Admission: Free
Commemorating 30 years of bringing arts and culture closer to Singaporeans, the National Arts Council (NAC) is bringing the well-loved Arts in Your Neighbourhood (AYN) to several towns this November. This edition of AYN will cast the spotlight on five neighbourhoods and more including Bukit Merah, Jurong, Marine Parade, Serangoon and Tampines, each with their distinct charm and stories to tell. Taking place from 11 – 28 November, AYN will bring quality and diverse arts experiences to everyone at their doorsteps and in the comforts of their homes with an engaging line-up of interactive and family-friendly arts programmes.
Presented in a blend of physical and digital programmes, AYN features a total of 20 arts programmes including pop-up installations, interactive art trails and online performances that celebrate the stories of the residents within these neighbourhoods. As everyday spaces are transformed into art canvases, the public will be invited to reimagine what the heartlands could look like in Tales Under the Neon Trees or trace the development of Jurong from its humble swamp origins to the manufacturing hub it is today in the art trail, A Fisherman’s Dream..
Working with various partners, AYN presents opportunities for communities to express their creativity and co-create works with artists. Members of the public can look forward to exploring Serangoon’s rich histories – from lost trades and names, to memories of its residents – on the audio-visual arts trail Lost & Found: Serangoon, or add their feathered creations to a digital aviary inspired by bird singing competitions that once brought life to local communities in The Bird Colouring Social Club.
Some of the key highlights from the AYN November 2021 programme line-up include:
Tales Under The Neon Trees by A’shua Imran, Jaxton Su, Shauna Goh
11 – 28 November
Our Tampines Hub
11 – 24 November
NEX
Whether it is around a campfire or a dining table, communities have gathered to share stories for centuries. Experience this age-old practice in urban spaces under neon lights with two unique installations featuring visual stories created by students from Zhonghua Secondary School and Ngee Ann Secondary School. Enjoy the animated videos (including imagined realities plagued by dragons and nuclear disasters), masks you can ‘try on’ with Augmented Reality, and photographs that celebrate the neighbourhoods of Serangoon and Tampines. Can’t make it to the physical installations? Explore the accompanying online exhibition and connect with the art and stories from anywhere in the world.
The Bird Colouring Social Club by Kronoscapes
11 – 28 November, Jurong Lake Gardens, Entrance Pavilion
11 – 16 November, 50A Marine Terrace (Open Plaza beside Market & Food Centre)
19 – 28 November, Braddell Heights Community Hub
Calling the young and young at heart! Don’t miss the chance to have your coloured artworks featured in AYN’s first digital aviary. Gather in celebration of our feathered friends in this exhibition inspired by the bird singing competitions and clubs that gave communities a reason to come together in the 1960s. Join us in bringing the area to life – just as bird singing once did for HDB void decks and open fields. Simply colour in pages that feature Singapore’s garden and urban birds, have your finished works scanned, and spot your creation in 3D in the exhibition’s digital aviary.
Livelyyy x Extra Ordinary by Guillaumit (France) and Mary Bernadette Lee (Singapore)
11 – 28 November
Our Tampines Hub
Step into a different dimension as two interactive wall murals – Livelyyy by French artist Guillaumit and Extra Ordinary by Singapore-based artist Mary Bernadette Lee – come to life with Augmented Reality (AR). Immerse yourself in reimagined landscapes inspired by natural wonders nestled in the neighbourhoods of Singapore and France. Help plants to grow and keep insects in a virtual garden through AR games as you consider the fragility of nature and experience how the artists influence each other to create new 3D variants of flowers, plants and more.
As you return to the hustle of daily life, we hope you’re inspired to pause and appreciate the wonders and strength of ‘ordinary’ ecosystems and communities around you. Livelyyy is a creation by Guillaumit, supported and produced by Electroni[k], in co-production with Le Safran (Safra’Numériques Festival). This programme is supported by the Embassy of France in Singapore, as part of vOilah! France Singapore Festival 2021.
A Fisherman’s Dream by Tell Your Children
11 – 28 November
Various locations in Jurong East
Explore the rich history of Jurong with fresh eyes on this vibrant self-guided arts trail! Trace the evolution of the former fishing village from the swamp to the IT and manufacturing hub it has become today. Let quiet walls surprise you as original and colourful artworks bring the stories to life. Discover lesser-known histories and tales as you take a walk through Jurong this November.
Lost & Found: Serangoon by Pearlyn Cai and Hoo Kuan Cien
Guided trails: 13, 20, 27 November
Various locations in Serangoon
Experience Serangoon on this audio-visual arts trail that begins with a long-lost pet bird. Through a mix of original music, stories and moving images, uncover rich histories and the memory scape of its residents. Recollect and reimagine a place that means so much to so many. As you move between the neighbourhood’s past and present, what gets lost along the way? What will you find?
The trail will take 1.5 – 2 hours on foot and is recommended for ages 10 and up. Participants are required to bring their own devices to participate in the trail. The trail can be experienced as a self-guided or guided trail.
About AYN:
AYN introduces innovative uses of technology in its offerings, creating multi-faceted arts experiences for audiences. Participants can use Augmented Reality (AR) to “grow” a garden mural in Livelyyy x Extra Ordinary, or search for a missing Karang Guni man in A Collection of Things: Serangoon. AYN can also be experienced online where audiences can reminisce the Kampung Spirit with new works by the Singapore Lyric Opera, or marvel at animations by Jerrold Chong and Mark Wee inspired by the growth of Singapore’s diverse arts scene. For those who have missed past editions, nine online music, dance, and theatre performances inspired by the communities of Bukit Panjang, Kallang/Geylang,
Pasir Ris, Punggol and Tampines, will be brought back for an encore.
National Arts Council, Singapore; www.nac.gov.sg .
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