Free events at arts festival

Ron Arad. PHOTO: JOHN DAVIS
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BERND BORCHARDT
Kazutaro Nakamura. PHOTO: TOKYO METROPOLITAN THEATRE

Sifa Shares is a series of free events to bring audiences closer to the artists. This year's slate of events includes two films, two talks, one exhibition and one demonstration.

IN CONVERSATION WITH RON ARAD

What: Learn more about public art with Israeli artist Ron Arad in this 90-minute talk. He is responsible for the recent refurbishment of the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C. and a recent public artwork, Thought Of Train Of Thought, at London's St Pancras railway station. He is also working on a cancer treatment centre for the residents of the West Bank conflict zones in northern Israel, slated for completion in 2018.

Where: 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road

When: Sept 6, 7pm

2 FILMS: THE MOSCOW TRIALS & HATE RADIO

What: The Moscow Trials (86 minutes, in Russian with English subtitles) follows a three-day mock trial organised by Swiss director Milo Rau in Moscow - done in the style of political theatre - that was a response to the sentencing of Russian punk girl band Pussy Riot to two years' imprisonment following charges of hooliganism in 2012.

The trial involved artists, politicians, judges, lawyers and a jury of seven Muscovites. The "trial" was stormed by the authorities.

Hate Radio (55 minutes, in German, Kinyarwanda and French with English subtitles), also by Rau, examines the role of Rwandan broadcasting station Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines in inciting hatred during the period of the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Rau is the founder of film and theatre company International Institute of Political Murder, which is based in Switzerland and Germany. His work, Five Easy Pieces, about a child murderer, will be staged as part of Sifa from Aug 18 to 20.

Where: Screening Room, The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane

When: Aug 15, 7pm

A TALK BY STEFAN BLASKE: THE NEW ARTISTIC TRAJECTORIES OF MILO RAU/IIPM

What: In this 75-minute talk, Stefan Blaske, dramaturg of Rau's International Institute of Political Murder, will examine the political theatre works of the company. Participants will get an exclusive look at the trailer of its upcoming documentary, The Congo Tribunal, which looks at cases of violence and injustice in Eastern Congo.

Where: Victoria Theatre, 9 Empress Place, Dance Studio, Level 3

When: Aug 16, 7pm

KABUKI DEMONSTRATION: THE ART OF THE ONNAGATA

What: Learn more about the Japanese art form of onnagata, where male actors play female roles in kabuki. Actor Kazutaro Nakamura will go through how the female characters are stylised and presented in kabuki - from the vocal expressions to the delicate movements that convey a female presence. The demonstration is in Japanese with English translation.

Nakamura plays Richard III in the satirical play, Sandaime Richard, which runs from Sept 8 to 10 as part of Sifa.

Where: 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road

When: Aug 30, 7pm

THE KULA RING

What: This art exhibition references a ritual of gift exchanges between the inhabitants of the Trobriand Islands in Papua New Guinea, which form a circle. First shown in Weimar, Germany, the premiere of the exhibition in Asia at the festival will include a performative component done in collaboration with festival director Ong Keng Sen.

Where: 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road

When: Aug 17 to Sept 4; 11am to 10pm (Tuesday to Saturday), 11am to 6pm (Sunday), closed on Monday

•For more info, go to sifa.sg

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 02, 2016, with the headline Free events at arts festival. Subscribe