By Sarah Goh, SMU School of Social Sciences
SMU Arts Festival 2017 is back, bigger and better! Happening right smack in the heart of Singapore’s Arts and Heritage District, prepare for a vibrant Arts Festival from 8 – 17 September 2017 run entirely by students of SMU.
Inspired by a familiar medium that often carries valuable lessons, exciting stories and imaginative ideas, the theme for this year’s edition, Pages, embodies the notion of new discovery for artists and audiences alike.
A unique Arts Festival, this student-led event provides the University’s Arts and Cultural Fraternity with a meaningful platform to engage and foster closer ties with art lovers and festival goers within the Bras Basah.Bugis district. With so much in store, get the most out of your festival fix with this 5-point cheat sheet!
1. Try Something New – Music and Dance Workshops for ALL!
Always wanted to learn a musical instrument in a safe space? Love to experience a dance class but find it daunting to even take the first step? At SMU Arts Festival, you can learn a new art form with no experience required! Here are just some of the highlights! Check out this page for more workshops you can look forward to: http://www.smuartsfestival.com/workshops1.html
CAJÓN WORKSHOP by Beat’Abox (@beataboxsg)
WHEN: Sun, 9 Sep | 7.30pm | 2 Hrs
WHERE: SMU Gym Studio | $20.00
VOYAGE DE DANSE (TANGO & WALTZ) INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOP by SMU Ballare (@smuballare)
WHEN:
– Waltz: Sun, 10 Sep | 7pm | 2 Hrs
– Tango: Sun, 17 Sep | 7pm | 2 Hrs
WHERE: SMU Arts & Culture Centre | $12.00
STREET JAZZ / WAACKING by Bryan Lee (@bryanosch)
WHEN:
– Street Jazz: Thu, 14 Sep | 7.30pm | 1Hr 15Mins
– Waacking: Tue, 12 Sep | 7.30pm | 1Hr 15Mins
WHERE: SMU Gym Studio | $12.00
2. Explosive Opening Highlights
This year, we’re extremely excited to have the Six.5 Urban Dance Company be part of our festival opening highlights! A company that grooms local urban dance talents, they will be presenting their special performance, Elements@SMU, on opening day of the Festival. A site-specific performance art, the choreography reframes the performance space, providing audiences with a fresh perspective of the elements Air, Earth and Water in SMU’s familiar urbanscape. With their mesmerising mastery in technique and showmanship, this is one FREE performance not to be missed!
SIX.5 URBAN DANCE COMPANY
WHEN: Fri, 8 Sep | Sat, 9 Sep | 7.30pm | 1Hr
WHERE: Festival Village @ SMU Campus Green, FREE
3. Feast Your Eyes on a Wide Variety of Vendors at Festival Village!
Also, happening on 8 and 9 September 2017 at our Festival Village:
Satisfy your festival cravings with a plethora of foodie delights at Dining in the Garden City. From rainbow creations by WORD Café to tantalising munchies by The 1925, get your fill (and Insta-worthy shots) of yummy delights!
Rainbow Burger by WORD Café (Photo source: Word Bistro)
Artwork by Jovial Craft
The Festival Village is also home to STORiES, the Festival’s first makers’ market! Featuring local artists and craftsmen like Jovial crafts, Chirashibomb and Musclewoods Engravers, STORiES is a great place to discover their creative works and the journey behind it. Take some time to talk to these Storytellers and show your support for these local works of art!
4. More than Meets the Eye – Visual Artworks Around Campus!
Sketch of Self-Control by Nicole Tan, part of EXPOSÉ
Spread all around the SMU campus are various art installations that are part of the first site-specific visual arts exhibition by SMU Arts Festival! The exhibition entitled reinstatement showcases artworks by youths from various institutions, created in response to this year’s Arts Festival theme. Two local guest artists, Kelly Ser and Priyageetha Dia, will also be showcasing their works in this exhibition.
Additionally, a special fashion exhibition, EXPOSÉ, will also feature at the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business. This fashion segment within Pages will, for the first time, present fashion talents and enthusiasts within the SMU student body and their wonderful creations.
Made available throughout the Festival, it’s a great opportunity to soak in the works of these artists and reflect deeper on how each of them has responded to the theme of Pages in their own unique ways.
5. There’s Always Something Going On!
SMU StageIT – Student Theatre Collective
From the opening day till the end of the Festival, you can expect a continuous stream of activities. With 23 participating arts groups from SMU and many more activities – from those we have shared so far to a play by Alfian Sa’at, a multimedia hip-pop showcase and even a voice personality competition – you won’t find a single dull day!
Check out the entire list of programmes in store at the SMU Arts Festival 2017 here: http://www.smuartsfestival.com/programmes.html
