Singapore Nights Festival 2015 - Glitz and Glamour

Singapore Night Festival 2015
Image credit: ©Belinda Tan
Many thanks to Belinda Tan for giving permission to use this set of photos.

This year is Singapore's Golden Jubilee. To celebrate Singapore's 50th year of independence, the Singapore Night Festival this year is set to be on a celebratory and dazzling mood. There will be an exciting line-up of performances, aerial displays and light installations that will transform the festival grounds of the Bras Basah, Bugis district into an iconic night-time extravaganza of arts, culture and festivity. Bask in the Glitz and Glamour of the nights!

With a great variety of festival programmes, night lights and many other events happening over the two upcoming weekends, i.e. Fridays and Saturdays, 21 and 22 Aug, 28 and 29 Aug 2015, which will be the ones will be worthy to check out with our loved ones and friends?

Here are my picks that will be appealing to most of us:

Fields in Bloom.

Fields in Bloom
By School of the Arts (Singapore)
21 Aug to 29 Aug 2015
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
School of the Arts (SOTA), West Plaza Steps

Some of the most beautiful objects on Earth are made of the simplest and most common kind of material. This light installation is an interactive night light in which visitors will be invited to shine UV-torchlight on the paper flowers have been painted with glow-in-light paint. Fields in Bloom seeks to inspire a sense of wonder and enchantment within a harsh concrete environment.

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SPARK!
One of their roving performances. At Armenian Street.

Singapore Night Festival 2015
SPARK! By World Beaters Music LLP (UK)

Image credit: ©Belinda Tan

SPARK!
By World Beaters Music LLP (UK)
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015

Roving Performance begins at School of the Arts (SOTA)
School of the Arts (SOTA) steps: 7.30 p.m. - 7.50 p.m.,
Singapore Management University, Campus Green/ Festival Village: 8.30 p.m. - 8.45 p.m.,
Armenian Street: 9.30 p.m. - 9.50 p.m.,
National Museum of Singapore: 11.10 p.m. - 11.30 p.m.
(Performance times are approximate)

For music lovers who love to be on the move, please join five mysterious characters made of light and sound on an immersive journey through the festival grounds. These drummers will be dressed in fascinating LED light to interact with the audience. Expect a performance involving high-impact drumming, exuberant music, beautiful lighting design, dynamic choreography and dazzling costumes. How far will you be able to follow them through their journey?

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The Garden of Fire and Light
Starlight Alchemy
Singapore Art Museum Front Lawn

Photo credit: ©Ng Cheng Kiang
Starlight Alchemy.
Singapore Night Festival 2015.
Many thanks to Ng Cheng Kiang for giving me permission to use this beautifully taken photo.

The Garden of Fire and Light
By Starlight Alchemy
21 and 22 Aug 2015
8.00 p.m., 9.30 p.m., 11.00 p.m.
Singapore Art Museum, Front Lawn

Fire, LED light and the magic of choreography - all these elements combined with a variety of aerial and large custom-made fire props and LED technology performance props to bring together spectacular performances by the Starlight Alchemy.

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A Little Nonya's Dream.
Photo Credit: ©Belinda Tan

A Little Nonya's Dream
By Brandon Tay (Singapore), Stéphanie Ronzon (France) and Fred Multier (France)
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
National Museum of Singapore, The Salon, Level 1

This night light is an enduring pop-up projection mapping that appears as an 'open book' in a dark room. This installation tells of the dreams of the Nonya girl through the animations by three different animators. I like the background music too.

Tip: This is best appreciated when there are less than fifty people in The Salon. We will be in great luck if there are less than ten persons in The Salon to savour this miniature night light together.

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The Anooki Celebrate Singapore

The Anooki Celebrate Singapore
By David Passegand and Moetu Batlle (France)
21 Aug to 29 Aug 2015
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
National Museum of Singapore, Façade

In the tropical climate of Singapore, would there be times when we have wishful-thinking that we could be in the icy cold Arctic? In this night light installation, the Anooki, the world's smallest and adorable Inuits come to the National Museum of Singapore to celebrate Singapore's 50th year of independence with their dances and songs. The Anooki reminded me of this key-word: resilience.

Tip for visitors with young children and visitors who prefer to stay away from the crowd: Consider checking out this night light installation from 23 - 27 Aug 2015, 7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. instead. It is expected that there will be less of a crowd from 23 - 27 Aug 2015. This would mean that your family will be more likely to enjoy this heartwarming night light installation at your own pace. Bring along a picnic-mat to lie down and enjoy The Anooki Celebrate Singapore.

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Pixels Wave 2015.
National Design Centre.

Pixels Wave 2015
By Miguel Chevalier (France) with Carolyn Kan and Depression (Singapore)
21 Aug to 29 Aug 2015
7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. (Sun - Thu)
7.30 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. (Fri and Sat)
National Design Centre, Atrium Level 1
111 Middle Road

The festival seems to love the idea of magic. The giant light carpet inside the National Design Centre featuring multi-coloured graphic scenes and geometric patterns that react to visitor movement and interaction will transport visitors to a brand new world. I am reminded of the 1001 nights from Arabian Nights. Do not be alarmed if the kaleidoscopic floor feels as if it was shifting. This is optical illusion at work.

