Features Writing (by Felix Cheong)

24-25 April 2008, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm
Agatha Room, Level 3, Toa Payoh Community Library

A focused workshop to get participants started in writing different kinds of feature articles and to inform participants on what is expected of a features writer in terms of conduct and etiquette.

FELIX CHEONG was the recipient of the National Arts Council’s Young Artist of the Year for Literature Award in 2000. He has published three books of poetry, of which his third, Broken by the Rain (2003) was shortlisted for the 2004 Singapore Literature Prize. He has also published a non-fiction book, Different (2005), which includes interviews with more than 50 successful Singaporeans. In 2006, he published his first children fiction, The Call from Crying House. Felix’s creative work has been published extensively in newspapers like The Straits Times, poetry journals like Quarterly Literary Review of Singapore, foreign journals like Papertiger and Stylus Poetry Journal. As a literary activist, he has been involved in promoting Singaporean literature abroad. He was instrumental in organising and leading a Singapore contingent on 4 successful reading tours – The Philippines (2001), Australia (2001), the US (2002) and UK (2003). He is currently a regular columnist for The Edge Singapore and Today newspapers.

TARGET AUDIENCE For anyone interested in writing and publishing features articles for magazines, journals and newspapers

Cooperative Learning and Reading Aloud by Teachers (by Dr. George Jacobs)

10 May 2008, Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm
Merpati Hall, Level 3, Geylang East Community Library

Learn to combine two powerful learning strategies—cooperative learning and reading aloud—for the benefit of education. Tailored for parents and educators of pre-school children, this workshop will explore techniques that motivate children to read and speak more.

Dr. George Jacobs, an education consultant based in Singapore, holds a doctorate in educational psychology from University of Hawaii at Manoa. His books include Learning Cooperative Learning Via Cooperative Learning (published by Kagan), The Teacher’s Sourcebook for Cooperative Learning (forthcoming from Corwin), and Successful Strategies for Extensive Reading (RELC). George has conducted workshops and courses on cooperative learning and reading in Asia and the United States. He is co-editor of the newsletter of the International Association for the Study of Cooperation in Education.

Singapore Book Club

28 March 2008, Friday, 7 pm
Earshot @ The Arts House

A joint collaboration between the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) and The Arts House, the bi-monthly meetings of the Singapore Book Club aim to enhance the reading pleasure of book lovers by creating an environment where all can come together and delight in the act of reading and discourse.

A mother finds out her son is gay; a daughter finds out her two mothers are lesbians; a niece stumbles upon the body of her dead uncle dressed in his wife’s sarong kebaya; and an old man’s nascent feelings for a Filipino maid lead him back to his suppressed art.

Join us for a discussion on The Lies That Build A Marriage, Suchen Christine Lim’s poignant compilation of short stories on the unsung, unsaid and uncelebrated in Singapore.

Writers Connect

27 March 2008, Thursday, 7 pm
Earshot @ The Arts House

Bring along a 6-8 copies of a short piece of writing and spend an evening giving and receiving fruitful feedback. New and experienced writers welcome.
Please RSVP. Chris@wordforward.org

Singapore Literature Prize 2008

The Singapore Literature Prize (SLP) 2008 is organised by the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) with the support of the National Arts Council, the National Library Board and the Arts House. This biennial competition aims to achieve two objectives:

• to promote Singapore literary talent through due recognition to outstanding published works by Singapore authors in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.

• to stimulate public interest and support for creative writing in Singapore.

The SLP is open to writers who are Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents of Singapore and at least 18 years of age. The Competition is held for any published work of fiction, i.e. novels, short stories and poetry published in Singapore or abroad.

Submission for the 2008 Prize begins on 10 March 2008 and closes on 30 May 2008.

For details on Rules & Regulations of SLP 2008 and the Official Entry Form, please see attached pdf or download it at http://www.bookcouncil.sg/slp2008.htm

Rules & Regulations of SLP 2008 are available in Chinese, Malay and Tamil Languages*. To obtain a copy, please email info@bookcouncil.sg or call 6848 8290.

* In case of ambiguity over the translation of the rules and regulations, the English version shall prevail.

