The Singapore Season, a showcase of its artistic and cultural
achievements, will be held in Beijing and Shanghai next month.
The month-long event in China, from October 12 to November 10,
will boast a line-up of music, theater, dance, visual arts, design
and literary events, according to a press briefing held in
Singapore on Wednesday.
Prominent art groups and performers will include the Singapore
Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Dance
Theater, Drama Box and pop singer JJ Lin.
The Season will also present the works of Singaporean artists
such as Chen Wen Hsi, Goh Beng Kwan, and screen popular Singapore
films such as "I Not Stupid Too."
The arts programs for the Season in China will be presented in
conjunction with two of China's most prestigious international arts
events -- the Beijing Music Festival and the China Shanghai
International Arts Festival, setting a channel for artistic
exchanges and collaboration between the two countries.
"We wanted the Season to showcase, to have both reach and
richness to a wide range of audience in China. That is why we have
decided to have not just one form of arts but different forms, and
not only ticketed events but also outreach events," Lee Suan Hiang,
chief executive officer of Singapore's National Arts Council, said
at a press briefing on the event.
Business programs will also be incorporated this time in the
Season. One of them is the Singapore Seminar, to provide an update
on the latest corporate developments in Singapore. The other is a
China-Singapore Media Business Forum, designed to foster business
collaborations between media industry players from both
countries.
Tan Chin Nam, chairman of the steering committee for the event,
said that the Season will benefit China-Singapore relations.
"It will lead to a better understanding, better networking,
because of the large number of events we have organized... and I
think definitely it will help strengthen our bilateral
relationship."
First launched in London in 2005, Singapore Season is a cultural
diplomacy effort to raise awareness of Singapore as a
multi-cultural global city and showcase its global connectivity and
attractiveness as a place to live, work and play.
(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2007)