing competition show “I Am A Singer”. Outfits will be designed by Paris-based Singaporean designer Andrew Gn.

Photo Credits: Banshee Productions

Little Things - Kit Chan 30th Anniversary Concert Performance Season - 8 to 10 September 2023
Venue - Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands
Duration - 100 minutes
Performance Times (Singapore Time)
Friday, Saturday, Sunday - 8pm

Tickets are now on-sale at Marina Bay Sands Ticketing and SISTIC and range between SGD$88 to SGD$992, excluding booking fees. #KitChan30thAnniversary, #KitChanLittleThings, #陈洁仪30周年

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(SGCC 2022) An Interview With Boey - Author of When I Was A Kid Series

Hi Huneybees,

Photo credits: Boey

It's December and I'm super stoked the annual Singapore Comic Con (SGCC 2022) is finally back physically this year after the pandemic break. I'm always there every year, checking out the artists' works, and what's new in the comic/art/gaming scene as well as snagging the latest collectibles to add to my collection and this year will be no exception.

There was a prelude back in October 2022 at City Square Mall and getting to experience what's upcoming got me all riled up. Are you ready for it?

Anyway, before the event happens in December, I managed to have a little interview with one of the featured artist - Cheeming Boey.

Q: Where do you get inspiration for your webcomic creation given that you update every couple of days?

My comics used to be a daily update till about three years ago when I realized I can't keep up with it and not get paid. Social media has allowed for greater exposure of any kind of comic artist but has also taken away the ability for a lot of artists to get paid since so much of it is free. Going back to the question, most of what I write is about my day-to-day, and documenting it isn't hard. It is making sure the series of events are told in a manner that is intriguing that is. 

Q: It’s been a while since we last saw your foam cup art, will you start a series again?

If I ever go back to the art of cups it would only be for fun. People move on, and I move on. It was a cool little thing I did but there's much more to be done. 

Q: We are almost at the end of 2022, how has 2022 been for you?

2022 has been a learning experience. I put a new book out (when I was a kid 7), and I've learned to not try to top myself every time. The pressure from writing so I meet the expectations of the public has also eased a lot more. And I've learned how the book industry works from my experience with switching distributors. So it was good. Not many ppl get to experience that. :)

Q: What’s new for 2023?

A: 2023 is going to be great. I have plans but I can't say what they are yet. 

Photo credits: Boey

Better known as Boey, he first caught my attention with his intricate works on styrofoam cups. I was into doodling then and whilst doing some research online, I chanced upon his works on social media. He has since moved on to posting his webcomic - "I Am Boey" and even published his autobiographical graphic novel -"When I Was A Kid", with book 7 launched recently.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cheeming Boey (@iamboey)

The stories in the novels are a reflection of his childhood spent growing up in Johor Bahru, with simple doodle-style graphics and little words, Boey is able to bring out the little humour in life, and jog up the childhood memories of those pre-social media days.

SGCC 2022 will be taking place from 10 to 11 December at Sands Expo & Convention Centre,  featuring more than 350 exhibitors and 420 brands across four halls on Level 1 and B2. There are loads of collectibles and fun activities for all fans with a new Food Zone - featuring pop-up stores from LiHO, Gopizza, Blanco Court Beef Noodles, and Cat and the Fiddle.

The Artist Alley will have more than 100talented artists with highlights - Seth Adams, Rachta Lin, ComxNaut Studio, Bobblejot, Beatrice (Winter’s Tales), and Club Comix AX.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Singapore Comic Con - SGCC (@sgcomiccon)

Comics fans must also be there early for exclusive comics from Pinkponkcomics, Comics Grail Vault, and Crimson Star, Legionaries.

So hurry get your tickets if you have not done so, and do follow SGCC 2022 for more updates!

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Singapore Comic Con 2022 Returns Big In December

Hi Huneybees,

The annual affair that is Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) will be making a glorious return to the event scene, as it ushers in its biggest convention yet. Taking place on 10 and 11 December 2022 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, SGCC 2022 is expanding to four exhibition halls across two levels, with more than 350 exhibitors and 420 brands in attendance.

A major party to grace the show floor is key sponsor integrated future culture platform Mighty Jaxx, who are releasing a limited run of 500 NFT (non-fungible tokens) / digital tickets called the SGCC XPass. Available as an exclusive in-app brand product, they will retail at US$109 each and offer the following perks:

• 1-day SGCC pass
• Early bird entry into SGCC 2022, 30 minutes before doors open
• Two blind boxes, redeemable at the Mighty Jaxx booth during SGCC 2022
• Participation in a giveaway for a unique collectible / commissioned art by a Mighty Jaxx
• partner artist
• 15% discount on entry into the next 2 SGCC editions (2023, 2024)
• 20% off the retail price of one (1) SGCC Mascot T-shirt, with 3 free-size designs available
• A place on the whitelists for selected future launches of Mighty Jaxx’s digital and phygital
• collectibles
• Communications and participation around giveaways, digital collectible sales and events
• Recurring giveaways
• Access to the Mighty Jaxx Metaverse

Those who miss out on the digital tickets can redeem one free SGCC XPass fragment that lands visitors a chance to secure their place on the whitelists for selected future launches of Mighty Jaxx’s digital collectibles, and stand a chance to win one of Mighty Jaxx’s giveaways (blind boxes, single releases and more) during the SGCC show days.

