Press release:
Something To Write Home About: Singapore Arts Festival in New York 12 – 22 September 2015
NEW YORK – Inspired by their love for their home country, a group of New York-based creatives from Singapore have come together to organize the inaugural Something To Write Home About: Singapore Arts Festival in New York to celebrate the 50th year of Singapore’s independence. The festival will run from 12 – 22 September 2015 at the world-renowned cultural institution La MaMa in downtown Manhattan.
Visual Arts
Wholly citizen-initiated and run by a committee of volunteers, Something To Write Home About (STWHA) will showcase the best of Singapore’s arts and culture, featuring over 40 Singaporean artists from a wide range of disciplines, including visual arts, dance, music, theatre, film, literary arts, and culinary arts. Based on the theme of “home/Singapore,” STWHA will offer 11 days of programs from dance performance to storytelling, from short film screenings to theatre, to provide a window into Singapore’s multi-ethnic, multi-lingual heritage, and history.
Symposium on Singapore Studies
To celebrate the Golden Jubilee halfway across the world, the creatives have come together, doing what each does best, to achieve something greater than the sum of the individual parts. Not only is this festival an opportunity to introduce Singapore to the world through award-winning works that capture the lives of ordinary Singaporeans, it is also a chance to build citizenry and generate social capital within the community.
Literary Arts
The festival’s Producing Artistic Director Dr. Hong-Ling Wee says: “Singapore has made such tremendous progress in building an economic footprint. We’ve gone from being a Third World nation to being the third wealthiest country in the world in the last 50 years. This is no small feat. But what has Singapore contributed to world culture. This festival is a great opportunity for us to begin creating an artistic footprint and to serve the role of cultural diplomacy.”
Film
Audiences in New York can look forward to a festival that celebrates Singapore’s milestone through its rich tapestry of vibrant history, diversity, common memories, and experiences. La MaMa is located at 66 East 4th Street, New York, NY 10003. Tickets to the festival will go on sale from 20 July 2015. For more information, please visit SomethingToWriteHomeAbout.NYC.
Dance
Press Inquiries:
Jacelyn Kee +1 312 685 2320 contact@SomethingToWriteHomeAbout.NYC
Dr. Hong-Ling Wee +1 917 882 7777 info@SomethingToWriteHomeAbout.NYC
Music
Featured Creatives
Visual Arts:
Hong-Ling Wee, ceramic artist, New York
Sheryo and Yok, graffiti artists, New York
Jonathan Teo, photographer, Massachusetts
Angie Tan & Gregory Burns, photographer/painter, California
Literary Arts:
Jee Leong Koh, poet, New York
Jeremy Tiang, writer and translator, New York
Amanda Lee Koe, writer, New York
Yen Yen Woo & Colin Goh, writers/graphic novelists, New York
Film Makers and their short films:
Kirsten Tan, director and curator, New York
Lilin Wee, Autograph Book, Singapore
Junfeng Boo, Homecoming/Keluar Baris, Singapore
Koh Sun, Singapore Panda, Singapore
Srinivas Bhakta, Curry Fish Head, Singapore
Sin-Yee Lee, The Longest Distance Relationship, Singapore
Tomson Tee, The Making Of, New York
Theater
Theatre Performances:
The Necessary Stage, production of Best Of, Singapore
Checkpoint Theatre, production of Recalling Mother, Singapore
Verena Tay, production of Cursed Earth, Singapore
Playwrights and their works:
Damon Chua, playwright and director, New York
Haresh Sharma (playwright) and Alvin Tan (director), Singapore
Huzir Sulaiman (playwright) and Claire Wong (director), Singapore
Actors for Reading of 3 Plays (September 17):
Kenneth Lee, actor, New York
Hansel Tan, actor, New York
Elisabeth Ng, actress, New York
Elizabeth Lazan, actress, California
Siti Khalijah Zainal, actress, Singapore
Playwrights
Music:
Eli Tyler, singer and producer, New York
Tammy Ying, singer-songwriter, New York
Shun Ng, singer and guitarist, Boston
Dance:
Maya Dance Theatre, Singapore
Yun-Chun Chua, dancer, New York
Culinary Arts:
Larry Reutens, chef, New York
To read more about the featured creatives, visit SomethingToWriteHomeAbout.NYC.
Filed under: Event Tagged: Alvin Tan, Amanda Lee Koe, Angie Tan, Boo Junfeng, Checkpoint Theatre, Chua Yun Chun, Claire Wong, Colin Goh, Damon Chua, Eli Taylor, Elisabeth Ng, Elizabeth Lazan, Gregory Burns, Hansel Tan, Haresh Sharma, Huzir Sulaiman, Jeremy Tiang, Jonathan Teo, Kenneth Lee, Kirsten Tan, Koh Jee Leong, Koh Sun, Larry Reutens, Lee Sin Yee, Lilin Wee, Maya Dance Theatre, Sheryo and Yok, Shun Ng, Siti Khalijah Zainal, Something To Write Home About, Srinivas Bhakta, Tammy Ying, The Necessary Stage, Tomson Tee, Verena Tay, Wee Hong Ling, Woo Yen Yen
