Cabbies, pre-schooler star in 3-in-1 PAssionArts Fest

Four-year-old Wee-Ann will be performing in a Chinese opera with her grandmother and mother in the upcoming PAssionArts Festival.
Four-year-old Wee-Ann will be performing in a Chinese opera with her grandmother and mother in the upcoming PAssionArts Festival. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

The People's Association's (PA) annual arts festival will host three separately themed mini-fests for the first time this year, it announced yesterday.

This year's PAssionArts Festival will feature a theatre festival, a Chinese opera festival and a National Day art exhibition to create more opportunities for Singaporeans to take part in the arts at the community level, said Mr Nah Juay Hng, PA's group director for arts and culture.

Highlights include a theatre show by cabbies and an opera performance featuring four-year-old Goh Wee-Ann, her mother and grandmother. It will kick off this Saturday and run until Sept 30, and is expected to draw 30,000 visitors.

The Chinese opera festival, which will involve 45 opera groups spanning six dialects, will be held at Marine Parade Community Club and Queenstown Community Centre.

The National Day art exhibition will showcase some 250 artworks by residents and students. It will run in the days leading up to the Republic's 51st birthday at the National Library Building and Ulu Pandan Community Centre.

The theatre festival, which comprises three productions, will be held at various locations.

ComfortDelGro driver Alan Ho, 64, who has been a cabby for over 30 years, said he is excited but nervous to be one of the 25 actors in Taxi On-Call! Stories Of Taxi Drivers.

"Taxi drivers form a very tight community, and one of the stories is based on a real case where a colleague had a stroke and others took care of him," he said.

"It's good that we get a chance to tell people about what we do."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 16, 2016, with the headline Cabbies, pre-schooler star in 3-in-1 PAssionArts Fest. Subscribe