TEXTURES 2024 Invites Audiences to Reimagine the World Of Words

Hi Huneybees,

Organized by Arts House Limited, Textures, the annual literary arts festival that celebrates Singapore literature (SingLit), returns from 19 - 28 January 2024 at The Arts House, in conjunction with the Light to Night Singapore Festival and Singapore Art Week. 

Featuring multidisciplinary SingLit-related programs and showcases that respond to the theme ‘Reimagine,’ Textures transports all visitors to a world where words come alive against the backdrop of other artistic practices and disciplines, casting a spotlight on the literary works that are closest to home.

Marrying poetry, movement, and live music together, the 2024 edition of Textures presents Thank You For Holding, a multidisciplinary piece centering around the alternative experience of connecting to a phone operator at a call centre. Written and directed by by Marc Nair, choreographed by Sudhee Liao with performers Arunditha, Chan Hsin Yee and Jack Ng, and composed by Mantravine, the work is fused together by the spellbinding art direction of Audrey Ng and Low Zi Hao, and the performance is embellished with elements of audience interaction. You are invited to be deeply immersed in the interactive theatre experience where diverse arts practices intersect and are encouraged to reimagine the boundaries of the literary arts, especially in such contemporary times.

Cherita Hantu: Horror Reimagined will also make its return to Textures as Hafidz Rahman presents a fresh take on his spine-chilling performance of five local horror stories. Audiences can prepare their hearts for a multisensory showcase that is sure to spook one’s socks off with the interactive use of smells and sounds that promise a literary twist! 

If you are looking to stock up for your next book-tok social media post, head down to Textures’ pop-up bookstore by Chio Books where book enthusiasts and casual readers alike can encounter a diverse spread of titles by both local and international authors across a myriad of genres. 

Those who prefer digital formats can check out Read At Home at the Level 1 corridor of The Arts House, which is decked out with e-Book titles on display. In partnership with the National Library Board (NLB), you can simply scan the corresponding QR codes to borrow your desired e-books.

You can also expect a feast for their eyes with art installations and digital projections across The Arts House lawn and on its façade. Look forward to Singapore visual artist Justin Loke’s 8-Bit Word Cloud – an outdoor installation that serves as a throwback to early video game graphics and explores the relationship between digital pixels and letters, inviting viewers to reflect on the intersection of digital art and language within the context of classic video game aesthetics. 

For a different experience, check out the mesmerizing projection, Winter Sonata, Summer Mookata by Knuckles & Notch. This mind-bending display takes everyone into a surreal world inspired by anime aesthetics, prompting viewers to reconsider their established perceptions of the seemingly solid borders between the tangible reality and the abstract realms of their imaginations.

Tell Bowie He's Only A Rock Star. I, However, Am A Poet, was an exhibition introduced during the Singapore Writers Festival 2023. A poet, dramatist, novelist and a visionary ahead of his time, the late Goh Poh Seng is credited as being the first writer to introduce Singlish to the stage with his play, When the Smiles are Done. He also won the inaugural National Book Development Council of

Singapore Award for Fiction (known as the Singapore Literature Prize today) with his novel If We Dream Too Long, considered by many to be the first English-language Singaporean novel. Beyond literature, Goh organized David Bowie’s first Singapore concert. When he invited Bowie and his musicians to their home for a performance by classical Chinese musicians, Bowie's band arrived without Bowie, who said that he did not “fraternize with concert promoters.” Goh Poh Seng’s blithe rejoinder “Tell Bowie He’s Only A Rock Star. I However, Am A Poet” compelled Bowie to turn up eventually. This exhibition hopes to capture and highlight key moments that demonstrated his dedication and rebel spirit that should continue to inspire us all. Check it out before it ends its run on 28 January 2024.

The Cultural Medallion Literary Pursuit 

The Cultural Medallion Award is the highest award for artistic excellence in Singapore. Among the 130 recipients are writers and poets whose works bring new and interesting ways of looking at the world. Join them in their pursuit of all things literary to do with our Cultural Medallion recipients! To play, scan the QR code at Our Cultural Medallion Story showcase and hunt for answers within the gallery. A special edition of the activity for children aged 9 and below is also available! Simply ask the friendly gallery sitters for the children’s edition QR code.

Thank You for Holding

For more information on Textures 2024 on the programs as well as ticketing information, visit https://artshouselimited.sg/tah-textures-2024.

Textures 2024

19 - 28 January 2024

10am – 11pm (closing hours differ on selected days)

The Arts House

1 Old Parliament Ln, Singapore 179429

Free admission, with selected ticketed programs

Follow #Textures2024 on

Website: https://artshouselimited.sg/tah-textures-2024

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Celebrate Thaipusam Virtually With வேல் வேல் Vel Vel A Sonic Walk

Hi Huneybees,

Thaipusam is happening on Thursday, 28 January 2021 and we've always seen the roadblocks and the celebrations as we walk by or drive by, want to join in the celebrations and go "behind the scenes"? The Arts House will be presenting a virtual edition of the festival’s pilgrimage route through a web app - "வேல் வேல் Vel Vel A Sonic Walk" and through this interactive audio-visual-text experience, you will be able to discover the cultural significance of this festival. 

 

The thanksgiving festival is celebrated by the Tamil community to honour Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war. Believers express their appreciation by participating in the processions and seeking blessings from the deity.

