PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION

Corporate Communications Division 9, King George’s Avenue Singapore 208582 Tel: (65) 6340 5430/5432/2032 Fax: (65) 6348 5977 Website: www.pa.gov.sg

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

19 July 2017

MORE THAN 10 PARTNERS INCLUDING THREE TEMPLES COMING TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE ARTS AND CULTURE OF THE DIFFERENT SUB-ETHNIC GROUPS IN THE SINGAPORE INDIAN COMMUNITY

‘Festivals within Festival’ kicks off with the inaugural PAssionArts Indian Traditional Arts Festival featuring a special musical (with live orchestra) and an outdoor art and culture exhibition

Festivals within Festival

The ‘Festivals within Festival’ initiative was introduced as part of the main PAssionArts Festival 2017 to focus on promoting cross-cultural appreciation and strengthening our collective cultural identity through the arts. Four ‘Festivals within Festival’ have been installed under this year’s PAssionArts Festival. Except for the Chinese Opera Festival which was presented the second time, the other three festivals as follows are presented for the first-time: a. PAssionArts Indian Traditional Arts Festival; b. PAssionArts Malay Traditional Arts Festival; and c. National Day Photography Exhibition: Scenes of Singapore Streets 2017

The PAssionArts Indian Traditional Arts Festival

2 The inaugural PAssionArts Indian Traditional Arts Festival will be held on Saturday, 22 July 2017 from 5.00pm to 9.00pm at Ci Yuan Community Club (CC). It will bring residents and visitors on board an exploratory journey to learn about the rich Indian culture and performing arts of the different sub-ethnic groups of the Indian community in Singapore, through an outdoor Indian traditional art and culture display and an engaging, specially-choreographed musical-storytelling journey, accompanied by a live orchestra. 1

3 The musical narrates the rich heritage of the different sub-ethnic origins of the local Indian community and appreciates how the rich Indian traditions and traditional arts have been preserved in our multi-cultural society. The musical will be enhanced by various Indian traditional musical instruments and performances such as:

a) Nadaswaram Music (a traditional South Indian classical instrument that is the world’s loudest non-brass acoustic instruments);

b) Deepanjali (a traditional Indian “Light” );

c) Jughal Bandhi (An extensive performance in Indian classical music with the accompaniment of traditional percussion drums of India);

d) Classical and Folk Dance (showcase different elements and sub-groups of Indian culture, from Malayalee, Tamil, Telugu to Punjabi); and many more.

4 The PAssionArts Indian Traditional Arts Festival is jointly organised by the Ang Mo Kio- Hougang Community Arts and Culture Club, NARPANI, four Indian Activities Executive Committee (IAEC) and nine other non-PA partners including three temples (e.g. Central Sikh Temple, Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple and Sri Darma Muneeswaran Temple). Please refer to Annex A for the full list of partners and activities.

5 The Festival Organising Committee cordially invites your journalist, camera crew and photographer to join the festivities at PAssionArts Indian Traditional Arts Festival on Saturday, 22 July, 6.30pm at Ci Yuan Community Club.

6 For more details on photo/footage opportunities, refer to the programme at Annex A. Interviews with Tamil speaking participants can be arranged onsite and ahead of time.

7 Please RSVP with Ms Jiayi Lim via email: [email protected] or contact number 9831 6890 by Friday, 21 July 2017, 5.00pm.

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8 Event details are as follows:

Date : Saturday, 22 July 2017 Time : 5.00pm to 9.00pm (Media Registration at 6.00pm)

Venue : Ci Yuan Community Club 51 Hougang Avenue 9, #01-01 Singapore 538776 (See Annex B for map of the location)

Contact persons : Mr Vincent Chia Head (Special Projects) HP: 9889 7842 Email: [email protected]

Ms Jiayi Lim HP: 9831 6890 Email: [email protected]

Issued by : Corporate Communications Division People’s Association Tel: 6340 5430, 6340 5432, 6238 2032

About People’s Association

The People’s Association (PA) is a statutory board established on 1 July 1960 to promote racial harmony and social cohesion, and to act as a bridge between the Government and the people. We offer a wide range of community programmes and volunteering opportunities for Singaporeans from all walks of life. Our network includes more than 1,800 grassroots organisations (GROs), over 100 Community Clubs, five Community Development Councils, National Community Leadership Institute and Water-Venture. More information at www.pa.gov.sg.

About the Programme

Our mission is to inspire different communities through collective quality arts and culture experience, for residents to celebrate, build and grow meaningful relationships to make friends and build our sense of home. Connect with us through www.facebook.com/PAssionArts.Sg.

Bringing arts and culture to everyone, everywhere, everyday!

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Annex A

PAssionArts Festival 2017 Festivals within the Festival – Indian Traditional Arts Festival

Saturday, 22 July 2017 5.00pm to 9.00pm Ci Yuan Community Club 51 Hougang Avenue 9, #01-01, Singapore 538776

PROGRAMME

Time Description

5.00pm Commencement of Outdoor Exhibition

Organising Partners include: Indian Heritage Centre, Central Sikh Temple, Society of the Youth for Artistic Music Appreciation (SYAMA), NUS Hindu Society, Maharashtra Mandal, etc.

6.40pm Opening Performance by Society of the Youth for Artistic Music Appreciation (SYAMA)

6.45pm Arrival of Grassroots Adviser Mr Darryl David, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC

6.50pm Tour of Exhibition

7.15pm Adviser joins in Indian Traditional Dance

7.25pm Adviser and Guests proceed to Performance Theatre on Level 2

7.35pm Commencement of Indian Traditional Arts Musical

 Vinayaka Sthuthi (Nadaswaram Music, an instrument that is played in the homes and temples during important functions such as wedding, celebrations and festivals)

 Deepanjali (A lamp dance that resembles the lighting up of lamps in Indian homes during various festivals and celebrations)

 Yoga (A group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India)

 Mohini Attam (Mohini Attam is one of two classical of India that was developed and remains popular in the state of Kerala)

 Kaikottikali (Kaikottikali is an extremely popular folk dance performed by the maidens of Kerala. It is a group dance and is mainly performed on the occasion of Onam and Thiruvathira)

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Time Description

(A major genre of that originated in . Traditionally, Bharatanatyam has been a solo dance that was performed exclusively by women, and expressed Hindu religious themes and spiritual ideas)

 Kavadi And Mayilattam (Dancers wearing peacock feathers dance to a celebrative rhythm traditionally perform by the Tamil Nadu, with background visuals of Kavadi processions on the hill sides.)

(Tarangam) (It originated from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kuchipudi is a dance-drama performance art, with its roots in the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text of )

 Village Harvest Dance Using Winnows (Folk Dance)

(The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathakars or storytellers)

 Dandiya (traditional folk dance form of Gujarat & Rajasthan India, and is associated with scenes of Holi, and lila of Krishna and Radha at Vrindavan)

 Jugalbandhi (A performance in Indian classical music, especially the Hindustani classical music, that features a duet of two solo musicians)

 Thillana (A rhythmic piece in Carnatic music that is generally performed at the end of a concert and widely used in classical Indian dance performances)

Performing Partners include: Rhythm Aesthetic Society, The Hindi Society Singapore, Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniyar Temple, Sri Darma Muneeswaran Temple, etc.

9.00pm End of Event

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Annex B

PAssionArts Festival 2017 ‘Festivals within Festival’ – Indian Traditional Arts Festival

Saturday, 22 July 2017 5.00pm to 9.00pm Ci Yuan Community Club 51 Hougang Avenue 9, #01-01, Singapore 538776

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