M1SFF10 Sponsors' Report

8/14/2019 M1SFF10 Sponsors' Report

1/60

1

FESTIVAL REPORT


2/60

CONTENTS

Executive Summary[4]

Performance & Exhibition Details

[7]

Sponsors, Supporters & Partners[15]

Publicity & Marketing | Outreach[24]

Audience Feedback[45]

Fringe Team 2010[57]

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2011[58]

2


3/60

3

________ Can Changeby The Necessary Stage (Singapore)Photo credit: The Necessary Stage

For audiences tired of the mainstream, the M1 SingaporeFringe Festival promises to provide audiences with alternative

works that provoke and challenge.

-!"#$%!Lianhe Zaobao


4/60

Executive Summary

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival celebrated its 6

th

anniversary with the theme ART & THE LAW. TheFestival, which took place from 13 to 24 January 2010, presented 18 works from 10 countries includingBurma, the United States, Slovakia and Croatia. The Festival also commissioned 5 local artists and artscompanies including Albert Tiong, Teater Ekamatra and the Institute of Critical Zoologists.

For 2010, the Festival saw a resurgence of sorts, fillingup 73% of the total capacity. This is a vast increase of13% from 60% last year. We attribute this increase togreater confidence in the Festival, and a greater varietyin the programming.

In terms of programming, this was the festivals mosteclectic to date. From the wacky antics of TheatreGroup GUMBO (Japan) to the soulful performancepoetry of Bryonn Bain (USA) to the popular pop duo

&'(!katncandix2 (Taiwan), audiences were treatedto a smorgasbord of events, both free and ticketed atcity centre venues including The Esplanade, NationalMuseum of Singapore, ION Orchard, The Substationand Sculpture Square. All in all, the ticketed and freeevents reached out to an estimated 70,000 people.

Some performances, such as The Necessary Stages______ Can Change, Teater Ekamatras Bilik AhmadBerdaki, Bryonn Bain's Lyrics from Lockdown: We Are and So I Amand Theatre Group Gumbos JPsawfull houses. Many shows also received more than 80% attendance. The events were not just a hit withthe audiences but also with critics with positive reviews in the press and online.

The Official Opening of the Festival was held at IONOrchard on 14 January. Guests, which includedsponsors, partners and local personalities, were treatedto a sumptuous spread provided by The MarmaladePantry.

Publicity-wise, The Festival received unprecedentedmedia coverage, especially in The Straits Times, Todayand Channel News Asia. The latters PrimetimeMorning featured the Festival in 3 separate occasions.

The Festival was also featured on Channel 5 News,Channel 8 News and Singapore Tonight.

4

America the Gift Shop by Phillip Toledano(England)

Photo credit: The Necessary Stage

Opening Reception of the M1 Singapore FringeFestival 2010, 14 January at ION Art

Photo credit: The Necessary Stage


5/60

Marketing and publicity efforts were also enhanced with several above-the-line media such as OfficialMedia OKTO and Official Magazine Expat Living. The Festival also continued with relationship withofficial Blog Community, Nuffnang Asias first blog advertising community. Other partners includethe Singapore Tourism Board and JCDecaux, both of which provided very public and prominent

exposure to the Festival such as street banners and bus-stop advertisements. The Festival also enhancedour viral marketing efforts via engagement through social media including Facebook, Twitter and ourdedicated website. The increase in media interest and publicity is testimony to the Festivals deservedsignificance on the Singapore arts scene.

The different works in the Festival cohered verysuccessfully under the theme ART & THE LAW.

Whether the artists dealt with the theme head on tackling gritty issues of legalities with a sense ofambivalence or humour, the works engaged with theaudience and resonated with them. The presence of

Burma artist Htein Lin especially, and his workThe Scaleof Justice, was immensely profound in how his artreflected his life.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all oursponsors and partners. Without your enthusiasm andsupport, we would not have been able to achieve thisremarkable success for M1 Singapore Fringe Festival2010. We hope that you have found the Fringeexperience as rewarding as it has been for us curating

and presenting it.

In this report, we are honoured to share with you more information and statistics on Fringe 2010. Wewould love to hear your feedback and comments so that we can make next years Festival even moremeaningful to us and to our audience.

Heres to our future partnerships!

Alvin Tan & Haresh Sharma

Artistic DirectorsM1 Singapore Fringe Festival

5

)*+,- B612 (Our Own B612) by&'(!(katncandix2) (Taiwan)

Photo credit: Melissa Lim


6/60

6

Two Years in Aprilby Tamas Wells (Australia)Photo credit: Cui Renyu | Pocket Records

./01123456789:;?/@ABCDEFG;HI/@1234JKLMNOPQRS;

5PQTUVWXYZ.

The Fringe has always presented works with challenging and subversivecontent. With the theme of "Art and the Law" for next year's edition, a

number of the featured works are even more boldly encountering andinvestigating social taboos and posing challenges to social norms.