Borderlines: Life in a Chinese Village

• 15 to 24 February 2008, 11am to 8pm daily, closed on public holidays
• The Substation Gallery
  45 Armenian Street
  Singapore 179936
• 6337 7535
• Free admission
• http://www.substation.org

A photographic exhibition by photographer Andrew Chew that attempts to convey the many layers of village life that he encountered during his time in Man Bong, a multi-ethnic village perched on the mountainous plateaus of China’s south-western Yunnan province.

The images reveal a life lived on the borderline: of a Chinese village only a day’s motorcycle ride from the Thai border; of a minority group living on the fringes of mainstream Chinese society; and of an age-old way of life that is beginning to experience the opportunities - and threats - of modernisation and wealth.
The photographs from this collection have been included in “Pilgrims”, a book by Tan Lai Yong, a humanitarian doctor who has received numerous awards for training thousands of barefoot doctors in the remotest villages of China, as well as for his community development and leprosy work. It is hoped the book will raise funds and awareness for the work of HealthServe Community Clinic, a volunteer health clinic in Geylang that serves the sex worker and migrant construction worker communities in the area.

Open Call

As part of its mission as an incubator of Singapore artists, The Substation issued an Open Call for proposals for visual art projects in the last quarter of 2007. 
Two proposals were selected for development into exhibitions.

1. Videology
Presented by The Substation and the Artists
1 - 10 March 2008
The Substation Gallery
Free Admission

Videology: a made-up word, meaning “the study of how video or moving images are made and understood”.

This exhibition aims to challenge the working and research methods of five artists, all of whom take a process-based approach to artmaking. Claes Erik Eriksson, Julie Lee, Maxine Chionh, Patricia Ho and Veliana come from diverse artistic backgrounds: drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and installation art. The exhibition attempts to employ video in the place of, or in conjunction with, the artists’ current methods.

2. Decomposition II: Publication is Prostitution
Presented by The Substation and the Artists
15 -26 March 2008
The Substation Gallery
Free Admission

Inspired by Critique of a Spectacular Life by Chien Swee-Teng, this project by art collective Vertical Submarine (Fiona Koh, Justin Loke, Joshua Yang) critiques the use-value of books, the double meanings of the word ‘decomposition’, on mass reproduction, and our diminishing notion of the sacred and the profane. These are further elaborated in the form of an illustrated short story anthropomorphized as a woman, and how its/her existence is akin to a prostitute, where the book/woman is misused and abused.

Basic Photography

• 5 February - 8 April 2008, Tuesdays, 7 - 9pm
• The Substation
  45 Armenian Street
  http://www.substation.org
• 6337 7535
• 10 Sessions at $180

This popular course for beginners and photography enthusiasts introduces the basic techniques and art of photography, the handling of the camera and its related equipment. Our instructor, Mr Lim Seng Tiong, combines practical sessions with strong basic theory. Bring a digital or SLR camera for the first lesson.

Mr. Lim Seng Tiong is an experienced photographer who has mastered the art of capturing moments of life in split seconds. Devoted to his craft, he has participated in numerous exhibitions and contests, and has won many prestigious awards. He was senior photographer with The Straits Times for many years.

Meander (by Philippa Killen)

• 1 - 7 April 2008
  11 am – 8 pm daily, closed on public holidays
  
• The Substation Gallery
  45 Armenian Street
  Singapore 179936
• 6337 7535
• Admission is free.

Meander is a series of paintings and sculptures by Philippa Killen. The artist uses urban landscapes and nature as her sources of inspiration, distilling them through memory and imagination. She explores the moments we recall - how these are tinged with emotions, and can be realized visually.

Trained as a sculptor and textile designer, Killen completed her Masters Degree of Fine Art at LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts. Currently teaching sculpture and ceramics from her studio in Chip Bee Garden, she has lived and practiced in Singapore since 2001.

Meander (by Philippa Killen)

• 1 - 7 April 2008
  11 am – 8 pm daily, closed on public holidays
  
• The Substation Gallery
  45 Armenian Street
  Singapore 179936
• 6337 7535
• Admission is free.

Meander is a series of paintings and sculptures by Philippa Killen. The artist uses urban landscapes and nature as her sources of inspiration, distilling them through memory and imagination. She explores the moments we recall - how these are tinged with emotions, and can be realized visually.

Trained as a sculptor and textile designer, Killen completed her Masters Degree of Fine Art at LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts. Currently teaching sculpture and ceramics from her studio in Chip Bee Garden, she has lived and practiced in Singapore since 2001.

