09 Contents Director's Message
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The Arts House is managed by Arts House Ltd 08/ twenty fourteen 09 CONTENTS DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE 02 SINGAPORE STORIES We turn 50 next year. It’s hard not to get caught up in all the frenzy and slate of activities that are building up now to mark the 05 FESTIVAL milestone. Well, that’s next August. This August, as we celebrate our 49th year of independence, we decided to take a step back and instead ponder about the “biography” of Singapore. 06 LITERARY ARTS We could look at our country’s biography as comprising all 12 FILM the stories of people who have lived here. These accounts would contribute to a rich, fascinating tapestry of our different histories and lives intertwined together. The book Singapore: A 04 15 MUSIC SILVER WRITING: WRITE YOUR LIFE STORY Biography takes us through Singapore’s past – from the 1300s to 1965 – through the personal accounts of people who actually 20 DANCE lived through them then. The book draws on ancient chronicles, eyewitness accounts, oral histories and even modern radio and television broadcasts to weave together life in Singapore over 21 THEATRE the past centuries. Taking off from this premise, we present Singapore Stories, a series of three programmes that capture 08 22 VISUAL ARTS lives of people in modern Singapore. The programmes are Full NEW WORD ORDER Disclosure: The Auto/Biography Forum; (Re)Discovering Donald FEATURING LEE HUI MIN 23 OTHER EVENTS Moore: Singapore’s Arts Pioneer; and Silver Writing: Write Your 李慧敏 Own Story. 29 5 QUESTIONS WITH Full Disclosure (page 2) is the first forum of its kind here. We DON GEORGE are always fascinated by the lives of the rich and famous. Memoirs and biographies (authorised or otherwise) give us a 09 30 DONALD MOORE glimpse into their world. However, this forum “digs out” not the AUGUST LITERARY titillating aspects, but rather strands of stories of Singaporeans GATHERINGS – both prominent and ordinary – that make up a complex and OF TROPICAL 32 EVENT LISTINGS LITERATURE & ART multifaceted understanding of our country. There are many CLUB figures who have slipped through the cracks of history, and one 34 SHOP & DINE of them is Donald Moore. He was a one-man arts empire and AT THE ARTS HOUSE advocate in Singapore from 1947 to 1976. Yet his passion drove him to bankruptcy and he left Singapore with only £250 in his 37 ABOUT THE ARTS HOUSE pocket. We pay tribute to this forgotten arts pioneer (page 3), 20 who had helped to shape our arts scene today. SINGAPORE We need to keep collecting our stories and memories as we INTERNATIONAL continue to grow as a country. Hence, we invite our senior STORYTELLING FESTIVAL 27 citizens to join the Silver Writing: Write Your Life Story workshop (SISF) CONTEMPLATION (page 4). They will learn how to write their autobiography, and *HOUSE PROGRAMMES pen down their experiences that would form a piece of the Singapore biography. This would be the best gift to the country. Happy birthday, Singapore! All information is correct at the time of print. Every reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information within, hence, Arts House Limited (AHL) cannot accept responsibility for errors and/or omissions however caused. Every effort has been made William Phuan to identify copyright holders. We deeply regret that if, despite our concerted efforts, any copyright holders have been overlooked or omitted. Opinions expressed in this publication Director do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or the official policy and position of AHL and The Arts House their related corporations. Any reproduction, retransmission, republication, or other use of all or part of this publication is expressly prohibited, unless prior written permission has been granted by AHL or the appropriate copyright owner. AHL reserves the right to make changes and modifications to the programme without prior notice. For updates, please visit our website at www.theartshouse.com.sg 1\37 FULL DISCLOSURE: (RE)DISCOVERING DONALD THE SINGAPORE AUTO/ MOORE: SINGAPORE’S BIOGRAPHY FORUM ARTS PIONEER Singapore Stories Singapore Singapore Stories Singapore Donald Moore (far right) with his wife Joanna Moore (far left) on one of their visits to Tokyo, when he hosted a dinner for major Japanese bookseller of foreign titles. presented by Biographies and autobiographies provide history from the Donald Moore (1923 – 2000) was one of the most colourful figures and presented by THE ARTS HOUSE individual point of view and often complement or contradict it. stalwart promoters of the publishing and arts industry in Singapore. THE ARTS HOUSE They personalise history as well as satisfy the human curiosity to Yet today he is largely forgotten and his legacy of work lost in history. Living Room know more about a person or persons. Over the last five years in Exhibition Singapore, many memoirs have been published and testify to a This August, we pay tribute to this arts pioneer and celebrate his life Blue Room and works in the first-ever major retrospective devoted to Moore. A 2 – 3 Aug, 10.30am – 5.30pm growing interest in the genre. 