[!"#$%!Lianhe Zaobao


7/60

7

Bilik Ahmad Berdakiby Teater Ekamatra (Singapore)Photo credit: Izmir Ickbal

Performance &Exhibition

Details


8/60


8

Dates of Events

PERFORMANCE OR EXHIBITION DATES

Festival Highlights

__________ Can Change 13 17 Jan (6 performances)

21 22 Jan (2 performances)

America the Gift Shop 13 24 Jan

Live Fringe Theatre

JIWO JIRO 15 16 Jan (2 performances)

Bilik Ahmad Berdaki 23 24 Jan (3 performances)

Lyrics from Lockdown: We Are and So I Am 13 14 Jan (2 performances)

JP 21 22 Jan (2 performances)

Live Fringe Dance

The Passing 15 16 Jan (2 performances)

Missing Statement 22 23 Jan (2 performances)

M.E. 13 14 Jan (2 performances)

dolcissime sirene 15 16 Jan (2 performances)

Destination TRAFIK: Deer 17 18 Jan (2 performances)

\]+^-!B612Our Own B612)


9/60

9

JPby Theatre Group GUMBO (Japan)Photo credit: Iain Bond

PERFORMANCE OR EXHIBITION DATES

Sonic Fringe

Live Performance of Telepathy Dreams 23 Jan (1 performance doublebill)

Two Years in April 23 Jan (1 performance doublebill)

Fringe Gallery

A Guide to the Common Flora and Fauna of the World 7 24 Jan

The Scale of Justice 7 24 Jan

Last Meals 7 24 Jan

Border 13 24 Jan

TOTAL NO. OF WORKS 18

TOTAL NO. OF PERFORMANCES 28


10/60


10

PERFORMANCE OR EXHIBITION VENUE

Festival Highlights

__________ Can Change

Esplanade Recital Studio

America the Gift Shop ION Art Gallery, ION Orchard

Live Fringe Theatre

JIWO JIRO Esplanade Recital Studio

Bilik Ahmad Berdaki

Lyrics from Lockdown: We Are and So I Am The Substation Theatre

JP Esplanade Theatre Studio

Live Fringe Dance

The Passing Esplanade Theatre Studio

Missing Statement The Substation Theatre

M.E. Esplanade Theatre Studio

dolcissime sirene Esplanade Theatre Studio

Destination TRAFIK: Deer Esplanade Theatre Studio

Gallery Theatre, National Museum ofSingapore

\]+^-!B612Our Own B612)

Gallery Theatre, National Museum ofSingapore


11/60

11

A Guide to the Common Flora and Fauna of the Worldby Institute of CriticalZoologists (Singapore)

Photo credit: Institute of Critical Zoologists

PERFORMANCE OR EXHIBITION VENUES

Sonic Fringe

Live Performance of Telepathy Dreams Esplanade Recital Studio

Two Years in April Esplanade Recital Studio

Fringe Gallery

A Guide to the Common Flora and Fauna of the World

The Scale of Justice

Last Meals Esplanade Tunnel

Border The Chapel Gallery, Sculpture Square

TOTAL NO. OF VENUES 8

Esplanade Jendela (Visual ArtsSpace)



12/60


12

The Scale of Justiceby Htein Lin (Burma)Photo credit: Fadlin Saffri

Total Attendance Free Events

TITLE OF EVENT VENUE ATTENDANCE

ION Art, ION Orchard 18,000

10,800

Last Meals Esplanade Tunnel 36,000

Border 1,800

TOTAL ATTENDANCE (ESTIMATED) FREE EVENTS 66,600

America the Gift Shop

A Guide to the Flora and Fauna of the World |The Scale of Justice


The Chapel Gallery, SculptureSquare


13/60


Total Number of Artists Involved 144

Total Number of Works Curated 18

Total Number of New Works Commissioned 5

Total Attendance (Ticketed) 3,447

Total Attendance (Non-Ticketed) 66,600

Total Number of Audiences for the Festival 70,047

Total Percentage of House for Ticketed Shows 73.00%

13


14/60

14

dolcissime sireneby Debris Company (Slovakia)

Photo credit: Norbert Knap

Since its inauguration in 2005 as a modest festival drawing about30,000 people to a handful of events, the Fringe has grown to be

a valuable player in festival-rich Singapore.

- THE STRAITS TIMES LIFE!


15/60

15

Sponsors |

Supporters |Partners

M.E. by Compagnie Irene K (Belgium)

Photo credit: Bernd Paulitschke


16/60

Special Thanks

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival

Sponsors | Supporters | Partners

No. of Sponsors, Supporters & Partners 34

No. of Repeat Sponsors 21M1

Esplanade Theatres on the Bay

National Arts Council

Australian High Commission

National Museum of Singapore

The SubstationArts Fund

InFocus

JCDecaux

Fridae.com

First Printers Pte Ltd

IDP Media

AXA Insurance

fFurious

Gibson

Eclectic Audio

National University of Singapore University Scholars Programme

OKTO

Oxford Hotel

Nuffnang

Uniquely Singapore (Singapore Tourism Board)

16


17/60

No. of New Sponsors 7ION Orchard

ION Art

Sculpture Square

Kuo Pao Kun Foundation

Expat Living

CS Lite

QMarquis Square

17

Last Mealsby Jonathon Kambouris (USA)Photo credit: Jonathon Kambouris


18/60

No. of Repeat Partners 5NUS Centre For the Arts

OCBC Cards

Singapore Academy of Law

PAssion Card

Harry's @ Esplanade

No. of New Partners 1

Streetdirectory.com

18

Destinaton TRAFIK: Deerby TRAFIK (Transitive-Fiction Theatre) (Croatia)Photo credit: Drazen Sokcevic


