Singapore, 2 December 2022 – Organised by Arts House Limited, Textures, the annual literary festival that celebrates Singapore literature (SingLit) makes its comeback from 6 - 15 January 2023, in conjunction with the Light to Night (L2N) Festival and as part of the Singapore Art Week. After two years of bringing local literary arts to the heartlands, Textures 2023 returns home to where it first began, celebrating the nation’s diverse literary scene at the home of Singapore’s literary arts at The Arts House (TAH).
Curated by critically-acclaimed, multi-disciplinary artist Jason Wee for a third consecutive year, and with the theme aptly titled Arrived Home, the 2023 edition invites audiences to explore and question ideas of domesticity and belonging with programmes that highlight renowned local writers and their literary works. Completing the trilogy that started with Textures 2021: The Bottled City and Textures 2022: The Great Escape, Textures 2023 prompts audiences to reconsider what it means to return home, and the choices that are encompassed in one’s journey home.
Artistic Director Jason Wee said, “My inspiration for Textures 2023: Arrived Home came from my own reflection of what exactly constitutes home - the families, the spaces and the objects. After exploring various heartland venues in previous editions, it is apt to return to TAH for my final edition of Textures. My wish is to bring readers together in the heart of the city to engage with Singapore literature while considering the tender and bittersweet meanings we make of our homes and the journeys we take to return there.”
Back to the home of the literary arts
For the 2023 edition of Textures, visitors can look forward to a diverse range of programmes in celebration of the rich and diverse SingLit scene with programmes such as Cherita Hantu…Kembali (Ghost Stories…Returns), a thrilling collaboration with Hafidz Abdul Rahman which follows the journeys of four individuals through five stories, all entwined into one creepy showcase with an overarching theme of ‘the great return’.
Making its return after a two-year hiatus, A Novel Idea: SingLit Edition features three popular novels by Singaporean female writers: Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen, The Java Enigma by Erni Salleh, and This Is Where I Won’t Be Alone by Inez Tan. Bringing these novels to life, award-winning actresses Serene Chen and Shafiqhah Efandi will take the stage to perform all the various roles in the book in a condensed dramatised reading directed by Samantha Scott-Blackhall.
The well-loved TEXTURES Pop-up Book Stores also return once again to offer a spread of titles by Singaporean authors covering various genres and languages. For those who prefer reading in quiet solitude on their daily commute home, Read at Home comprises a library of e-books specially selected for Textures 2023 in collaboration with National Library Board, for readers of all ages to download and experience the different perspectives of home from a variety of local writers.
Where visual and literary arts combine
From left to right: Re-turning Calligraphy, artist impression of Dwelling
Marrying literary and visual art forms in the month of January, Textures 2023 presents Re-turning: A Multilingual Poetry Reading with Calligraphic Performance. Poetry meets calligraphy in this multilingual and multidisciplinary performance featuring four renowned local poets, AP Tan Chee Lay, Dr Azhar Ibrahim, K. Kanagalatha, and Eric Tinsay Valles that invites audiences to reflect on the concept of home through various languages and lenses.
Visitors can also expect exhibitions and installations spread across TAH such as Dwelling, an art installation by architect Vince Ong which explores the archetype of a house and what a home truly represents. In collaboration with The Substation and curated by Fajrina Razak, Multifaceted Corners of #05-478 is a recreation of artist Priscilla Quek's parental home which invites visitors to contemplate the relationships and mundane interactions of the everyday at home.
Family-friendly programmes beyond The Arts House
Going beyond TAH, Textures 2023 will continue its outreach programmes at new and returning venues, with close to 10 family-friendly programmes that allow attendees to experience local literature in fun and accessible ways. Happening at National Gallery Singapore, Read with Storyteller: Beware the Sunda Slow Loris and Other Singaporean Fables teaches parents how to make characters come to life with expressive storytelling skills and features a colouring activity to create their favourite animal character.
There will also be a host of multilingual family-friendly programmes at the Woodlands Regional Library, Ang Mo Kio Public Library and SAFRA Toa Payoh. These include a Chinese bilingual story and cartooning session for children aged 4 to 6 and a Malay programme for upper secondary school students and adults where author Farihan Bahron will be taking participants through the process of generating creative ideas from everyday life.
