Immerse Yourself In The Wonders Of The Arts With SIFA on Demand

If you miss the thrill of going to the theatres and catching a live dance or orchestra performance; Singapore is bringing its biggest arts festival, the annual Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA), to you in the comforts of your home. From 5th to 12th June 2021, join SIFA on Demand and reimagine your performing arts experience through a series of curated virtual art programmes, captivating musicals, dance performances, theatre and international films.

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

“A Song for Louis” by various artists

Celebrating the life and legacy of local jazz icon Louis Soliano, the Singapore jazz community comes together to perform “A Song for Louis” – an expression of their gratitude and admiration for his musical kinship and gifts. Each musical guest will select and perform a song that tells a story of their appreciation for the man of the evening.

“The Rhythm of Us” by the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) & the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO)

A long-awaited performance by two of Singapore’s pre-eminent arts companies, “The Rhythm of Us” is a transcendent evening of dance and music for these uncertain times. “The Rhythm of Us” marks an exciting collaboration between Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) – one bound to delight fans and new audiences as the companies break new ground in this cross-disciplinary concert.

“SIFA On Demand: Sound Social Series” 

Delve into Singapore’s sound art scene with four of its cutting-edge artists Planeswalker, Zul Mahmod, Weish of .gif, and Marc Gabriel Loh. This series explores the ever-mutable soundscapes these artists can create, through technical wizardry, unconventional performing techniques, or organic instrument building such as:

“Did you want more sleep?” by Weish of .gif and Marc Gabriel Loh

“Did you want more sleep?” marries sound and visuals with text to present a fun, unexpected take on live performance broadcasts. Presenting brand new songs inspired by Weish’s complicated relationship with sleep, the set takes the audience through a journey by turns manic and tender, funny and horrific. Directed and designed by Marc Gabriel Loh and produced by Very Crafty Films, the piece interrogates our relationship with our subconscious and with reality.

“Entity” by Planeswalker

A sonic-visual performance that explores micro and macro realities, “Entity” presents glimpses that mirror the instabilities of our times. Be immersed in a landscape of virtual symbols as the performance invites audiences into a temporal and hallucinatory environment.

“Of Nature and Technology” by Zul Mahmod

“Of Nature and Technology” works with discarded old tree branches and electronic circuits to create intriguing sound sculptures. Join Artist Zul Mahmod as he re-creates and performs some of these sound sculptures using driftwoods found in Singapore.

THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES

“The Commission” by Pangdemonium, Singapore Repertory Theatre, and Wild Rice

A play about a play within a play, and all the shenanigans that come into play in the making of the play, “The Commission” pulls back the curtain to reveal the human beings behind the producer, the director, and the actor. “The Commission” is essentially a sharp satire on theatre-making in a pandemic and an irreverent look at the unlikely collaboration of three wildly different Singaporean artistic directors.

“Three Sisters” by Nine Years Theatre (Singapore) and SITI Company (USA)

“Three Sisters”, by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, stands as one of the most outstanding plays of his career. Olga, Masha, and Irina – the titular sisters – fritter away their lives in a provincial town, while they dream of returning to the cosmopolitan city where they grew up. The award-winning ensembles of Singapore’s Nine Years Theatre and the SITI Company from New York join hands to present this hybrid retelling of Anton Chekhov’s classic play, “ Three Sisters”.

“The Year of No Return” by The Necessary Stage

A ground-breaking interdisciplinary collaboration with artists from Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, “The Year of No Return” by Singapore theatre company – The Necessary Stage – seeks to unravel the complications and contradictions in humanity’s responses to climate change. This hybrid production incorporating live performance and video presentation seeks to question whether we live in an age of despair—or one of hope in the dark.

“OIWA – The Ghost of Yotsuya” by The Finger Players

Based on blood-tingling real-life events and historical figures from the Edo period, the tale of Oiwa – a jilted wife who haunts her murderer – continues to reverberate through its countless adaptations. With an innovative ensemble of puppeteers and actors, this age-old Japanese ghost story of betrayal and revenge is magically reinvented by Singapore’s The Finger Players.

“A Dream Under The Southern Bough: Existence” by Toy Factory Productions TOY肥料厂

When you’re stuck in a dream that seems larger than life, blurring the boundaries between imagination and your existence, what do you do? Toy Factory’s ambitious redevelopment of Tang Xianzu’s 16th-century epic culminates in “A Dream Under The Southern Bough: Existence” at the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2021. Marrying a classic play written in the Ming Dynasty with contemporary sensibilities, “Existence” is sure to be an extravaganza epic.

“_T0701_” by Zeugma

Conceived by Zeugma, a collective made up of Rizman Putra, Safuan Johari, Brandon Tay, and Zulfadli Rashid (Big), “_T0701_” exudes wit and originality the collective is known for. With its existential themes around survival, ethics, and modern life, along with a mix of virtual reality and storytelling panache, “_T0701_” is a dark and entertaining ride not to be missed.

FILM PERFORMANCES

“The Wandering” by SAtheCollective & Pōtocol 

Something has gone wrong for a typical Singaporean family. After a man loses his job and the respect of his wife and teenage son, he tries to reconnect with his family by taking them on a trip to visit a childhood haunt. Now abandoned and falling apart, the place is nothing like he thought it would be—especially not the ghosts of his past lying in wait.  Scored and inspired by SAMSARA, the latest album from SAtheCollective, “The Wandering” is a sensitive reflection of a family in crisis. 

Ticket access for individual titles retails at S$15, while the value-added All Access Bundle ticket gives you access to any of the content listed above is priced at S$60. For more information on ticketing deals, kindly visit: https://www.sifa.sg/ticketing/ticket-deals or visit https://www.sifa.sg/vod

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