19/60

Special Thanks

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival

Sponsors | Supporters | Partners

Title Sponsor

In Collaboration With

19


20/60

Supported By

20

Kuo Pao Kun

Foundation


21/60

21

CS Lite


22/60

Partners Special Thanks

NUS Centre For the Arts Marmalade Pantry

OCBC Cards All the Fringe interns and volunteers

PAssion Card The media and press for their

Singapore Academy of Law continued support

Harry's @ Esplanade

Streetdirectory.com

22

Official Magazine Official HotelOfficial TV Station

Official Blog Community Held in


23/60

23

The Passingby Albert Tiong (Singapore)Photo credit: Frontier Danceland | Justin Koh

"... I'm quite impressed by this Fringe edition's eclectic nature."

- TODAY's FOR ART'S SAKE!

A good alternative to more mainstream fare, Singapore's annual M1Singapore Fringe Festival offers an interesting and varied programme.

- THE ECONOMIST.COM


24/60

24

Publicity &Marketing |

Outreach

JIWO JIRO by Najib Soiman (Singapore)Photo credit: Mohd Fared Jainal


25/60

Publicity & Marketing

List of Publicity Materials

Publicity Material / Avenue Description

Print

Programme booklets

50,000 copies | A4 size | 26 pages

(4 designs, each with 12,500 copies)

50,000 booklets were distributed to all SISTICauthorised agents, community libraries, M1 stores,secondary schools, international schools, tertiaryinstitutions, arts schools, arts venues, embassies and

cultural organisations, cafes, restaurants, clubs, andentertainment and retail outlets around Singapore. TheEsplanade mailed copies of the programme booklets totheir mailing list. Expat Living assisted in disseminatedthe programme booklets at their external events.Singapore Tourism Board also assisted in distributingprogramme booklets through their regional tourismoffices abroad and information desks in Singapore.

Flyers

26,000 copies | DL size | 6 panels

DL flyers advertising the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival2010 were distributed at various arts venues anddissemination points islandwide. The majority of theseflyers were disseminated by Expat Living to theirsubscription base of 18,000.

Programme leaflets for allproductions and exhibitions

50,000 copies | A5 size | 4-8 pages

50,000 copies of in-house designed and printedprogramme leaflets about each work and artist weredistributed at all performances and exhibitions.

M1 bill listings The Festival was advertised on prime spots in all M1customers' bill print-outs in November 2009 to informthem of the Early Bird discounts.

25


26/60


Print

Esplanade Diary All M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2010 events at theEsplanade were included in The Esplanade Diary for

January March 2009, with 160,000 disseminatedislandwide from end-November 2009.

National Museum of Singaporeprogramme booklet

Bilik Ahmad Berdakiwere included in the NationalMuseum's programme booklet for January February2010, disseminated islandwide from December 2009.

Expat Living advertisements 2 full-page advertisements were included in the

December 2009 and January 2010 issues. A Headlinesinsert was included in the October 2009 issue toannounce the Early Bird promotions for the Festival.

OCBC Inclusion of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival in thebilling inserts for all credit card bills for November andDecember 2009.

Listing in the ASK OCBC Tabloids (October toDecember 2009 issue and January to March 2010 issue)in both English and Mandarin.

SISTIC Run-on-PrintAdvertisements

2 full-page SISTIC Run-on-Print advertisements werefeatured in the December 2009 and January 2010SISTIC Entertainment Guides, available at allauthorised SISTIC agents islandwide.

Artzone advertisements 1 full-page advertisement was featured in theNovember 2008 issue of Artzone.

26

Borderby Hans Op de Beeck (Belgium)Photo credit: Hans Op de Beeck


27/60


Print

Arts Beat Listings Dedicated listings under the category of M1 SingaporeFringe Festival for January 2010 issue, with a blurb onthe Festival on the cover page.

Programme Booklet for Bilik AhmadBerdakiin Kuala Lumpur

Full-page A5-sized advertisement for the Festival in theprogramme booklet ofBilik Ahmad Berdakiby TeaterEkamatra, staged in Kuala Lumpur Performing ArtsCentre in December 2010.

Outdoor & On-Site Advertising

JCDecaux bus stop advertisementsfor the Festival

99 bus stop posters (shelter lights, shelter columns and6-sheets) advertising M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2009

were displayed at bus stops around the island fromDecember 2009 to January 2010.

Arts & Heritage District streetbanners

36 street banners were displayed along Stamford Road,Waterloo Street, Old Parliament Lane and VictoriaStreet.

ION Orchard Media Screens The Festival TVC was screened at ION Orchard's

outdoor media screens from 21 27 December 2009and 13 19 January 2010, with a total of 1,008 spots.

Esplanade on-site marketingcollaterals

Banners, floor stickers, directional signages, andposterboards of various sizes were displayed at venuesin and around the Esplanade, such as the Box Office,Bus stop, Concourse and Foyer.

The Festival TVC was also screened on on-site plasmascreens.

National Museum of Singapore on-site marketing collaterals

1 ad panel for Bilik Ahmad Berdakiwas displayed at theNational Museum of Singapore during the festival.

The Festival TVC was also screened on on-site plasmascreens.