Sim Wan Hui, Director of Venue Programmes at Arts House Limited said, “We are excited to start off the year with Textures 2023, bringing together Singaporeans from all walks of life to explore the richness of local literary arts. In conjunction with the Light to Night Festival 2023, we invite everyone to contemplate what home means to them and experience our home-grown visual arts and literary offerings at The Arts House as well as partner venues all around our home, Singapore.”
For those who want more of Textures 2023, the festival will extend beyond the first two weekends of January with a line-up of family-friendly activities at SAFRA Toa Payoh from 10-12 February. CrossTalk, a digital programme in partnership with the National Library Board and National Archives Singapore that discusses Singapore writing across generations, will also remain accessible on Textures' microsite for visitors to listen to.
Please see Annex A for more programmes and ticketing information.
Follow #Textures2023 #ArrivedHome on:
Website: https://artshouselimited.sg/tah-textures-2023
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartshouse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theartshouse
For more information, please contact:
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Emily Teo Senior Associate Tate Anzur M: +65 8790 4998 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Gerald Peh Associate Tate Anzur M: +65 8533 3583 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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About Arts House Limited
Arts House Limited (AHL) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to enriching lives through the arts. AHL is the cultural place manager of Singapore's Civic District. It manages two key national monuments - The Arts House, a multidisciplinary arts centre with a focus on literary programming, and the Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, a heritage building that is home to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. It also runs performing arts space Drama Centre as well as three creative enclaves for artists, arts groups and creative businesses - the Goodman Arts Centre, Aliwal Arts Centre, and Stamford Arts Centre.
AHL organises the Singapore International Festival of Arts - an annual pinnacle performing arts festival; as well as the Singapore Writers Festival - a multi-lingual festival presenting the world's leading literary talents. In addition, AHL manages Our Cultural Medallion Story – the showcase on Singapore's Cultural Medallion recipients at The Arts House.
Arts House Limited is a public company limited by guarantee under the National Arts Council. First set up as The Old Parliament House Limited in 2002, it was renamed Arts House Limited in 2014. For more information, visit https://artshouselimited.sg/
Annex A: Textures 2023 Programme Lineup
Ticketed Programmes
| Date & Time | Venue | Programme | Price |
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6 Jan 2023, Fri 8pm to 9pm
7 and 8 Jan 2023, Sat 3pm to 4pm & 8pm to 9pm |
The Arts House, Play Den |
Cherita Hantu…Kembali
The return home and a parting gift. Three friends on a ghost-hunting adventure, but one is left stranded alone… or is she? An attempt to bring back a dead family member that went eerily wrong.
Following the success of the 2021 edition of Cherita Hantu, The Arts House collaborates with Hafidz Abdul Rahman once again to present Cherita Hantu...Kembali (Ghost Stories…Return). With an overarching theme of ‘the great return’, Cherita Hantu...Kembali follows the journey of four individuals through five stories, all entwined into one creepy showcase. Are you brave enough to join us?
Presented by Arts House Limited in collaboration with Hafidz Abdul Rahman, in conjunction with Textures 2023. Performed in Malay and English, with English surtitles. |
$20 per ticket |
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14 to 15 Jan 2023, Sat & Sun
3pm to 340pm: This is Where I Won’t Be Alone by Inez Tan
5 pm to 540pm: Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen
8pm to 840pm: The Java Enigma by Erni Salleh |
The Arts House, Play Den |
A Novel Idea: SingLit Edition
A Novel Idea is back! Lies and deceit, chasing answers across Asia, searching for one’s roots in an attempt to regain time, is what A Novel Idea: SingLit Edition has in store for its audience! Back again after a two-year Covid hiatus, the much talked about A Novel Idea will feature three popular novels by three Singaporean female writers: Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen, The Java Enigma by Erni Salleh and This Is Where I Won’t Be Alone by Inez Tan. Director Samantha Scott-Blackhall brings these novels to life on stage in a condensed dramatised reading, performed by award-winning actresses Serene Chen and Shafiqhah Efandi, who roll-up their sleeves to play ALL the various roles in the book! A literary treat not to be missed. |
$10 per ticket |
Free Programmes
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Date & Time |
Venue |
Programme |
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Programmes at the Art House |
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6 to 26 Jan 2023 |
The Arts House, Front Lawn |
Dwelling
One definition of dwelling that architects consider is a home with the hearth at its core. It shelters and nourishes the tired bodies, it comforts and heals the broken hearts, and it warms the souls of many to come. imagine a dwelling that gathers chit & chatter, filled with deep throated mirth, newspaper rustling, giggles and laughs, a soft humming.