The pilgrimage route on the web app will cover the historic neighbourhoods of Little India, Selegie, and Fort Canning. Presented through a combination of audio recordings of the music, sounds of the locations, along with archival images of Thaipusam over the past five decades, audiences will be able to learn more about the intersection of the rituals with historical locations and significant buildings in Singapore.

“Throughout human history, art has provided for our needs, which at times include solace, ritual, and togetherness. With Thaipusam being substantially scaled-down this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Arts House felt it was important to create opportunities for the community to come together nonetheless and perhaps reconnect with the festival in different ways.” --- Rupert Thomson, Head of Artistic Programmes, AHL Venues. 

In response to both the Thaipusam experience and locations along the pilgrimage route, the young theatre collective, Brown Voices have created five short monologues on the rituals conducted in the locations. Through these monologues, visitors will get a glimpse of how kavadi (sacrifice at every step), milk pots, turmeric, sandalwood feature against the backdrop of the Thaipusam processions. The writers who will be featured are Karthik Somasundaram, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Mumtaz Maricar, Lewin Bernard and Hashisha Nazir, responding to Perumal Temple, Selegie Point, Dhoby Ghaut, Overhead Bridge at Fort Canning and Thandayuthapani Temple at Tank Road. They also provide the voiceovers for the recordings, directed by Grace Kalaiselvi.

“This digital experience of walking the Thaipusam route will allow listeners to connect with the quieter, more introspective aspects of a pilgrimage, while also staying connected to the sense of community which makes the procession such an integral part of the festival. They will also be able to understand how integral Thaipusam is to Singapore’s identity through monologues written by writers from the Brown Voices Collective that situate the experience of the festival in the personal, and in iconic spaces of central Singapore.” --- Shridar Mani, Programmer, The Arts House. 
 

Event Details

Vel Vel: A Sonic Walk

Link: https://www.theartshouse.sg/whats-on-details/online/vel-vel-a-sonic-walk

Venue: The Arts House

Duration: 28 January 2021 – 18 January 2022

Fee: Free

Feel free to log onto the website and explore the pilgrimage route to learn more about the historical significance of Thaipusam. Have a nice weekend, my Huneybees!

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The Arts House Is Turning 10 By "Disappearing"!

Hi Huneybees,

Last night I was at The Arts House to preview what's installed for us as she turns 10. They will be doing a disappearing act from the arts scene, bringing us to an alternate dimension from 26 March till 6 April 2014. 

What if The Arts House is replaced by a dance club (Morenada), a posh 5-star boutique hotel (The Ponce) as well as a mega bookstore?

Before I go on, I would like to introduce you to one of the highlights -  Quotes, that's happening at The Lawn right in front of the building. Unlike the other programmes, this is a free event every night 8pm from 26 Mar - 6 Apr. The outdoor projection show is developed in collaboration of Epson and CAKE Theatrical Productions.

To celebrate the potency of the written word and the necessity of literature in our lives, Quotes is an open air performance that is based on quotes from the most compelling and inspirational literary giants of our time. Combining performance, evocative soundscape and lush multimedia, Quotes is here to commemorate 10 years of existence and a means to reflect and look forward to the future.

So, what would it be like if a hotel and a dance hall did exist in this building? Well, come on a tour down memory lane with The Historians.

In this room, you will be able to see the preserved items from Morenada and The Ponce.

With the help of these super adorable and fun-loving historians.

Artistic Director - Chong Tse Chien of the Finger Players conceptualized this idea with the anchor show - The Next Page, taking over the entire former Parliament House and re-imagines the space through visual and performance installation show. Imagine what's it like if The Arts House ceases to exist? Come view the remnants of the Morenada and The Ponce as the team of historians shed light on how it used to be...

The Dragon Fruit plays an important role in Morenada as their signature drink is the "Dragon Lady" and lots of celebrities have come by to taste it. See who signed on the coasters!

The Arts House has been changing and reinventing itself for the past 10 years and not it is time for them to leap to the next page as a centre for the writing, writers and ideas...

 

Check out the room service of The Ponce!

But then, who can share more secrets than a cleaner who has been at the Old Parliament Building for years? Follow her as she cleans and tells you the stories that transpired in the premises in its different functions: from Parliament House to The Arts House, to the dance hall and hotel...

Down the hall, you can find the former Parliamentary Chamber that once stood the dance hall - Morenada. Come in to experience what it is like to be dancing in this hall, where the dance hall patrons speak through the walls in a tongue-in-cheek tribute.

And what's it like staying in such a fancy hotel? You might wana join The Couple In The Hotel Room as they check into The Ponce to rekindle their relationship. Mind you, there are adult subjects involved and things might just get a little steamy ~

Also, while waiting for the different Anchor programmes to be ready, you may wana go through a literary maze, scribble a little excerpt of yours or maybe check out The Next Page, the bookstore that now takes over The Arts House (actually a Pop-Up Bookstore by BOOKSACTUALLY). Here you can find lots of interesting "local" books to understand Singapore even more!

Of course there are more events to check out from 26 March till 6 April 2014. You can find out more at http://www.theartshouse.com.sg/Programmes/Festivals/TheArtsHouseTurns10. 

Do note that there is a charge of $10, $8 (Concession for students, senior citizen and The Arts House members) for The Next Page programmes.

Tickets are avilable at www.bytes.sg.

Have fun my Huneybees! 

Do bring your friends and families along!

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