7 – 29 Aug, 10am – 8pm writer, publisher, theatre producer and impresario, Moore played a key Free admission role in filling the post-war cultural vacuum in Singapore and Malaya Free admission by registration at In a first forum of its kind in Singapore, we bring together those www.ticketmash.sg/bioforum between 1947-1976. His 30-year devotion to the arts unfortunately Singapore Through who have written about the lives of prominent and ordinary ended in finally in his bankruptcy and he left for England with his family Moore’s Lens Singaporeans, all of whose stories woven together create the with only £250 in his pocket. Print & Film Gallery tapestry of life on this little red dot. This event will be a series of 7 – 29 Aug, 10am – 10pm in-conversation talks, panel discussions and workshops. The exhibition brings together all the different facets of Moore’s far- Free admission reaching career to not only honour his legacy, but also capture his Panel Discussion: Come meet and hear the stories of local writers including passion and love for books and the arts. As part of the exhibition – Examining the Legacy of Constance Singam, Hidayah Amin, Josephine Chia, Katherine Singapore Through Moore’s Lens – a collection of photographs taken by Moore during his life in Singapore will also be displayed. Donald Moore Seow, Robert Yeo and Vernetta Lopez. Living Room Join us for a panel discussion, Examining the Legacy of Donald 7 Aug, 7.30pm This event is curated by The Arts House and writer Robert Yeo. Moore, on 7 Aug with the children of Moore and his associates Free admission by registration in Singapore, including writer Robert Yeo and publisher Goh Eck at www.ticketmash.com/dm- Kheng, as they talk about his legacy, life, and the impact of his paneldiscussion career on Singapore. Join us as we toast our nation this August with three special programmes that tell our Singapore Stories – Full Disclosure: The Singapore Auto/Biography Forum (2 – 3 Aug), a forum on memoirs and confessions; (Re) This exhibition is organised with support from the advisory committee Discovering Donald Moore: Singapore’s Arts Pioneer (7 – 29 Aug), a major retrospective on a forgotten historical comprising Goh Eck Kheng, Lai Chee-Kien, Tan Dan Feng, Robert figure; and Silver Writing: Write Your Life Story (16 Aug – 11 Oct), an 8-week workshop for the silver hair Yeo, Verner Bickley; and from the National Archives of Singapore. generation to learn how to write their autobiography. With special thanks to the Moore Family. 37\2 3\37 presented by NATIONAL BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL OF SINGAPORE SILVER WRITING: official venue THE ARTS HOUSE SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL WRITE YOUR LIFE STORY STORYTELLING FESTIVAL This September, the Singapore International Storytelling Festival (SISF) plays host to renowned storytellers from around the world. Diverse tellers will enchant audiences with folktales, myths, and adapted stories in their unique styles at the longest-running Asian storytelling festival. Festival EYES, EARS, MOUTH, NOSE: EXCITING STORIES FOR THE FAMILY Screening Room \ 23 Aug, 3pm \ $20; $10 Tickets are available at Singapore Stories Singapore sisf2014eyesearsmouthnose.eventbrite.sg Be part of the longest-running Asian storytelling festival! Imagine if you could see far, far away. Or what do you do if you forget what you heard? What happens if your mouth gets you into trouble? Come and put your nose into the affairs of the characters in our stories for families, and hear how each of them manages, or doesn’t! This is a pre-festival event. SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL (SISF) presented by Silver Writing: Write Your Life Story is an eight-week workshop for The Arts House \ 1 – 9 Sep, 9am – 10pm \ Various pricing THE ARTS HOUSE senior citizens who are interested in writing their autobiographies. Tickets available at www.eventbrite.com in collaboration with Featuring family-friendly performances, SISF 2014 will showcase U 3RD AGE Organised by The Arts House and in collaboration with U 3rd Age (University of the Third Age), the weekly workshops allow Korean pansori storytelling and the Urdu dastangoi tradition, told (UNIVERSITY OF THE in English for the first time. National Storyteller Laureate UK Katrice THIRD AGE) participants to explore different life themes that have been influential in shaping their lives. They will write two pages on each theme at Horsley will wow audiences from a range of over 300 stories, and Italian storytelling group Raccontamiunastoria presents the Various rooms home and bring their writings to share in a small group. Participants will learn skills in creative writing and how to shape and structure Asian premiere of Angerona: The Secret Name of Rome, a tale of blood and honour.