We had a great time and everything for the Fringe seemed so incredibly professionally put together- wewere very impressed !!

! Tamas Wells

27


28/60


Online Advertising & Marketing

ION Orchard directional posters 2 A1-sized directional signages aboutAmerica the Gift

Shop were displayed at concierge desks at IONOrchard.

City Square Mall Poster Placements 5 A1-sized posters advertising the Festival weredisplayed at City Square Mall from October 2009 to

January 2010.

Fringe Festival website A dedicated Festival website was created atwww.singaporefringe.com, generating an astounding101,085 unique page views and 26,786 visits from 13October 2009 to 24 January 2010.

Facebook Group for M1 SingaporeFringe Festival 2010

A dedicated Facebook group was created, with regularevent invitations, updates and discussions.

Twitter Account for M1 SingaporeFringe Festival 2010

A dedicated Twitter account was created, with regularevent updates, contest giveaways, blurbs, discussionsand recommendations, as well as uploads of previewand review articles.

Electronic Direct Mailers (EDMs) 19 unique EDMs were sent to a total mailing list of100,000. The mailing list comprised databases of local

and international partners of The Necessary Stage,SISTIC, embassies, sponsors, partners and venues,schools, The Necessary Stage's Volunteer E-Group andthe Arts Community E-Group.

Genre-specific EDMs were sent to targeted groupssuch as educators and students.

Daily Whats-On listings in text were sent via email toarts mailing lists during the Festival.

Online contests were organised via EDMs.

WAP site on M1 Information about the Fringe was available via M1sWAP site to all subscribers.

Esplanade online support Advertising banner spaces on the Esplanade's dedicatedwebsite (www.esplanade.com), which receives 200,000hits per month, were allocated for M1 Singapore FringeFestival events that would be held at the Esplanade.

5 EDMs were also sent to the selected demographicsof Esplanade's mailing list of about 17,500 people.

28


29/60



National Museum of Singaporeonline support

Bilik Ahmad Berdakiwere listed on the NationalMuseum's website (www.nationalmuseum.sg).

ION Orchard online support America the Gift Shopwas listed on ION Orchard'sdedicated webpage for ION Art, as well as on theirFacebook and Twitter blurbs. (www.ionorchard.com).

The Substation online support Lyrics from Lockdown: We Are and So I AmandMissingStatementwere listed on The Substation's onlinecalendar of events. (www.substation.org).

Sculpture Square online support Borderwas listed on Sculpture Square's online calendarof events. (www.sculpturesq.com.sg)

SISTIC online support 2 EDMs were sent out to previous customers of theM1 Singapore Fringe Festival on SISTIC's database.

1 SISTIC e-Buzz Hheaders (5 January 2010), 1 SISTICe-Buzz Sub-Beader (22 December 2009), as well as aSISTIC website Large Highlight (28 December 2009 8 January 2010) were included on SISTIC's website andEDMs for advertising the Festival.

Nuffnang online support The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2010 website wasused as the skin for the main Nuffnang page in January2010.

Network wide cost-per-click campaign provided box-ads of the Festival to blogs signed up to Nuffnng.

Feature blog post on the Festival was included on theNuffnang site.

Online contest with ticket giveaways was run onNuffnang's main website.

1 EDM advertising the M1 Singapore Fringe Festivalwas sent out to registered Nuffnang bloggersislandwide.

29

I enjoyed the Festival because I could see that many Singaporeans are taking art more seriously, and theFestival's linking together of works that differ in genre and style teaches the audience about the differenttypes of art forms.

!"#$%&'()*+,-./012345#6789:;?@A%BCDEFG;


30/60



Fridae.com online support 7 EDMs were sent out to Fridae.com's distribution list

and members.

Premium Homepage Banner advertisements wereincluded on Fridae.com's homepage.

3 Banner Advetisement inserts were included inFridae's weekly newsletters.

3 Featured Agenda advertisement buttons over a montheach were included on Fridae.com's website.

Preview articles and listings of events were included onFridae.com's website.

Expat Living advertisements Online banner advertisements linked to the Festival'swebsite was included on Expat Living's homepage.

1 online contest was conducted for readers to wincomplimentary tickets in December 2009.

Online referrals from Expat Living's website andFacebook accounts were done from October 2009.

PAssion online support Contest giveaways and listing of selected events wereincluded in the Passion website.

Singapore Tourism Board onlinesupport

Inclusion of M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2009 in thevisitsingapore.com website by Singapore TourismBoard.

OCBC online support Listing in the OCBC Arts Showcase EDMdisseminated on 14 October 2009.

Feature on the OCBC Arts Showcase Website from 14October 2009 to 24 January 2010.

Streetdirectory.com dedicated

webspace for M1 Singapore FringeFestival 2010

Dedicated webpages on Streetdirectory.com advertising

the Festival, providing information on directions tovenues, exhibitions and performances were launched.

30


31/60


Broadcast Advertising

Festival video A 20-second Festival video was produced and screened

from October 2009 January 2010 on OKTO,Singapore Tourism Board's plasma screens, all M1shops, ION Orchard's media screens, partner's

websites, on-site plasma screens at arts venues.

OKTO interstitials A 1-minute Festival interstitial was produced andscreened from December 2009 January 2010 onOKTO.

