Puppets of Singapore
Outdoor performances are quite common and well attended in the city of Singapore. When travelers visit the island they are many options for experiencing the local flavor of this island that is steeped in tradition and culture. Whether it’s in the many food hawker squares, to the gardens, to the five star hotels in Singapore, one is in for a memorable trip. A very specific type of festivals are the puppet festivals. Each year, various companies travel through Singapore, or are from the city itself and put on shows, offer classes to the public. And what is specific to many performing arts festivals is the tendency to acknowledge and attempt to change society through the exposure to those who may have never had the opportunity to attend the performances or to take the classes. In countries all over the world, the arts seem to be fading into a thing of the past. Fading, in the way that they are pushed aside through budget cuts. Tradition and ritual and cultural heritage is a driving force behind the arts. And it is not different for the Singapore International Puppet festivals. Most of the festivals and the people involved, are intent in exposing those otherwise in the dark, in opening up a world of expression and opportunities not otherwise accessible. The classes offered are geared towards promoting social awareness and the integration of cultures.
One such festival, originating in 2002, started in Africa. Within two years, the festival had grown to include countries from around the world. France, the USA, Austria, Germany and Singapore have joined and perform, offered workshops and promoted healing through the arts. Theater has a reputation for acknowledging and illustrating and questioning society, and the troubles and joys involved with being a human being in general. Necessary for world well being is cooperation and understanding. And the performances and classes provide a means to express, a way to enjoyment, to forget or to emphasise that which is most important. These festivals are collaborative, involving people from various countries, the performers and writers and the public. One such example, which keeps traditions alive, is focused on honoring the dead. This is known as the Hungry Ghost Festival and is practised and participated in China, Malaysia and Singapore. Long time superstitious beliefs suggest that the dead pay visits to the living. This festival, that occurs in the seventh month of every year, pays homage to those who have passed. Through feasts, and music, and shows the ghosts are acquiesced and honored. The hungry ghosts, and those alive as well, are fed and tributes and sacrifices insure that the remembrance and honor is paid to those due. Traditional performances of the Teochews and Hokkien are participated in and attended, much like the South American tradition of ‘Dia de los Muertas’. This event is a joyous one, not macabre or sad, and is an event that anyone traveling to these regions will appreciate and be able to relate to their own lives, regardless of their belief system or homeland traditions.
Related posts:
- Malaysian Dance, Music, and Theater
- Showcase Singapore, a Bi-annual Exhibit
- ZoukOut Singapore
- Ghost Offerings in Singapore
- Chimes of Singapore