For figure collectors, Collectors Ark will be displaying limited-edition statues, busts, intricate figures, and film prop replicas of legendary characters, and icons from Marvel, DC Comics, Lord of the Rings and many more in a wide range of scales. 

A close partner of renowned brands like Prime 1 Studio, Queen Studios, and Infinity Studio, it has some impressive artworks under its belt, including lifelike life-size busts of the Joker and Harley Quinn from Infinity Studio.

A huge part of SGCC has always been fostering the community spirit, and this year’s iteration will build on previous versions of the Work In Progress (W.I.P) program to present a comic submission competition, talks by industry professionals, and award-winning creators from over 28 countries. A new Food Zone has also been added to B2, featuring pop-up stores from LiHO, Gopizza, Blanco Court Beef Noodles, and Cat and the Fiddle.

Photo credits: BANDAI

Tickets for SGCC 2022 are now available on Klook, with prices starting at S$25 (excluding S$2 booking fee per ticket). Alternatively, visitors can opt for any of three ticket bundles, with the first packing in a 2-day access pass and an exclusive Gundam RX7-8GP01 First Touch figure for S$108.

Photo credits: BANDAI

The second one includes the same 2-day access pass, but with a different exclusive item from Tamashii Nations. Fork out S$138, and fans will be able to get their hands on an accompanying Gundam RX-78-2 Clear Colour figure. Lastly, the S$85 Mystery T-shirt Bundle consists of a 2-day event pass and any one out of three mystery shirt designs.

SGCC 2022 runs from 10 to 11 December, and there will be more information about its guests and exhibitors nearer to the date.

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CATS - Tickets Go On Sale Tomorrow

Hi Huneybees,

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking musical CATS comes back to Singapore this December for a strictly limited season. Hubby and I caught the musical when they were in town back in 2015 and we definitely will not miss it again this time too. There's something magical about watching musicals several times, you capture and "learn" different things from each experience. 

Being one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, CATS world premiered at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances and since then, it has been presented in over 30 countries, translated into 15 languages and has been seen by more than 81 million people worldwide.  Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album.

Be enticed into the magnificent musical score composed by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber, including the poignant hit song ‘Memory’, which has been recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace and Barry Manilow.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow April 6, at 10am via Marina Bay Sands ticketing and SISTIC. you wouldn't want to miss it! Huneyzworld's take on CATS - http://huneyzworld.blogspot.com/2015/01/ive-fallen-deeply-in-love-with-cats.html

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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A Sweet Deal To Catch Kinky Boots Before They Strut Out This Sunday

Hi Huneybees,

The night was glaring red when we attended Kinky Boots Media Night, glitz and glitter to celebrate this long-awaited musical to arrive at our island. It was an exceptional musical that was entertaining and uplifting, giving us a contrasting storyline that 'sings' out to me.

Based on the 2005 British film of the same name, Kinky Boots follows Charlie Price (Lance Bordelon) as he inherits ownership over his late father’s shoe factory. But times are hard, and Charlie is forced to either sell the business or find a miracle. So, there comes the fabulous Lola (Jos N. Banks), a larger than life drag queen who just may be the answer to all his problems, as the factory innovates and works to create a new line of boots that are comfortable for drag queens. Racing against the clock as they rush to complete a full collection to show at Milan, both Lola and Charlie are also forced to confront their own personal demons as they’re haunted by memories of their late fathers and pressures at the workplace. All falls into place at the end and the musical ends on a high note.

The stage design and high energy dance choreography, got me immersed in the world of shoemaking and I find myself tapping and dancing to the songs, every scene brought out emotions, tugging our hearts. 

I love the message behind such a fun musical too, being open-minded, accepting those around us without judging and bringing us into the inner world of the LGBTQ is applaudable. With Kinky Boots being such an iconic piece and strong message to bring across, I find this is a musical that everyone has got to watch and the world will just be a much better place with more big hearts acceptance.

My favourite scene has got to the part where everyone gets together to perform “Everybody Say Yeah”, where they celebrate the construction of the very first pair of the red glitter kinky boot. The creative use of the conveyor belt, each Angel and Lola being able to shine and strut their stuffs on the belt. It left us on a high note before heading off to a break for Act 2 and that left us wanting to the break to end quickly and continue with the story-telling...

This has been one of my favourite musical this year and I hate that you will have to miss it when they end the round this Sunday. So, here is a special promotion for you priced at S$200: 

• 2 for $200 (A Reserve tickets)
  http://entertainment.marinabaysands.com/cms/events/index.html?specialCode=kinky1018E9&contentCodeBE=kinky1018

• 4 for $200 (B & C Reserve tickets) - Open on all ticketing channels + promo link
  (http://entertainment.marinabaysands.com/cms/events/index.html?specialCode=kinky1018ED&contentCodeBE=kinky1018)

I hope you will enjoy Kinky Boots as much as I did. Kinky Boots plays at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands from 5th – 14th October. Tickets available from SISTIC and for more information, go to www.MarinaBaySands.com.

Don’t forget to stay tuned to my blog / like my blog’s Facebook page / follow me @huney_84 on Twitter & Instagram  for the latest updates!

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