Tip: Take a lift up to the 3rd level of the National Design Centre and enjoy a view of Pixels Wave from a greater height.

Pixels Wave 2015.

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In addition to the above-mentioned picks, please customize and design your own Singapore Night Festival 2015 itinerary by browsing through the Singapore Night Festival 2015's festival website: http://nightfest.sg

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Eat@Festival Village
SMU Green
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
SMU Campus Green

Nomad - The Gallant will be serving specialty coffee at the Singapore Night Festival.
Find them at Stall #11 at Eat and Shop @Festival Village, SMU Green.
One of the best way to stay awake throughout the night is to treat ourselves to a cup of specialty coffee.

For people who would like to treat themselves with dinner or supper before they embark on a Singapore Night Festival's adventure, please take note that there will be a series of food and beverage as well as merchandise stalls at the Festival Village at the Singapore Management University (SMU), Campus Green from 6.00 p.m. to 2.00 a.m. during the two weekends of the Singapore Night Festival 2015. So it could help to start the journey from Bras Basah MRT station for friends who are taking public transport.

Healthy and Hearty Salads, Wraps and Greens from SWAG.
SWAG offers various varieties of salads and wraps, including wraps and salads for the vegetarians.
The wraps will be prepared upon order.
Find Swag at Stall #4 at SMU, Campus Green. Eat and Shop@Festival Village.

Spinacas
For Nachos and Meaty Nachos.
At SMU, Campus Green. Eat and Shop@Festival Village.

More information on Eat@Festival Village can be found here: http://nightfest.sg/festivals-programmes/programmes/festival-village-eat-and-shop

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Singapore Night Festival 2015
21 Aug and 22 Aug 2015
28 Aug and 29 Aug 2015
Free admission
http://nightfest.sg
https://www.facebook.com/brasbasahbugis

Zone 1: National Museum of Singapore (The main festival zone)
Zone 2: Armenian Street (The edgy and experimental festival zone where music, song and dance take centre stage)
Zone 3: House of Glamour (An eclectic mix of ticketed local performances on Cathay Green)
Zone 4: Festival Village (Local bands, buskers, flea market and pop-up food kiosks)
Zone 5: SAM and Queen Street (The artistic activities gather here)

Festival Tip: Choose one or two zones from this year's Singapore Night Festival 2015 and focus on enjoying what the zone/s has to offer for the night. After which, visit the Singapore Night Festival on another night to check out another zone.

Festival Tip #2: Travel by public transport, especially by MRT train, as there will be road closure and slow traffic on the roads of the vicinity. The nearby MRT stations are: Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut and City Hall.

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You could also read the following blogs and websites which write about the Singapore Night Festival 2015:

Bellaella's Inspirational and Exploration

The Long and Winding Road, by Jerome Lim: Inuits will paint the town red this weekend

Photojournalist, by Jinghui: Singapore Night Festival 2015 -21st and 22nd Aug

Vanessa Mostafa's Night Festival 2015 Singapore - featuring World Beaters Music LLP

Cheekie Monkies' Top Picks of Singapore Night Festival for Families

Dejiki's Singapore Night Festival

The Smart Local's 10 Reasons You Must Visit The Singapore Night Festival This Year

Coconuts Singapore's Singapore Night Festival 2015: 10 Showcases you have to catch this weekend and next

Sassy Singapore's Singapore Night Fest 2015

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Credits:

Specially thanks to National Heritage Board for the invitation to the media preview of the Singapore Night Festival. Lots of thanks to Ms Belinda Tan and Mr Ng Cheng Kiang for their beautifully taken photographs and for granting me permission to share their photographs on this post.

Night Festival 2012: Feel younger at heart this weekend at the festival

Mylar - FUERZABRUTA
Image credit: Ozono Producciones.

Last weekend, the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct was transformed into a dazzling and spectacular playground, thanks to the Night Festival 2012 presented by the National Heritage Board.

After hours of partying at the festival last weekend, will there be any more good reason to visit the Night Festival 2012 again this upcoming weekend?

The answer is clearly a "Yes". The new programmes at this upcoming weekend's Night Festival 2012 with their extravagance and novelty are likely to influence the audience to feel younger at heart. Find your way to the Night Festival on 31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012!

One of the performers from Ozono Producciones.
Image credit: Derrick See

If it helps you in your endeavours to feel younger at heart, please make your way to the following programmes at the Night Festival this weekend:

FUERZABRUTA
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
Mylar | 8.45 p.m., 9.45 p.m., 10.45 p.m.
Corredoras | 8.30 p.m., 9.30 p.m., 10.30 p.m.
Venue: Singapore Management University Green
These performances by Ozono Producciones (Argentina) are set to break free from the confines of the spoken language and theatrical convention. The mind-blowing visual effects and the powerful experiences will prove to remind the young at heart that taking calculated risks and experimenting beyond the conventional could be worthwhile in the long-run.

