Esplanade Announces 19th Anniversary Lineup

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, Singapore's national performing arts centre, marks the last of its teen years as it turns 19 on 12 Oct 2021. In anticipation of the centre's 20th anniversary, the company has shared more about its upcoming plans and activities for 2022.

Said Ms Yvonne Tham, CEO, The Esplanade Co Ltd, "Esplanade's architecture-while resembling durians to some-was not designed with the fruit in mind. It was meant to express the idea of lanterns on the Bayfront. The image of a lantern is a poetic symbol of hope, and in some Asian traditions, lanterns carry our wishes and desires for love or peace and sometimes our grief and loss. Light also represents purity, renewal, truth and hope.

"In 2022, the world will hopefully be emerging from the trials of COVID-19 with new norms in our work, lifestyles and mobility. The pandemic has brought into sharper focus the crises societies are facing in these areas, and asks fundamental questions on how we, as individuals, choose to live; how our choices shape culture, or vice versa; and ultimately what is the future we desire. Questions of such nature have always been asked by artists. But the arts have not only posed difficult questions, the arts also provide a safe space to encounter different perspectives, explore new ideas, or to simply imagine, reflect, and connect. As we look ahead to our 20th anniversary in 2022, Esplanade will give focus to how artists and the arts can provide healing, community, joy and inspiration for the present, in ways that may also illuminate our future."

Highlights of Esplanade's 20th anniversary in 2022 include new physical and digital spaces for more programmes and experiences; PopLore, a-year long exploration of Singapore's popular music from the 1960s to the present and beyond, and initiatives to make the arts more accessible to the young and to people with different abilities and backgrounds.

A season of commissions

New Singapore and Asian works commissioned for the opening of the Singtel Waterfront Theatre, from Oct to Dec 2022, point to the future of what is artistically possible. Our long-standing platforms such as da:ns festival and The Studios will also evolve into various seasons presented throughout the year, from 2023.

Gift a Seat

Help us put the finishing touches on the Singtel Waterfront Theatre when you donate to our Gift a Seat initiative. Your gift will help us develop it as a space that benefits our next generation of artists and audiences.

International Collaborations and Dialogues

The inaugural edition of Esplanade's Contemporary Performing Arts Research Residency takes place from Apr to Jun 2022, with 10 international residents of varying disciplines. The centre will also host the 25th Conference of the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres (AAPPAC).

PopLore - A Year of Singapore Popular Music (Jan-Dec 2022)

With a focus on popular music in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil, PopLore presents a series of 10 live concerts featuring luminaries such as Dick Lee, Jeremy Monteiro, Najip Ali, Charlie Lim, Shabir, The Freshman and the stars of tomorrow; along with podcasts, videos and an exhibition on the forces that shaped the scene. Produced in consultation with music industry veteran Lim Sek.

Arts, accessibility and social engagement

In partnership with artists and social service agencies, Esplanade will introduce new ways for the centre and its programmes to be more readily accessible and inclusive for people of different abilities, including people with dementia and people with autism.

Digital spaces

Esplanade's website will be revamped after over five years, to be launched in 2022, to spark the joy of discovery of the arts and deepen arts appreciation-through arts experiences found in-venue or online, or in the rich content on Esplanade Offstage. The new site will also host Esplanade Mall Online that offers services, such as delivery and reservations.

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