Asia-Europe Cultural Festival: 2023 Edition | Programme announced!

The Festival programme will be presented alongside the newly launched ASEF LinkUp | Asia-Europe Cultural Diplomacy Lab, a 3-day event that connects curators, arts managers and artists with diplomats and cultural attaches based in Singapore and the ASEAN region. The Lab aims to create new spaces for encounters and capacity building, where various agents involved in cultural diplomacy can meet and share knowledge.  

The Festival will open on 22 October with the Singapore première of the documentary film, The Perfect Motion, by French filmmaker Xavier de Lauzanne. The film tracks the creation of a production by Cambodia’s royal dancers called “Metamorphosis”, and the history of the Royal Ballet since 1906. The screening will be followed by a live dance performance from the Princess Buppha Devi Dance School and a Q&A session with its Director, HRH Prince Sisowath Tesso and the filmmaker.  

On the opening night, with the support of the Embassy of Estonia in Singapore, renowned Estonian director Teet Kask will present the theatre performance The Golden Temple. Inspired by Yukio Mishima’s novel “The Temple of the Golden Pavilion”, this piece is an ode to the undefined depth of the human condition. The original music score is performed live by a cello player and a singer that become the protagonists of the tale, together with two movement artists (one Estonian and one Japanese). For the re-stage of the performance in Singapore, the director has collaborated with Singapore-based cello player Robert Choi.  

On 27 October, with the support of the Embassy of Italy in Singapore, the Festival will present the dance performance X by Italian choreographer Olimpia Fortuni and sound artist Katatonic Silentio, with Malaysian dancer and choreographer January Low. This performance attempts to create a bridge and share a journey, nourished by Asian shamanic traditions and Western archetypal symbols. The dance performance is a collaboration between 3 artists, showcasing the importance of artistic exchange and cultural diversity. 

The Festival will culminate on 1st November at 5pm with a roundtable discussion, titled Framing the Future: Photography's Impact on Climate Awareness in Southeast Asia. This event is presented in collaboration with the Embassy of the Netherlands in Viet Nam and the NOOR Foundation. Bringing together talented photographers, journalists and scientists, this conversation will delve into the role of photography in shaping the narrative of climate crisis awareness in Southeast Asia.

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