OKTO contest advertisements A contest advertisement for viewers to win tickets tothe Festival was produced and screened from

December 2009 January 2010 on Arts Central.

Radio 100.3 contest advertisements 3 on-air contests for ticket giveaways toMUVWXHB612 (Our Own B612) were conducted.

Others

Media Launch of the Festival The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2010 staged asuccessful press launch at the Esplanade whichgenerated several press write-ups immediately after.

Opening Reception of the Festival The official Opening Reception of the M1 SingaporeFringe Festival 2010 was held at ION Art Gallery, IONOrchard on 14 January 2010 and was attended by

various members of the media, sponsors and socialites.This garnered immediate press coverage thereafter.

31

The thought-provoking work, Singapore, the people and crew of The Necessary Stage and Fringe Festival.

It was an honor to be part of this Festival.! Jonathon Kambouris, on what he liked

about the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival


32/60


Programme Booklet

32


33/60


DL Flyer

33


34/60


Expat Living Advertisements & Web Buttons

34


35/60


City Square Mall A1 Posters Artzone Advertisement

35


36/60


SISTIC Run-on-Print Advertisement and e-Buzz Headers

36


37/60


Street Banners

37


38/60


Esplanade On-Site Collaterals

The opportunity of meeting artists from different fields and expertise, and being able to exchangeopinions and ideas with one another. I think this is the whole point of a festival.

! Susan Yeung, on what she liked about the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival

38


39/60


Esplanade On-Site Collaterals

39


40/60


National Museum of Singapore Ad Panels ION Orchard A1 Poster

40


41/60


JCDecaux 6- Sheet Bus Stop Posters

41


42/60


JCDecaux Shelter Lights and Shelter Columns Posters

42


43/60


Festival Website

Perfect! We loved the onsite technicians - they were professional and polite.

! (katncandix2) on what they liked about the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival

43


44/60


Electronic Direct Mailers

44


45/60

45

AudienceFeedback

Last Mealsby Jonathon Kambouris (USA)Photo credit: Fadlin Saffri

Throughout the festival, one could sense a kind of "community" vibe tosome of the shows. Whether it was Singapore-based Myanmar citizenshelping a fellow countryman (visual artist Htein Lin and his installation

The Scale Of Justice at the Esplanade Jendela); the warm reception ofdie-hard fans of the Taiwanese pop group katcandix2 (they were given

presents, including cotton candy and pandan cake); or the energetic polytechnicstudents who were part of the cast forJiwo Jiro.

- TODAY


46/60

Audience Feedback

Festival Highlight__________ Can Change

46

________ Can Changeby The Necessary Stage (Singapore)Photo credit: The Necessary Stage

... [________ Can Change] subverts theexpectations of a TNS play. To a seasonedtheatregoer, watching the play will prompt difficultquestions about how we watch local theatre: usually

from a comfortable, superior position, laughing at thefoibles of straitlaced mainstream views. Because ofthis, the plays are the freshest and most engaging

theatrical experiences in a long time."! The Straits Times Life!

... the perplexing, incongruous mingling of(perceived) satire and anti-satire serves the play wellin unexpected ways... it forces us to constantly reassessour prior interpretation, reconsider the propriety ofour last laugh, readjust our lenses, and eventually re-examine some of our fundamental beliefs.

- The Flying Inkpot

I enjoyed how the play left room for imagination and criticism.! Audience member

I loved the controversial issues presented in an utterly sincere way, leaving me confused about how much of it wasmeant seriously. And it was great acting!

! Audience member

I enjoyed hearing the playwright's point of view and I'm happy that they're enlightened in the true sense, recognisingboth extremes yet portraying it with a mature mindset.

- Audience member

Subversive, challenging and real! Also very clever, incisive and funny!- Audience member


47/60

Audience Feedback

Festival Highlight!"#$%&'()* (Our Own B612)

47

!"#$% B612 (Our Own B612) by+,-*(katncandix2) (Taiwan)

Photo credit:+,-*(katncandix2)

... many of [katncandix2's] compositions are mid-to slow-tempo numbers with a distinctive elegiactingue, a natural fit for Hsiao Chius girlish, slightlythroaty vocals.

- The Straits Times Life!

... [Hsiao Chiu of katncandix2's] refreshinglyfrank demeanour was most endearing and there wasalso an easy chemistry between her and the good-natured and more laconic Shen, who she ribbedmercilessly.


The performers were sincere and humourous. What an enjoyable concert! Brilliant festival!! Audience member

A performance that influences us to dream.! Audience member

A very personal and cozy performance. Heartwarming.-Audience member

Very interesting performance with fun topic and interactive session. Music and songs are very good, the sound qualityexcellent.

-Audience member


48/60

Audience Feedback

Festival HighlightAmerica the Gift Shop

48

America the Gift Shop by Phillip Toledano (England)Photo credit: The Necessary Stage

"My first thought while walking around[America the Gift Shop] was that of theFrench philosopher Jean Baudrillard. It wasunavoidable considering his infamous essaysseries on how "The Gulf War Did NotHappen" and his ideas of simulacra and thehyperreal, how our perception of that first

Gulf War was mediated and constructedmore by imes we saw on TV and in thepapers - and here in Toledano's own take onBush Junior's own Gulf War, it's taken

further into the land of consumption andconsumerism...America the Gift Shop isa fun and despicable look at thecommodification of human terror."