Dwelling explores the archetype of a house, with core light bringing people together, to feed, to protect and to raise their spirits. The copper rods interact to create a consistent and persistent reverberation of that togetherness. Making aware that we are all but one and one in all in the wave of existence.
Dwelling is architect Vince Ong's response to Yeow Kai Chai’s One to the Dark Tower Comes. |
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6 to 26 Jan 2023 |
The Arts House, Gallery II |
The Multifaceted Corners of #05-478
Multifaceted Corners of #05-478, a solo exhibition by Priscilla Quek is a recreation of the artist’s parental home into an installation constructed of cut-outs, mimicking stage-like props set. Translating her inspirations from family’s old photographs into this immersive installation yet muted neutral colours, the works are placed and displaced among the cornered spaces as the artist contemplates recollecting hazy childhood memories. Tracing back to past experiences through this art-making form is the artist’s method of sentimental mnemonics. The works staged here, explore the dimensionality of the installation presented within the gallery space. This poetic-image installation invites viewers to occupy the space and find resonance in their relationship with their own home and its objects while reminiscing about their daily interactions within their homes.
This visual art exhibition is curated by Fajrina Razak and is a presentation by The Substation as part of Textures 2023. |
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Ongoing |
The Arts House, Level 1 |
Cultural Medallion (CM) Literary Pursuits
This popular onsite digital game designed to guide visitors through the CM showcase and introduce selected CM writers and artists will offer a version suitable for adults and another for young visitors.
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13 Jan 2023
730pm |
The Arts House, Gallery II
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Handwriting, The Shadow Box & We Need to Move... Again: Readings by Golden Point Award 2021 English Short Story Prize Winners
A reading by Sofia Mariah Ma, Dr Aaron Ho and Kurien Kalarickal of the Golden Point Award 2021 English Short Story winning works - Handwriting, The Shadow Box and We Need to Move... Again."
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14 Jan 2023
730pm |
The Arts House, Gallery II |
Clan: A Reading by Yeo Wei Wei
Join Yeo Wei Wei at this session as she reads excerpts from her most recent publication, Clan - a hybrid collection of stories and translations based on Soon Ailing's fiction
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13 to 14 Jan 2023
8pm to 915pm |
The Arts House, Chamber |
Re-turning: A Multilingual Poetry Reading with Calligraphic Performance
Re-turning is a new and powerful concept for thinking differently. Re-turning, in scholarship, refers to ‘slow scholarship’ and re-deliberating, re-flecting and re-considering. It is a re-turning and re-turning to the ‘same’ information and materials, so as to form, refine and re-create new and deeper understandings, which include multiplicities of realities and multilayers of meanings. Here, we return to, and reflect on, the concept of home again and again, in different languages and through different lenses.
This multilingual and multi-disciplinary poetry recital will portray a Re-turning and journeying back to our physical and psychological home – be it a post-Covid Singapore or our beloved domesticity and belonging. Through multilingual poetry readings of thought-provoking local poems, and with corresponding multilingual calligraphic performances brought to you for the first time on stage locally, this event features four renowned local poets, and will be presented in our four official languages.
Performed by: AP Tan Chee Lay, Dr Azhar Ibrahim, K. Kanagalatha and Eric Tinsay Valles.
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6 to 7 Jan 2023; 13 to 14 Jan 2023
7pm to 10pm |
The Arts House, Level 1 Corridor |
TEXTURES Pop-up Book Stores Come down to The Arts House this January to experience a spread of Singapore writings by our local book retailers! Mahayuyi, Booktique and Dakota Dreams will offer a grand feast of over 100 titles for everyone to enjoy. So dive into the array of new and pre-loved books and bring them home with you!
Dakota Dreams was set up by a group of retirees in 2021 with a social cause -- the bookstore also serves as a space for seniors to hang out. Booktique has been around for nearly a decade and sells books at events and via catalogues. Mahayuyi, established in 1969, is a mainstay of local Chinese bookstores.
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6 to 26 Jan 2023 |
The Arts House, Level 1 Corridor |
Read at Home
Read At Home is a library of e-books specially selected for Textures 2023, in collaboration with NLB. Read At Home welcomes readers of all ages to sample the richness of Singapore writing and publishing, and to take a little time to explore the different perspectives of home on their daily commute or in their quieter moments. |
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Outreach Programmes |
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7 Jan 2023
11am to 12pm |
Woodlands Regional Library Everest Room (level 4) |
"YOUR RELATIVES ARE WEIRD! 你的亲戚好奇怪!"
