ARTICLE

SIFA opens with 1984, Cirque Rouages' ...Sodade... and more

By Edric / 06 Feb 2018 (Tuesday)

The 41st edition of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA 2018) is back with game-changing artists from a spectrum of art forms set to engage and inspire audiences, from new festival goers to seasoned art lovers. Commissioned by the National Arts Council and organized by Art House Limited, the performing arts festival will be held over three weeks from 26 April to 12 May 2018 by Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani.

While SIFA continues to be a platform for artistic excellence in spotlighting both emerging and established Singaporean and international artists, many aspects of the Festival have evolved in the 2018 edition, kicking-off with a banner weekend of events that signify a sense of the Festival's arrival. The new Festival House will be the centre of activities. The Festival programme will include a series fo high-octane shows, bookended by a stellar opening-lineup and free outdoor closing concert. Over the intervening three weeks, a vast array of options will allow diverse audiences to tailor their own festival experience.

"Since 1977, the Arts Festival has inspired generations." Festival Director Gaurav Kripalani has said. " It was the 1992 festival that shaped my own love of the arts. I have seen it evolve with every generation, and today, I am thrilled to present a diverse range of art forms and world perspectives in a re-imagined presentation of the festival to appeal to both newcomers and art enthusiasts. With programming anchored in strong, compelling narratives, SIFA 2018 will feature game-changers who push boundaries whether through impactful stories they tell or how they advance their art form. I hope to ignite the imagination of all, in the same way, the arts festival inspired mine 26 years ago."

Three Exhilarating Weeks of Artistic Excellence
Opening the Singapore International Festival of Arts are three stellar headline acts at the Victoria Theatre, Victoria Concert Hall and the Esplanade from 27 to 29 April. The award-winning theatrical adaption of the literary masterpiece, George Orwell's 1984; an evening of poetry and love by India's power couple - doyenne of Indian cinema Shabana Azmi, and the legendary poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar; and a mind-blowing concert by prodigious two-time Grammy winner, Jacob Collier, heralded as the new "messiah of Jazz".

Just a stone throw away from the three shows, the Empress Lawn comes to life over the opening weekend with an explosion of free outdoor experiences, including an outdoor circus theatre piece, evening concerts, and pop-up dance performances. Anchoring the performances is France's Cirque Rouages' ...Sodade... Set around an impressive structure of two huge wheels connected by a 21-metre long tightrope cable, ...Sodade... is an enchanting and poetic tale of love, loss, and longing of the absent told through circus, music, and movement.

Echoing the same sentiments of love and loss (sodade), the virtuosic line-up at the outdoor music stage over the opening weekend will include Australian composer and musician Tamil Rogeon - who will be presenting his transcendental electro-orchestral suite, 24 Hours in Lapa, in collaboration with Metropolitan Festival Orchestra Singapore; Cape Verdian singer and Guitarist Tcheka; Korea's Sultan of the Disco; and Japan's J-Jazz act bohemianvoodoo.

Find out more about the Singapore Internation Festival of Arts 2018 at sifa .sg.

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SIFA opens with 1984, Cirque Rouages' ...Sodade... and more