- TODAY's For Art's Sake!

I enjoyed the juxtaposition of kitschy childishness with the horror of American behavior in the East. ! Gallery visitor

I found the exhibition highly provocative, original and bold about an extremely sensitive and volatile topic. It revealeda perspective not exposed in traditional news media.

! Gallery visitor

I enjoyed the fact that the exhibits keeps people thinking/talking about events that should never have happened butdid. A thought provoking look at a period of recent history. Glad to see the events espressed in a unique venue.

! Gallery visitor

I always enjoy seeing socially/politically critical works and as someone who is also aware of the issue and situation,I'm glad that someone has made his work based on that.

! Gallery visitor


49/60

Audience Feedback

Live Fringe (Dance)The Passing

Live Fringe (Dance)Missing Statement

49

The Passingby Albert Tiong (Singapore)Photo credit: Frontier Danceland / Justin Koh

"... a work filled with moments of fascinating beauty as its charactersstruggle with the knowledge of their imminent extinction.


I enjoyed the setting, lights and style of dance. Strong dancers, wellthought out choreographic work. Coming from Europe, I was told thedance scene in Singapore doesn't offer that much. Tonight I was proven

wrong. Thank you so much!! Audience member

I enjoyed the choreography. Awesome timing and variation.! Audience member

Full of emotions and energy.! Audience member

I remembered the music the most as it brings out the essence of thepiece and compliments the dance perfectly.

!

Audience member

"It was a treat watching [dancer Melissa] Quek, the moreemotive one, who had a strong presence on stage. [Dancer]Tiong's immense strength was like a tightly coiled spring, acarefully nurtured power. He moved like molton mercury,appearing rigid but in essence, flowing and pliable."


Very well thought through with meaningful concepts andmoves that expressed the heart of the choreographer.Wonderful dancers and great choice of music too.

! Audience member

I enjoyed the expressiveness displayed and the techniques ofthe dancers.

! Audience member

Missing Statementby Susan Yeung (Singapore)Photo credit: Ben Lai


50/60

Audience Feedback

Live Fringe (Dance)M.E.

Live Fringe (Dance)dolcissime sirene

50

M.E by Compagnie Irene K (Belgium)Photo credit: Christophe Berg

"... the choreographer's prowess lay in discovering the playfulness of thehuman body and its wide array of possibilities. The body, inM.E.,delighted and seduced: it was child-like, then passionate yet alone and

foreboding at the same time. Like wandering souls, these strange, sinisterand barely human forms were constantly in transit in this dream world.It probed the imagination and urged its audience to re-think theexpected."


Images resonated which was great. Never seen something like thisbefore. Surrealistic art-inspired dance theatre piece.

! Audience member

I enjoyed the delicacy and the subtle fluid changes.! Audience member

Evocative statements about the games played in personal and socialpolitics marked the choreography elegantly.


Very evocative. Different and enjoyable.! Audience member

It was impressive to see the strength and power of the two dancers.! Audience member

I remembered the fluid movements, control and chemistry between theleads the most.

! Audience member

Dolcissime sireneby Debris Company(Slovakia)

Photo credit: Norbert Knap


51/60

Audience Feedback

Live Fringe (Dance)Destination TRAFIK: Deer

Live Fringe (Theatre)Bilik Ahmad Berdaki

51

Destination TRAFIK: Deerby TRAFIK(Transitive-Fiction Theatre) (Croatia)

Photo credit: Drazen Sokcevic

While you can definitely dig into the nitty-gritty aspects of[Destination TRAFIK: Deer] as a deconstructed form of theatricalspectacle and appropriation as performance, the visual absurdity aloneshould be reason enough to catch this tomorrow night... If you wantsomething that's fringe-y even within the Fringe Fest's lineup, I highlyrecommend this piece.

- TODAY'S For Arts Sake!

Simple in its execution, yet deliberate in its casual delivery, Deerquestioned our acceptance of the manufactured, bubble world we live in.


I enjoyed the different focus and the anti-theatre performance put up.! Audience member

Real and quirky, funny and thought-provoking.! Audience member

There was a comment during the post-show talk about how some of thecharacters werent fully fleshed out (or maybe the proper term is spelledout), but thats one of the things I liked aboutBilik Ahmad Berdaki

you never fully grasp who the characters are, a lot of who they are arelaid out on a purely suggestive level, and its all told in a wonderfullyelliptical way.

! TODAY's For Art's Sake!

Thought-provoking and brilliant! I remembered the subtle humour andthe messages in relation to reality the most.

! Audience member

Really opened my eyes to how progressive the Malay language theatre inSingapore is. Really liked the risk involved in all the three plays andhow the actors gave each other the trust needed.

! Audience member

Bilik Ahmad Berdakiby Teater Ekamatra(Singapore)

Photo credit: Irfan Kasban


52/60

Audience Feedback

Live Fringe (Theatre)JIWO JIRO

Live Fringe (Theatre)Lyrics from Lockdown: We Are and So I Am

52

JIWO JIRO by Najib Soiman (Singapore)Photo credit: Mohd Fared Jainal

An amazing show of commitment and energy from the young ensemble.Great performance all round.