A bilingual story & cartooning Session with the DIM SUM WARRIORS 点心侠
Why do we find others "weird" but not ourselves? Creator/Cartoonist Colin Goh reads this very funny story about differences in both English and Mandarin, and guides participants in a simple cartooning session.
This programme will be conducted in Chinese and English. Recommended age group: 4-6 years old |
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7 Jan 2023
130pm to 230pm |
Woodlands Regional Library Programme Zone (level 1) |
Bukan Biasa-Biasa (Not The Ordinary)
Bagaimanakah seseorang penulis itu mencari cetusan idea yang luar biasa daripada putaran hidup harian yang biasa-biasa? Bagaimana pula idea itu dikembangkan menjadi alur cerita yang mampu mencengkam minat para pembaca? Dalam sesi satu jam ini, para peserta akan diajak bersama menelusuri proses pemeraman idea kreatif bersama dengan Encik Farihan Bahron, penulis buku cerpen Kepala Kotak yang meraih Hadiah Sastera Singapura 2022 dalam kategori fiksyen.
---- How does a writer find the spark of extraordinary ideas from the mundane routine of everyday life? How then is the concept developed into a storyline that can capture the interest of the readers? In this one-hour session, the participants will be invited to go through the incubation process of creative ideas together with Mr. Farihan Bahron, writer of Kepala Kotak, the short stories book that won the Singapore Literature Prize 2022 in the fiction category.
This programme will be conducted in Malay. Recommended for upper secondary students and adults
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8 Jan 2023
1145am to 1230am |
Woodlands Regional Library Programme Zone (level 1) |
A peek into the world of Mist-Bound
The author of the multi-award winning and best-selling book “Mist-Bound: How to Glue back your Grandpa” will take audiences behind the making of Mist-Bound: its world and its creatures.
Recommended age group: Upper Primary (10 -12 years old)
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15 Jan 2023
1030am to 1115am |
Ang Mo Kio Public Library Programme Zone (level 1)
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What Ants Do on Stormy Days
Join us for an hour of storytelling and fun-filled drawing activities. Listen to the story of "What Ants Do on Stormy Days", learn how to draw yourself as an ant, and create a drawing of your ant family!
Recommended age group: 5 - 9 years old
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15 Jan 2023
1pm to 2pm |
Ang Mo Kio Public Library Programme Zone (level 1) |
迎新年贺新岁，享用美食不浪费 (Ushering The New Year with Good Food and No Waste)
与作者小寒见面，听她畅谈最新力作《食荒人》。她也将分享农历新年期间，如何在享用美食的当儿，不浪费食物。 Meet author Xiao Han and hear her talk about《食荒人》(Odds And Ends), her latest novel on food waste. She will also share tips on how to recycle, reduce and reuse food during Chinese New Year.
The programme will be conducted in Mandarin. Recommended for all age groups
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8 Jan 2023 & 14 Jan 2023
2pm to 3pm |
National Gallery Singapore Rooftop Studio (level 5) |
Read with Storyteller: Beware the Sunda Slow Loris and Other Singaporean Fables
Kickstart your reading sessions with some expressive skills that storytellers use. Discover simple methods that make you more confident and engaging when reading to your child and learn storytelling techniques that get characters leaping out of the pages! Read together with your child and join other families in this introductory session that encourages lively reading. Complete your book reading session with a colouring activity to create your favourite animal character.
Facilitated by The Storytelling Centre Limited. Recommended for parents with children aged 4 to 7 years. This is a parent-and-child session based on 'Beware the Sunda Slow Loris & Other Singaporean Fables' Picture books and simple colouring materials will be provided.
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10-12 February 2023 |
SAFRA Toa Payoh |
Textures will return to SAFRA Toa Payoh from 10-12 February 2023 with a line-up of family-friendly activities. |
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Digital Programmes |
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| 6 Jan 2023 onwards | Digital |
CrossTalk
CrossTalk continues in its second edition to discuss Singapore writing across generations. Listen to Jason Wee and his guests as they introduce recordings of pioneering writers in their younger voices, and the works and influences of these writers on contemporary writing. This year, Bani Haykal and Ila, Stephanie Chan and Aaron Maniam joins our host Jason Wee to discuss their recent activities alongside older writers drawn from the National Archives Singapore.
This digital programme is in partnership with the National Library Board and the National Archives Singapore. |