PLAY ON AT SINGAPORE’S LARGEST NOCTURNAL EXPERIENCE
The Singapore Night Festival (SNF) returns to the Bras Basah.Bugis (BBB) precinct for its 15th edition this year, bigger than ever! Happening from 23 August – 7 September 2024, the festival will take place over three weekends for the first time. Organised by the National Heritage Board (NHB), and supported by Lead Sponsor Samsung Singapore, Singapore’s largest nocturnal experience takes festival-goers on a journey to explore and learn about the rich history of the precinct, with over 50 programmes including projection mapping artworks, performances, Festival Villages, Night Lights installations and partner programmes.
Inspired by the historical significance of BBB as the birthplace of some of Singapore’s first schools, including Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ), St. Joseph’s Institution and Tao Nan School, the theme of this year’s festival explores the Art of Play. Illuminating the precinct’s rich educational history are engaging and immersive artworks which deep dive into the concept of play and childhood, bringing BBB’s heritage to life through participative experiences.
Since its inception, SNF has been a key platform in inspiring the growth of Singapore’s arts and heritage scene while working with diverse stakeholders such as artists, both local and regional, and BBB partners. This year, festival-goers will have an extra weekend to explore offerings throughout the precinct, coupled with the activation of new spots within BBB such as GR.iD, for the new late-night Festival Village, and Bugis Street Art Lane which is a new site hosting a Night Lights artwork. Additionally, SNF will be presenting four Festival Villages this year, each featuring a different identity, offering festival-goers lively communal hubs as part of their festival experience. The festival’s expansion is made possible with the strong support of SNF partners, which are more than 60 this year.
Festival Director David Chew said, “The team is excited to bring back Singapore’s largest nocturnal experience to the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct once again. We are grateful for our partners who have worked with us across the many editions of SNF, enabling us to expand the festival into three weekends, for the first time, for its 15th edition. Centred around the Art of Play, SNF 2024 explores the concept of play, childhood and nostalgia, which the BBB precinct lends the perfect backdrop to with its rich educational history – as the site of a number of Singapore’s first schools, and even now continues to be home to newer educational institutions. With more Festival Villages, new artwork locations and interactive art installations this round, we hope that festival-goers can fully immerse themselves in the festival experience, while ruminating on the place of nostalgia and heritage in today’s world.”
Prepare to be transported to the whimsically charming amusement parks of Singapore’s yesteryears as local contemporary artist Sam Lo “SKL0” presents Wonder World – The Machine of Nostalgia. This captivating experience reimagines the entrancing magic of 1950s “great world” amusement parks in Singapore, inviting visitors to ponder the co-existence and balance between preserving heritage and embracing modernity, and the place of nostalgia in today’s society. This was absolutely amazing as it brought back many memories for us, during those wonder years and the rides are truly reminiscent of that period... to see it come alive at the Dhoby Ghaut venue is brilliant!
What is an amusement park without amusements? Wonder World invites all to immerse themselves in a nostalgic wonderland, complete with rides, game stalls, nostalgic trades and even a wrestling ring where festival-goers can witness a unique fusion between wrestling performances and poetry performances, featuring iconic characters from Singapore’s past, among other live performances on the Wonder World grounds. Festival-goers can also win (or if all else fails, buy!) something to commemorate their visit at the Meritocratic Gift Shop, which features game stalls that challenge achievement-focused culture, before jumping into a quirky experience at The Bizarre Bazaar, where trades of the past are reimagined for modern consumers.
Visitors can check our the billboard featuring murals by Sam Lo “SKL0” and local artists Djohan Hanapi, Ben Qwek/LABSIXFIVE, Kristal Melson and New World Plaza. Presenting artworks are set in an alternate 1950s universe and inspired by Samsung’s Galaxy AI, inviting festival-goers to reimagine a divergent path and consider the possibilities and implications of a world shaped by innovative technologies during our growing years.
Early bird ticket sales for Wonder World – The Machine of Nostalgia will run from 17 July to 17 August 2024, at $20. Tickets will go at $25 from 18 August to 7 September 2024.
Night Lights will once again transform everyday spaces around the BBB precinct with 10 site-specific luminous installations, inspired by the concept of play. At Stamford Arts Centre (SAC), The Happiest Days of Our Lives by Rizman Putra evokes childhood nostalgia as it showcases images from the early 60s-90s with the vintage illustrations. Inspired by SAC’s long history as home to various educational institutions, this blacklight immersive mural aims to transport festival-goers into a vibrant neon realm that pays homage to the bygone eras.
At Bugis Street Art Lane, a new location for SNF, Delulu High by Pop Glitterfreak Collective reimagines tough school memories into a vibrant, safe and reflective haven for all to enjoy. Inspired by the inner child in all of us, along with our shared hopes and dreams, this creative installation transforms a lively gymnasium space – often perceived as a tough and heavy environment – into a place that is light, soft and feminine. Right after, festival-goers can explore the Disco Bus and Affirmation Steps, both designed to reimagine the dreaded aspects of school into playful and healing experiences.
CHIJMES will come alive with four captivating works that are part of the SNF Projection Masterclass led by Shakir (a.k.a Grasshopper), a Malaysian multimedia digital artist and a co-founder of Filamen, an art collective specialising in projection mapping, light installations and interactive projects. Annually, as part of SNF’s capability building initiatives, SNF selects up to four artists with limited projection mapping experience to join the Projection Masterclass Series. This series includes multiple training sessions designed to introduce and equip participants with fundamental projection mapping techniques. This year’s four featured artists are Yanyun Chen, Rachaodoodles, Aaah House and deniseardenise.
For more information on the festival or to book tickets, please visit http://go.gov.sg/sgnightfest.
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