Author: Ashley Tan

Get your groove on: must-visit Noise Singapore events in 2019

Dedicated to making noise about the creative talent of young people, the annual Noise Singapore is back this year with its anticipated Noise Anchor Programmes and Noise Music Mentorship.

This year’s edition of Noise Singapore focuses on bringing co-creation to the forefront with several programmes, exposing participants to varied forms of digital and urban arts through mentorships, as well as creation and showcase opportunities. Members of the public will have the opportunity to explore various immersive programmes happening from 23 February to 19 April.

If you’re looking for some events to keep you occupied for the weeks ahead, here are some highlights of this edition of Noise Singapore!

Get A Taste Of An ‘Alternate’ Reality At Noise Metaverse

Quite a few Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) game shops have popped up around our island in the past year. Movies like Ready Player One was a hit as well, exemplifying the wonders of immersive technologies.

Now, you can get a chance to delve into the world of AR, VR, and Mixed Reality at the Noise Metaverse Exhibition happening from 23 February to 3 March at *SCAPE Ground Theatre!

A two-month mentorship programme paired youth with mentors from iMMERSiVELY, a creative start-up that specialises in immersive media technologies, and provided participants with a platform to explore how art can intersect with immersive technologies. The mentorship programme then culminates with the Noise Metaverse Exhibition.

Check out the final art x tech projects to appreciate the hard work of these young mentees who were guided by the various industry experts at the Noise Metaverse exhibition starting this weekend!

Hang Out At The Noise Invasion Festival

Happening on 23 March, the Noise Invasion Festival held at Parklane Shopping Mall (Level 8 Carpark) aims to engage youths through relatable Urban Arts content. Some highlights that you can expect include a showcase of emerging electronic musicians, dance performances and art installations sure to liven your Instagram feed.

Be sure to follow #NoiseInvasionFest on social media prior to the festival and check out the exciting activities for a Saturday hangout with your friends!

Ogle At The Doodles At Noise Local Motif

If you’ve always wondered how to appreciate art, let Noise Local Motif show you how art can be relatable and challenge some of your preconceived ideas.

As a peer-to-peer learning programme by Band of Doodlers, Noise Local Motif aims to showcase illustration works inspired and co-created by participants and beneficiaries of various social sector organisations. With the illustrations displayed across trains on the Downtown Line, commuters can now enjoy arts on the go quite literally so.

So, take a break from your screens on your next train ride and prepare to be mesmerised by some of the dynamic works on display from 22 March to 19 April!

Get Drawn To The Magic Of GIFs At Noise GIF Fest

Some say that art creates magic, and that’s exactly what Noise GIF Fest aims to do.

Organised by The Unusual Network and a Noise Anchor Programme, this year’s festival theme is “Magic” featuring GIFs as the digital art format that suits the bill. Catch the Noise GIF Fest at Blk 7 Gillman Barracks from 28 March to 1 April, where you can enjoy a display of themed digital works! Apart from that, you can also expect to attend workshops and talks on how GIFs are used to bring a piece of art to life at the festival.

Noise Singapore is currently also accepting submissions for original digital artwork from anyone ranging from amateurs to professionals. If you’ve been creating GIFs for your cliques on Telegram, channel that creativity in you and submit your GIFs by 10 March to have your pieces showcased at the festival’s exhibition! More details on submission guidelines can be found at Noise Music Mentorship

Ever wondered how Ed Sheeran created that hook, or how The Sam Willows writes such zestful music that you can’t help bopping to in the car? Well, here’s your chance to learn more about music-making through a two-day showcase by mentees under the 11th edition of Noise Music Mentorship (NMM).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpwlDzSlat8/

For more details on Noise Singapore and the individual programmes, click

Singapore Bicentennial – The History And Debate Around It

If you’ve been active on social media recently, you probably would have noticed the phrase “Singapore bicentennial” marked in bold on the titles of various posts and articles.

The recent budget announcement also included a $1.1 billion Bicentennial Bonus to be given out to Singaporeans to commemorate the bicentennial year.

You probably would have also noticed that while some have termed the bicentennial as a “celebration”, others have ascribed less than favourable descriptions to it.

So what exactly is the bicentennial, and why is the ongoing debate surrounding it significant?

How The Term “Bicentennial” Came About

In essence, 2019 marks the 200th anniversary of Singapore’s founding by the British, including Sir Stamford Raffles who is frequently touted as the “founder of modern Singapore”.

This has galvanised the Singapore Bicentennial Office (SBO) to organise a slew of events including exhibitions, seminars, and even a Bicentennial Edition of the annual Light to Night Festival to commemorate this historical milestone.

While some have deemed these efforts as acceptable given the occasion, others have criticised them as glorifying colonialism and white superiority.

The Good And The Bad

For instance, in a piece for Esquire, Singapore-based writer Neil Humphreys challenged, “How can the subjugation of indigenous people, in any context, be called a celebration? … Praising Raffles acknowledges a white man’s superiority over repressed colonial subjects”.

Others who grew up during the colonial era have also labelled the British as “imperialists” who not only exploited locals and the working class, but also failed in their capacity as leaders and protectors during the Japanese occupation.

Moreover, some individuals have taken issue with the concept that a celebration of the bicentennial could indicate a lack of regard for Singapore’s history before 1819 – that is, before the arrival of Raffles.

For instance, some key events include gem trader Jacques de Coutre’s recognition of Singapore’s strategic location and proposal to the King of Spain to construct a fortress here in the 1630s, as well as Singapore’s already bustling seaport that was established in the 14th century.

All of these transpired well before the arrival of the British, and a bicentennial celebration could thus be perceived as perpetuating the notion that Singapore’s history in the pre-colonial era is non-existent.

There are, however, many who view the bicentennial in a more positive light.

Some have highlighted the positive impact that the British left on Singapore’s education and legal systems, and the way in which our colonial past has helped foster our amicable relations with Britain in the present.

Given SBO’s reassurance that the commemoration “will not shy away from addressing elements in history that may not be always positive”, fears that only a selective—rather than an all-encompassing and unfiltered—version of Singapore’s history will be presented have also been allayed. This official statement has addressed concerns that the bicentennial might adopt a celebratory tone which extols the British’s economic contributions.

But perhaps the most critical contribution that commemorating the bicentennial has delivered is the fervid debate which has arisen surrounding Singapore’s history.

The average Singaporean, armed with bits of information he managed to retain from social studies lessons in primary school, would likely be able to explain the oft-cited narrative on our country’s struggle for independence. Yet, the pre-1965 period generally remains hazy and unfamiliar, let alone fervently debated on or discussed.

Why has only been featured as a footnote in our textbooks, whilst hotels, schools and statues have been established in honour of Sir Stamford Raffles? What of the other officials and figures whose contributions have been obscured by the long shadow cast by Raffles? Does Singapore owe its lingua franca, economic and political systems and, by extension, the foundations of its society, to the British? And finally, should our colonialist past be extricated and embraced, or should it be stored away in the dusty past?

These are questions that the ongoing debate seeks to address, even if they can never truly be answered.

So, the next time you hurry past Boat Quay, perhaps stop in your tracks to consider whether the pristine white statue of Raffles blends in with the immaculate, glass-encased skyscrapers, or if it sticks out like a sore thumb against the backdrop of charcoal grey.

Featured Image Credit: Yahoo Finance