The State of Things

• 10 - 21 April 2008
  11 am to 8 pm daily, closed on public holidays
  
• The Substation Gallery
  45 Armenian Street
  Singapore 179936
• 6337 7535
• Admission is free.

In her new exhibition at The Substation, The State of Things, Belgian artist Natacha Arena abandons the human body as theme and aesthetics. Instead, she focuses on the flesh as such and cuts of meat as perceived at the slaughterhouse, producing paintings that have large formats, vivid colours and are full of contrasts. In some canvasses, parallels with the human body can also be drawn.

With a background in special effects for numerous theatre productions, operas and films, Arena left Belgium a few years ago and had three exhibitions since she moved to Singapore. She is influenced by Francis Bacon, George Baselitz, Eadweard Muybridge and others.

First Take

• 3 March 2008, 8 pm
• Guinness Theatre
• Free admission

See Singapore’s future talents and their works at our monthly programme every first Monday of the month. Submissions are open all year-round for filmmakers. Go to our website to find out how! http://www.substation.org/whats_on/moving_images.

4TH Singapore Short Film Festival: Presented by The Substation Moving Images

• 13 - 17 March 2008
• Guinness Theatre
• $4 and $6
  From Gatecrash
  http://www.gatecrash.com.sg/

Off-the-wall ideas, surrealist visuals, narrative hybrids – we love it when filmmakers get wild and creative with the short film format. With another fine selection of films from around the world, the 4th Singapore Short Film Festival celebrates the independent mind and the spirit of experimental film. Featuring films from the UK “Heartlines” series by EM Media in association with the UK Film Council, the Singapore premiere of “Kichiro” by Kelvin Sng, and talks on short filmmaking.

Programme

Day 1: 13 March, Thursday

Londres-London / UK-Singapore / 2007 / 11 min / Eva Tang
Kichiro / Singapore / 2006 / 19 min / Kelvin Sng
Voor een paar knikkers meer (For a Few Marbles More) / The Netherlands / 2006 / 11 min / Jelmar Hufen
Cianosis (In the Name of God) / COUNTRY YEAR / 30 min / Rokhasareh Ghaem Maghami
My Keys / Singapore / 2007 / 8 min / Ting Szu Kiong

Day 2: 14 March, Friday

Flicker / Singapore / 2007 / 9 min / Aroozoo Wesley Leon
Stick Boy / Singapore / 2007 / 4 min / Putnam Trumbull
The Imaginary Girl / UK / 2007 / 10 min / Richard Porter
Fun Today / Israel / 2005 / 14 min / Hagar Ben-Asher
I Met A Real Streety Once / Australia / 2007 / 21 min / Caroline Ingvarsson
Circle / UK / 2007 / 9 min / Mehul Desal
Tango Trois / Australia / 2006 / 8 min / Gracie Otto
Popped Collar / Singapore / 2007 / 7 min / Robert Skinner

Day 3: 15 March, Saturday

Heroes / New Zealand / 2005 / 9 min / Julia Reynolds
Fruitful / Singapore / 2006 / 15 min / Pigeon+on
Cheerleader / USA / 2005 / 26 min / Kimberlee Bassford
Shadowline / UK / 2007 / 10 min / Dan Seagrave
Foreign Domestic Worker / Singapore / 2007 / 5 min / Eric Flanagan
Lady Margaret / UK / 2007 / 10 min / Deborah Haywood
Flying Saucy / USA / 2006 / 9 min / Marie Losier

Day 4: 16 March, Sunday

Masters Of Ceremony / Singapore / 2007 / 13 min / Rich Ho
Ema Shel Shabat (A Shabbos Mother) / Israel / 2005 / 30 min / Inbar Namdar
Majidee / Malaysia / 2006 / 15 min / Azharr Rudin
Mai Fu (Ambush) / Taiwan / 2006 / 14 min / Koi Leong Tian
Over the Hill / UK / 2007 / 8 min / Peter Baynton

Day 5: 17 March, Monday

The Island of Good Life / Portugal-India / 2007 / 25 min / Merces Tomaz Gomes
Goh Poh Seng / Canada / 2007 / 15 min / Almerinda Travassos
Anfaengerfehler (Beginner’s Mistake) / Austria / 2007 / 3 min / Christian Horlesberger
For Memories / USA / 2006 / 14 min / Wing-Yee Wu
I Don’t Know You / Singapore / 2006 / 4 min / Amanda Tan
Man With Camera / Singapore / 2007 / 22 min / Daphne Tan

Singapore International Film Festival

• 28 March – 14 April 2008
• The Substation
  45 Armenian Street
  http://www.substation.org
• 6337 7535
• Tickets from Sistic

The Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF) turns 21, and is armed with work shops, and more than 200 films from 40 countries to mark its coming of age.

