'The Durian' turns 10

Either time flies exceptionally fast or I’m losing track of it: the first time I watched a performance in Singapore’s Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in mid-2003 is still fresh in my mind.
 It was my second trip to Singapore, after more than 20 years, and the start of what was to become almost a regular commute. Thanks to its programming of international dance and theatre performances and other relevant events, the Esplanade has become my major Singapore attraction.
Thus after so much the exposure to the contemporary world of performing arts over the past decade, I’m surprised that the 10th anniversary weekend celebration is focusing on local arts and artists.
JP Nathan, Esplanade’s director of programming, is happy to explain. “The official opening work of the Esplanade 10 years ago was actually a commissioned local work – a contemporary dance by Singapore Dance Theatre and [Indonesian choreographer] Boi Sakti. It was part of the three-week festival, which also featured concerts by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and contemporary dance performances by the Batsheva Dance Company, among other international works.”
“And so we want to do the same for the 10th anniversary weekend [“Dedicated to You”]. We want to make a statement that we are not only presenting works but also creating new works. It’s risky but it’s very important.”
As many will already know, the 10th anniversary is actually being celebrated over an entire year with, as its main theme, “Celebrating Life – The Best of the Human Spirit through the Arts”. Each event the Esplanade is organising this year has a key human value to focus on – for example, the upcoming da:ns festival’s is love. “Each of them is doing something special,” Nathan adds.
“For the 10th anniversary weekend – the official opening day is tomorrow – we look at our society, which has changed a lot in the past 10 years. For example, our politics are now more complicated than before: people ask more questions and there are more debates.
“At this point, we’d like to ask what roles the arts and artists in Singapore play in our society and how we can acknowledge and appreciate the arts. As in many Asian countries, we often look to the West, but our local artists can talk about our society best. We need to do more to recognise and support our artists and affirm that arts are not only for entertainment or special occasions.
“The 10th anniversary weekend is a tribute that tries to inspire our audiences to appreciate the contribution that our local artists have been making and at the same time it’s an opportunity for the local artists to affirm how important they are to our local society.
“One of the most important projects is not actually a performance. It’s called ‘Tribute’.”
Nathan says this collection of interviews with more than 170 Singaporean artists, arts administrators and educators is more than 100 hours long, and will be presented as an exhibition from tomorrow until the end of the month.
And since the online database www.Tribute.sg will also be launched tomorrow and constantly updated, “it’s there for generations to come – people can use it as a resource and it’s also an inspiration for the future artists that this society will acknowledge and appreciate what they do”.
“Performing arts is ephemeral: it’s there and then it’s gone. Five years from now, people may have already forgotten what you do.”
As for the performances, Nathan says the question for the Esplanade is, “how we can bring as many Singaporean artists as possible together this weekend”.
And so there’s plenty – and a massive variety – to watch in all venues, indoors and outdoors, of Southeast Asia’s largest and most significant performing arts centre.
Internationally acclaimed theatre director Ong Keng Sen is staging a new musical called “National Broadway Company”. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra will highlight local classical musicians who have become famous overseas, like violinist Kam Ning. The Singapore Chinese Orchestra will have pop singer Joi Chua crooning 1980s TV drama songs and 1990s Mandopop hits. And the Ding Yi Music Company will present “an evening of poetry, music and painting” in “Poetic Charm”.
“Casting Back” is playwright and dramaturg Robin Loon’s look at theatre making in Singapore from the actors’ perspective. There’s also “Rant and Rave”, which dramatises those famous theatre revues from the 1980s.
“Sound > Tracks” is a collaboration of visual artists and musicians, like Esam “Slowjaxx” Salleh.
And in “En Anubhavam”, classical Indian dancers and musicians will share how life experiences have affected their arts.
  HAPPY BIRTHDAY
- The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s 10th anniversary weekend “Dedicated to You” runs from today until Sunday.
- Visit www.Esplanade.com and “Celebrating Life 2012” on Facebook.