If you were in school in the late 1980s or early 1990s, and just discovering that there was this strange and magical wellspring inspiration, edification and entertainment called "the arts", you might remember going to The Substation to see your first play sans parents or Disney singing, watch your first foreign film that didn't star Gerard Depardieu, or listen to the first musical performance that wasn't mandated by an extra-curricular activity in school.
The Substation's been running for more than 16 years as Singapore's only independent contemporary arts centre. Like all arts centres, there's never enough money to make everything happen the way they dream of things happening.
So some people have pitched together to organise a fundraiser for the Substation tonight: "The Garden Re-lived! Readings for The Substation". For $25 ($18 for students), you get a drink at Timbre (the cafe in The Substation's garden) and to listen to local artists and musicians read and perform their own work. The line-up runs from 7.30 to 9:30 pm, and includes Robert Yeo, Yong Shu Hoong, Koh Tsin Yen, Dr Leong Liew Geok, Paul Tan, Cyril Wong, Teng Qian Xi and Ng Yi-Sheng.
Yes, yes, the last two in that list are my friends and the event is directed by another friend, Jonathan Lim, but that's not (the only reason) why you should go. You should go because Singapore needs arts venues and programming the way a healthy child needs to read books outside of what his school tells him to read, to go run and tumble in a dirty field every so often, and to have time to sit and stare and do nothing and let his mind wander. You should go because an independent arts centre is good to have in any society, but particularly important in Singapore, where strong alternative voices are few and far between.
Hell, you should just go 'cause what's $25 these days anyway? The price of 1.5 CDs, the cost of a mediocre dinner at a conveyor-belt sushi place or cafe serving up prefab meals, the fare on a cab ride to and from downtown during peak hours from anywhere beyond Bedok, Clementi or Ang Mo Kio.
Timbre at The Substation. Tonight, 7:30 - 9:30 pm.
Go lah.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, Singapore arts, Substation, The Substation, independent arts
Labels: Singapore stories
2 Comments:
Ah yes... Before Timbre was the Fat Frog... and before the Fat Frog was... ?
Eh, in the 1980s or early 1990s, I went to see David Copperfield -- twice.
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