It’s all about celebrating SingLit at annual literary festival Textures, and rightly so, since not all know that Singapore is brimming with unfound creative talent. And now, Textures 2023 is back at The Arts House after spending the last two years touring the heartlands. From January 6 to 15, there’ll be a lineup of more than 30 activities including live performances, pop-up bookshops, poetry recitals, and art exhibits.
This year’s theme Arrived Home is one that’s relatable in recent times. The somewhat abstract ideas surrounding home, belonging, and domesticity come to life at Textures 2023. Through a lineup of engaging activities, the festival cleverly gets us to question the very meaning of “home” itself and how we perceive it at different stages of our lives.
Here are three activities that we’re looking forward to at Textures 2023:
A Novel Idea: SingLit Edition
Female SingLit writers come to the forefront with this dramatised reading. Featuring the popular novels of Kirstin Chen, Erni Salleh, and Inez Tan, A Novel Idea promises a memorable reenactment directed by Samantha Black-hall and performed by actresses Serene Chen and Shafiqhah Efandi. Plus, these two award-winning actresses will be single handedly taking on all roles.
Dates: January 14 and 15 (3pm, 5pm, 8pm)
Venue: Play Den, The Arts House
Admission: $10 (Purchase tickets here)
Re-turning: Multilingual Poetry Reading with Calligraphic Performance
True to the theme of Arrived Home, this multilingual poetry recital conveys the various ideas of home – whether grounded as a physical space or a figurative concept in our thoughts. Four local poets display their talent in Singapore’s four national languages. Interestingly, the readings are accompanied by calligraphic performances too.
Dates: January 13 and 14 (8pm)
Venue: Chamber, The Arts House
Admission: Free with registration
The Multifaceted Corners of #05-478
Artist Priscilla Quek has fully recreated her family home – an unassuming unit located at #05-478. While cut-outs and stage-like props mimic commonplace objects you’ll find at home, this thoughtful setup invigorates our memories and even our attachment to spaces we call home. Join in the Artist & Curator Tour, a walk-and-talk sharing session held on January 6 to 7 (7.30pm) and January 13 to 14 (8.30pm).
Dates: January 6 to 26 (10am-10pm)
Venue: Gallery II, The Arts House
Admission: Free
Check out the full programme lineup for Textures 2023 at The Arts House.
