PAssionArts Festival gets 30,000 residents and youth involved in creating art works for Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park

Musicians from the Bishan Community Chamber Orchestra (right) together with fresh Graduates from La Salle College of the Arts (left) perform a contemporary dance item during the media preview of the PAssionArts Festival on June 14, 2017. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Vincent Seet, 46, who is a two-time stroke victim presenting his painting titled Environmental Protection and Development to the media during media preview of the PAssionArts Festival 2017 on June 14, 2017. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Fresh Graduates from La Salle College of the Arts practising their contemporary dance item in the rain before the media preview of the PAssionArts Festival 2017 held at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park on June 14, 2017. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Dancers performing in front of a Plank Art installation in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park as part of PAssionArts Festival 2017's media conference. ST PHOTO: LIAN SZU-JIN

To see how arty Singaporeans are, head to Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park from June 30 to July 2.

As part of the PAssionArts Festival 2017, half the park will be transformed into an art wonderland featuring some of the 20,000 wooden planks painted by 30,000 residents and youth.

The colourful 1.5m by 20cm planks are part of the festival's LandArts@Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

Other installations there include Senses, an art installation created by Band of Doodlers, a community of artists; Nanyang Polytechnic students; and Toa Payoh West-Balestier residents, showcasing more than 20 pairs of lips and moving eyes placed on trees to "bring life" to nature.

This art village is one of 48 that will spring up for the festival, an annual nationwide arts event organised by the People's Association. It runs from July 1 to Aug 5. Themed Arts of Wonder, One Nation, the event aims to use art to celebrate the creativity and innovative spirit of Singaporeans.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will launch the event at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park on July 1.

The festival, now in its sixth year, aims to attract 250,000 people to its events. Some 50,000 people are involved with co-creating works of art with local artists, compared to last year's edition, where 30,000 people took part.

People can look forward to more than 500 art activities and programmes island-wide, including visual art displays and performing arts.

"I found it really fun coming up with creative ideas for designing and painting the wooden planks with my friends," said Nur Farisah, 17, a student from ITE College Central, who painted four wooden planks showcasing Singapore as a Garden City with a group of 10 school mates.

Another highlight of the festival would be 10 ScienceArts installations at Science Centre Singapore. The works fuse art with maths and science, and were created by six local artists and 2,100 residents from Jurong JRC, Yuhua and Bukit Batok.

"The combination of science and arts for this festival was a fascinating and inspiring way to bring communities together to co-create," said Mrs Anne Dhanaraj, the Science Centre's senior director of education programmes.

One installation is Dancing Stars And Community Strength, a piece co-created by Singaporean artist Elda Webb and 700 residents from Jurong JRC, Yuhua and Bukit Batok. The piece is made out of cardboard and plastic cut outs that resemble stars when closed and become beautiful spheres when pulled. The art work was inspired by Hoberman spheres, which are isokinetic structures that resemble geodesic domes.

"Science and art are beautiful together. I am very thankful to be given the opportunity to contribute and bring more creativity to Singaporeans," said Ms Webb.

This year's festival also aims to promote photography as an art to celebrate Singapore's 52nd birthday.

Photography enthusiasts can look forward to the National Day Photography Exhibition: Scenes of Singapore Streets 2017 that will display photos of life in Singapore's neighbourhoods captured by local photographers and members of the public.

Visit www.facebook.com/PAssionArtsSG for information on festival programmes.

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