Films like Arabs and Terrorism, Death In The Land of Encantos, Flower in the Pocket, Waiting for Love, Jihad for Love, American Zombie, Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens and more will be screened at The Substation.

More details on the festival’s fringe programme at The Substation can be found at http://www.filmfest.org.sg/index.php

Short+Sweet Singapore 2008

• 15 February to April 2008
• Living Room, The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane
• Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
  $30 per person (not incl $1 handling)
  * Scriptwriting is a two part course - $50 for the two sessions (not incl $1 handling)
  
• http://www.theartshouse.com.sg

Don’t miss the second season of Short+Sweet Singapore - the biggest little play festival in the world.

This innovative and fresh theatre festival will feature 40 ten-minute plays that showcase the best of Singapore’s established and emerging writers, directors and actors.
So be prepared for an exciting mix of comedy, murder, betrayal, and romance with a dollop of sex thrown in. And that’s just in the first ten minutes!

For more information, check out the Singapore Short+Sweet website.
(http://singapore.shortandsweet.org/)

Programme:
Friday 15 February 08
7 – 10pm -    Scriptwriting Part I*

Sunday 17th Feb 08
10am – 1pm - Auditioning
2 – 5pm - Acting
7 – 10pm - Composing for the Theatre:  Lyrics and music

In Blue Room
6 – 9pm Scriptwriting Part II*

April 2008 (dates TBC)

Friday 11th April       Directors (Beginning) Workshop (Part II) 
Saturday 12th April     Acting Workshop              
Sunday 13th April       Auditioning Workshop                    
                        Directors (Intermediate/Experienced) Workshop

House: A one-man theatre show

• 28 February to 1 March 2008, 8pm
• The Substation
  45 Armenian Street
  http://www.substation.org
• 6337 7535
• Admission: $15 available at the door

House is best described as ‘a sit-down, stand-up comedy nightmare.’ Packed with secrets and lies, the audience sifts through plots and punch lines looking for the truth; the mystery of why that man up there is recounting his life. At the heart of the play is Victor’s need for camaraderie.

Each sound cue, each shaft of light and each funny-disturbing line contributes to the experience of this fully three-dimensional House.

For more information, please contact Dylan George on 9223 7665.

Boundaries…dreams…beyond…

• 28 to 29 March, 8pm
• Guinness Theatre
• $20 from http://www.gatecrash.com.sg from February onwards
• http://www.gatecrash.com.sg

This dance production sees Raka Maitra drawing from her classical training background to create her own unique dance vocabulary. Going back to her roots in Odissi and Chhau, she choreographs movements that delve on themes of freedom, boundaries, dreams and moments. Boundaries…dreams…beyond… also features music by Philip Tan, vocals of Bhagya Murthy and visuals by Chan manloon.

Circus

• 18 - 19 April 2008, 8 pm
• The Substation Theatre
  45 Armenian Street
  Singapore 179936
  http://www.substation.org/
• 6337 7535
• Admission: $10
  From The Substation Theatre
  45 Armenian Street
  Singapore 179936
  http://www.substation.org/

Since 2006, visual/performance artists Effendy, Rizman, and other invited artists have invaded The Substation once a year to surprise and provoke, through presentations of collaborative work created through a process of improvisations and intense workshops. This year, Effendy and Rizman are joined by musician-performers Sabrina Annarhar and Fredi Sonderegger.

GREY Festival 2008: A Celebration of Indian Contemporary Dance

• 23 - 27 April 2008
• The Substation Theatre
  45 Armenian Street
  Singapore 179936
  http://www.substation.org/
• 6337 7535
• $28 and $18 (students)
  For workshops, fees at $30 and $15 (students)
  Talks: Admission is free
  
  From The Substation Box-office

Organised by independent artistes Jayanthi Siva and Raka Maitra, Singapore’s first festival dedicated to Indian contemporary dance GREY festival debuted in 2007. This five-day celebration of dance and the contemporary arts returns in 2008, bringing together emerging and distinguished practitioners of dance and theatre from Singapore, India and other parts of the world.

