It's time for Singapore's annual celebration of Indian arts and culture with the 19th edition of Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts.
This year audiences can experience a hybrid explosion of onsite and online arts from November 20 to 29, 2020 as the festival takes on a new semi-digital avatar in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Following government announcements that live performances can resume from 1 November with the appropriate regulations in place, we are also pleased to welcome audiences back at Esplanade with live shows during Kalaa Utsavam,” says Rajeswari Ramachandran, Producer, The Esplanade Co Ltd.
The Tree of Life is the key visual of Kalaa Utsavam. A symbolic representation, with open arms, of new beginnings, positive energy, good health, wisdom and a bright future.
“We invite everyone to immerse yourselves in this uplifting atmosphere from 20 to 29 November and hope that the offerings this year, bring back the magical moments of experiencing the diversity of the Indian performing arts, once again”, adds Ramachandran on behalf of the Kalaa Utsavam team.
Kalaa Utsavam 2020 in a new avatar
Launched in 2002 as a three-day event, the now 19-year-old Kalaa Utsavam has grown to become an iconic fixture in the Lion city’s festive calendar.
The ten-day festival will have a hybrid grouping of onsite and online programmes, digital premiers, podcasts and live chats at the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay as well as on its Facebook page.
The virtual programmes not only give audiences the flexibility to watch it from the comfort of their homes or any preferred location but also allows them to choose the time, day and even the sequence of some of the programmes.
“In this 19th edition of Kalaa Utsavam, we throw the spotlight on the local Indian arts that has shaped Singapore’s cultural and arts scene in more ways than one,” says Ramachandran.
The festival highlights include three digital premieres: Amara – Dancing Stories of Banteay Srei by Apsaras Arts; Pallavi through Abstractions by Chowk Productions and Pathey Nimidam – 10-minute Tamil plays in collaboration with Ravindran Drama Group (RDG).
An array of free digital programmes include the annual Chakra-thon hindustani music performances by prominent artists from India as well as Podcast conversations with Zakir Hussain, Leela Samson, Arundhati Nag, Atul Kumar, Devdutt Pattanaik and Singapore artist Md Raffee.
LIVE performances of Classical dance and Carnatic music at Esplanade as well as LIVE dialogues on Kalaa Utsavam's Facebook page promise to engage the audience at multiple levels.
Stories for Solving promises to be an interesting activity for the entire family to crack puzzles together, while programmes catered specifically for kids keep them entertained as well.