! Audience member

It was a refreshing insight into the life of a handicapped person.! Audience member

I had an enjoyable and meaningful experience watching the talented casteven though they are first timers in the theatre scene.! Audience member

!

Excellent production with great script and cast. Good involvement ofstudents to improve and encourage budding talents.

! Audience member

Lyrics from Lockdown: We Are and So I Amby Bryonn Bain (USA)

Photo credit: Larry Lowe

... it was a marvel seeing the buff and dextrous black actor [Bryonn Bain],reciting improvised poetry in lusty ebonics and riffing on the institutionalisedracism in the American police and prison system... there was no doubt thatBain was a skilled chameleon performer and talented physical actor, rappingand singing up a storm in the 70 minutes."


It was eye-opening and inspiring. Amazing one-man show. Excellentweaving of poetry, hip-hop, music and images.

! Audience member

Totally engaging and original, entertaining way to draw attention toimportant issues.

! Audience member


53/60

Audience Feedback

Live FringeJP

53

JPby Theatre Group GUMBO (Japan)Photo credit: Theatre Group GUMBO

It was truly an out-of-this-world experience. I was expectingsomething crazy from these Osaka folks, but I didnt expect it to bethat crazy. I was actually wheezing afterwards from so muchlaughing

- TODAY's For Art's Sake!

Enjoyed the hyperbolic actions and audience participation!!

Audience member

Very good acting and good storyline combined with the essence ofJapanese culture.

! Audience member

Controversial topics challenged in the content, which was fresh.Bring it back next year!

! Audience member

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival lets you get up closeand personal with performance theatre. In fact, this is

where the heart of theatre lives, without show-stoppingnumbers, huge sets or elaborate costumes...

- TIME OUT SINGAPORE


54/60

Audience Feedback

Sonic FringeLive Performance of Telepathy Dreams

Sonic FringeTwo Years in April

54

Live Performance of Telepathy Dreamsby flica(Malaysia)

Photo credit: mu-nest records

[flica] conjured up a safe staple of chill-out electronica filled withechoey guitar riffs and piano tinkling... came across more as dream

pop than the wall of electronic doodling and unearthly noises typicalof sound art.

! The Straits Times Life!

I like the fact that the fringe featured artists that aren't too wellknown but have a small following nonetheless.

! Audience member

Two Years in Aprilby Tamas Wells (Australia)Photo credit: Cui Renyu | Pocket Records

... the 65-minute set was well received by the audience of mostly20-something students who gamely doubled up as back-up choiron[songs].

! The Straits Times

The warmth of good music is what I remembered most.! Audience member


55/60

Audience Feedback

Fringe GalleryA Guide to the Common Flora and Fauna of the World

Fringe GalleryThe Scale of Justice

55

The Scale of Justiceby Htein Lin(Burma)

Photo credit: Fadlin Saffri

Hard brick and soft balloony arms you feel like squishing; fragile and tough;good and bad; guilty or not guilty; black and white; there are a lot of binaryopposites in this work held together by the still golden scale in the middle. It is abeautiful work... you realise that while it can be a contemplatively sublime work,it is, still inspired by a brutal act of confinement.


The exhibition was great. I felt disturbed by the installations and it made mecontemplate about my situation. I feel sympathy for all those who had to suffer.

! Audience member

Original and well-presented. I particularly liked the interactive nature ofTheScale of Justice.

! Audience member

A Guide to the Common Flora and Fauna of the Worldby Institute of Critical Zoologists (Singapore)

Photo credit: Fadlin Saffri

A Guide...plays on the hidden, the unseen, the imagined, theinvisible. A very sly and ingenuous way of presenting the issue ofendangered animal smuggling and there are a lot of things goingon at different levels that are really, really engaging.


I loved how the art exhibition can masquerade as a scientific one.

! Audience member

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival is a very good opportunity forme to experience avant-garde contemporary art that stands outamongst those of other larger (but not necessarily better) art

festivals.! Audience member


56/60

Audience Feedback

Fringe GalleryLast Meals

Fringe GalleryBorder

I found this piece much more affecting than most other video pieces I see, which often leave me cold.! Gallery visitor

Simple, poignant, adequately conveys the message! Gallery visitor

56

Borderby Hans Op de Beeck (Belgium)Photo credit: Fadlin Saffri

... a haunting look at the terror of humancommodification... ThatBorder is set on an endlessloop adds even more poignancy to the socio-politicalissues of human trafficking and illegal refugees that ithighlights.

! TODAY For Art's Sake!

The video was presented in a simple but profound way.It captured a short but precious moment of life.

! Gallery visitor

Brilliant - gentle and moving, Beautiful musiccomplimented piece..

! Gallery visitor

Last Mealsby Jonathon Kambouris (USA)Photo credit: Fadlin Saffri

Last Meals has a commendable anti-death penalty thrust. Itstactic of humanising convicted killers by highlighting theirrelationship to food (and all its attendant connotations: sustenance,life-giving munchies, a social act and a personal event... )


It was really intriguing to see some of the choices made. Saw the

exhibition today! Such powerful images!! LOVE IT!! Gallery visitor

These pictures are creepy yet fascinating at the same time.! Gallery visitor


57/60


58/60

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2011Art and Education

"Art teaches nothing, except the significance of life."