There will be dance workshops, discussion forums, nightly performances and a video screening.

GREY festival passes for the entire event are available at $80 and $50 (students). For more information, special packages and discounts, please contact Jayanthi Siva at jayanthi@hotmail.com and 81726800, or Raka Maitra at rakamaitra@hotmail.com and 91295110.

SEMINAR – Capturing the Family Audience by Academy Award Winner Pamela Wallace & Kathie Fong Yoned

• 26 -28 February 2008, Tuesday – Thursday, 9.30 am – 5 pm
  Fee (for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents): S$200.00
  
• Full Fee: S$700.00 per person
  S$200 (For Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents)
  
  Tel: +6597625681
  Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with your name, company details and contact details.

In this 3-day intensive, Oscar-winning screenwriter Pamela Wallace (co-writer, WITNESS) and former Disney executive and consultant Kathie Fong Yoneda (author, The Script-Selling Game) will cover—what makes family entertainment projects so popular?  What are the psychological considerations when writing a family film/TV series?  How to develop your theme and premise? 

Via lecture, film clips and interactive group exercises, you’ll create loglines, dialogue and how to structure a solid storyline.  On the last day, you’ll have a rare opportunity to utilize what you’ve learned by pitching your project to Pam and Kathie, receiving instant feedback from these two Hollywood insiders. 

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None for this issue

Job Openings!

Recruiters like Lucasfilm Animation Singapore is on the lookout for candidates to join their studio, you might also get a chance to enroll in the Jedi Masters Program!

Contact rubix cube communications to reserve a seat or to be on our mailing list:
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  |  Call: 6735 5932
*Deadline for signing up for Portfolio Workshop: 7 March 2008*

Teenage Ancient (by The Substation’s Associate Artist, George Chua)

• 27 April - 7 May 2008
  11 am to 8 pm daily, closed on public holidays
  Opening: 26 April, 7.30pm
  
• The Substation Gallery
  45 Armenian Street
  Singapore 179936
• 6337 7535
• Admission is free.

The Substation’s Associate Artist George Chua spends his teenage years
listening to bands like “My Bloody Valentine,” “Jesus and Mary Chain” and
Velvet Underground.” Tapping into these influences and harnessing the primal energy of rock, he produces his latest multi-channel sound art installation Teenage Ancient.

Teenage Ancient strips rock music of its decorative and performative constituents. In the process, the artist maps out the core aspects of rock music, bringing to attention an oft-overlooked side of rock history.

FleaFlyFloFun

• 12 April 2008, Saturday
  4 pm – 10 pm
  
• Home Club, Riverwalk
• 91813142 / 98577999
• $35 per stall

FleaFlyFloFun is an Indie-Ecentric-Eclectic Flea Market for treasure hunters and music lovers. It’s usually held at HOME Club and it happens once every 2 months. If you’re keen on having a stall, just email us and we’ll send you the booking details.

http://community.livejournal.com/fleaflyflofun
Flea.Fly.Flo.Fun@gmail.com

Artwriting Workshop (by Lee Weng Choy)

• 3 & 10 April 2008, Wednesdays
  12 June, Wednesday (Discussion of articles)
  7 pm – 9 pm
  
• The Substation
  45 Armenian Street
  http://www.substation.org
• 6337 7535
• 3 Sessions @ $60
  From The Substation
  45 Armenian Street
  http://www.substation.org

In the workshop, participants will research art in general and local art in particular, and discuss their thoughts and interpretations. In the process, participants will learn more about contemporary art, but will also improve their writing and visual literacy skills.

Participants will be expected to write one article for the workshop. The workshop comprises three sessions, of two hours each. The first two sessions take place over consecutive weeks, then there is a period of one month for participants to research and write, after which the group reconvenes to discuss their articles. Maximum ten participants.

Lee Weng Choy is an art critic and Artistic Co-director of The Substation. His essays have been published widely in Asia, Australia, Europe and the US, in magazines, books, and exhibition catalogues. He has conducted several writing workshops, and is regularly invited to speak at international conferences.