- Henry Miller

When information is processed we get knowledge, and when knowledge is applied we get education.Education takes place when information impacts on a human being and ruptures an established way ofseeing, thereby producing insights that challenge, move and/or inspire transformation. In today's

world, it is commonly acknowledged that art can be utilised as a tool to impart knowledge that is overand beyond itself. Art in education no longer means the learning of aesthetic appreciations,applications or techniques, but rather, the acquisition of a new non-art-related skill, an appreciation ofa brand new perspective to an old situation, an insight into another world.

Because of the intrinsic nature of art as a Socratic "what-if", it serves as a perfect medium for the

transmittance of messages, ideas, campaigns and beliefs. That is why non-governmental organisations,schools of thought, state agencies and religious institutions have all been known to adopt artisticpresentations to present their ideas - and to win new converts to their causes. Yet, as a result, art cansometimes be viewed as a menace or threat by those who recognise its power to move, indoctrinate,exhilarate, incite, question.

Within Singapore, performance art and forum theatre - which were purportedly dangerous for theirimmediacy and direct engagement with social issues - were once proscribed and denied state funding.

Yet today, these art forms are supported by government agencies as means to promote their individualagendas. It is a clear volte-face of the previous policy, but also one that recognises and celebrates theability of art as a means to achieve the objective to educate and engage.

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."- Georgia O'Keeffe

Education takes place when one is not distracted by the vehicle on which it arrives. We need to have thewisdom, political will, and discernment to engage with the object of education, and how this idea isbeing transmitted across medium, culture, language, people, bureaucracy, wealth, national pride andethnocentric viewpoints. This endeavour itself is part of education. Today, it is quite a challenge to beeducated - and that challenge presents myriad exciting possibilities for artists as well.

To educate involves active engagement and discourse. Art cannot come as a decree from above; it

cannot be preached by practitioners who view themselves as the privileged ones with the key toabsolute knowledge and comprehension. Art cannot be righteous if it is meant to reach out, touchsomeone and change his or her viewpoint. Artists themselves therefore need to be challenged, their artneeds to be dissected and probed, and in the process, transformed into new ideas and works.

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves,but wiser people so full of doubts.

- Bertrand Russell

Yet therein lies the question: in these contemporary times where some artists have begun enjoyingcelebrity status, are artists and their works glorified commodities today, such that they are seen as ends

in themselves? Are their purported exhortations of "truth" and "beauty" foisted upon the audiences in

58


59/60

a top-down approach? Has Art become estranged from the world it claims to bring a fresh perspectiveto? Does Art even have the meaning it insists on possessing? Do Art and its facilitators need to beeducated themselves, to become more aware of their audiences?

"Art is not freedom from discipline, but disciplined freedom."- Rev.Edward M. Catich

Art likes to imagine that it possesses new insights which it has distilled into one moment, one elementor one form. However, it is not uncommon to see unrestrained abandonment in artistic practices -

where Art seeks to demonstrate its freedom from the confines of societal mores and restrictions butdoes not educate in any other way. Is Art successfully reflexive when it critiques and defies a canonicalstand?

While Art seeks to be liberated from narrow definitions, it should also accommodate these samedominating definitions that have been adopted in the past. This is imperative as the sparring of thenew and the old can surely rejuvenate the latter, inspiring new strands instead of obliterating them.

After all, cross-genres, cross-disciplines, cross-cultures and cross-pollinations are all about educatingand widening the scope of artistic phenomena.

Just as much as we seek to create new, cutting-edge works reflecting various alternative viewpoints, weneed to recognise that there are other segments of the arts ecology that thrive on tried-and-testedformulas and familiar well-worn names and pieces. Do these audiences not need and deserve their Artas much as we do? Should we not be celebrating this diversity of offerings available to the public? Atthe very least, these commercial or bourgeois works whatever they may be termed make nopretences about their raisons d'tre and intended messages. Audiences understand these works becausethey are lucid, and not because they are bland.

"The function of Art is to disturb."- Georges Braque

In trying to educate audiences, should Art litter signs and signifiers to guide them at the risk of beingoverly-blatant? Or should Art refrain from this altogether, hence becoming totally obtuse? Somecontemporary art works can be highly coded and/or formalistic, making them opaque, non-communicative and often alienating. How much should artists assume audiences already know, andsimilarly how much should audiences expect of artists and their work? How self-reflexive andaccommodating is Art towards being educated itself?

Hence the challenge for artists and audiences alike how do we engage in a constantly rejuvenating

discourse with one another, to ensure that all parties educate each other about their desires, needs,expectations and responses? Should there be more attention placed on research and development, notonly for artistic experimentation and exploration, but also on artistic engagement and communication?

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival once again throws the gauntlet for artists and audiences alike, to re-examine our entrenched definitions and beliefs of what constitutes Art and Education, and in theprocess, re-educate ourselves on the myriad possibilities these present. Join us as we seek to enlightenourselves: 5 16 January 2011. Get involved.

59


60/60

THE NECESSARY STAGE

278 Marine Parade Road#B1-02 Marine Parade Community Building

Singapore 449282

Contact

Administration: (65) 6440 8115

Production & Artistic: (65) 6440 9274

Fax: (65) 6440 9002

Email: [email protected]

Documents

M1SFF10 Sponsors' Report