In Mylar, four dancers slip and slide in rapturous motions in a translucent 15-metre pool that will be suspended eventually just inches above the heads of the audience.

Mylar - FUERZABRUTA
Image credit: National Heritage Board.

For an experience of a magical stage where two elegant dancers somersault and dive at a fast speed across a large silver screen, be sure to watch Corredoras.

Corredoras - FUERZABRUTA.
Image credit: National Heritage Board.

Corredoras - FUERZABRUTA.
Image credit: Ozone Producciones.

FUERZABRUTA - La Argentina. 
The Analog Girl | Kiat | Dharni | Bloco Singapura 
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
8.30 p.m., 9.30 p.m., 10.30 p.m.
Venue: Armenian Street
If celebrating through music and dances entices you, find your way to the Armenian Street (where there will be road closures from 8 p.m. - 2 a.m.) and re-experience how it would have been during the celebration of the Bicentenary of the Argentinean Independence. Feel joyful. This is one of the gifts of being younger at heart!

In the performance that is named La Argentina, a crane holds an athletic dancer in the air. Nearby, musicians from Bloco Singapura pound and strum on the drums. The music is likely to get people to start dancing with the beat. Isn't this a great way to feel younger at heart?

Tip: To enjoy the music from these engaging performances better, it will help to bring along a pair of good earplugs to protect the ears. It will also help to wear comfortable shoes so as to keep up with the pace of the performance when it moves from one part of Armenian Street to another.

Fuerzabruta - La Argentina.
Night Festival 2012.

Flying in the air! La Argentina.
Image credit: Derrick See.

La Argentina. Be transported to a land of fantasy and movement.
Image credit: Derrick See.

Night Painting | Cast in Light
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012 
8.30 p.m., 9 p.m., 10 p.m., 11 p.m.
Venue: Vanguard Builing, 71 - 77 Stamford Road, Singapore.
This performance will add a touch of artistic flair to the historical Vanguard Building, which used to be the former MPH Building. Imagine the two performers - one in darkness, one in light - exploring and interacting with the architecture of the building and the office-like spaces in their voyeuristic adventure.

To appreciate this performance, it is essential to have a youthful outlook to appreciate the interesting sense of humour that the two performers, Li Cassidy-Peet and Terry Wee, have. Thankfully, being young at heart does not mean that one has to abandon one's memories of the former MPH building.

Night Painting. At Vanguard Building.
Night Festival 2012.

Vanguard Building. Former MPH Building.

Fish Tank at No. 8 
Venue: No. 8 at SAM at 8Q, 8 Queen Street.
This is a light installation that people are likely to smile and to delight in. This live virtual aquarium with its giant red fishes looks so life-like that it will earn a heartfelt smile from each of its visitors. Laughter and smiles could potentially help a person feel younger at heart. Why not consider catching this light installation even though it is not new to this year's Night Festival?

Fish Tank at No. 8.

Free Running
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
8 p.m., 9 p.m., 10 p.m.
Venue: Handy Road Open Park, in front of The Cathay. 2 Handy Road.
If you have missed this last weekend, there is still a chance to do so this weekend. Phenomenal free runners of Ashton Movements Agency will entertain audiences with awe-inspiring moves involving rolling, climbing, jumping through obstacles with creative manoeuvres and more.

Before watching the performance, the young and enthusiastic ones may like to be registered for the special workshops to learn the fundamentals of free running. This workshop will be conducted by the finest practitioners in Singapore.

In these workshops which will take place from 6.30 p.m. - 7.30 p.m. during the Night Festival, participants will learn the basics such as landing and the fastest way to overcome a wall. To register, please email askme@thepresentingcompany.com or call Tel: 6438-6466/ 8139-4766.

Night Festival 2012. Free Running. Handy Road Open Park.

Essentially, it is possible to feel younger at heart this weekend simply by attending the Night Festival 2012!

On the other hand, if you prefer to reminisce and to be nostalgic, please visit this link for some ideas: Interesting Night Festival 2012 programmes for the nostalgic folks.

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To help you to plan your time at the Night Festival, here is a suggested itinerary for your consideration:

8.00 p.m.: Free Running.
8.15 p.m.: Start walking to Singapore Management University Green.
8.30 p.m.: Fuerzabruta – Corredoras
8.45 p.m.: Fuerzabruta – Mylar
9.15 p.m.: Start walking to Armenian Street.
9.30 p.m.: Fuerzabruta – La Argentina |The Analog Girl | Kiat | Dharni | Bloco Singapura 
10.00 p.m. or 11 p.m.: Night Painting | Cast in Light

Updates (1 Sep 2012): Based on my personal observations at the Night Festival 2012, the actual performance timings for Mylar and La Argentina may vary slightly from the published information (about 15 to 30 minutes difference).

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Night Festival 2012
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Free admission
For more details, please visit: http://www.brasbasahbugis.sg/nightfestival

Nearest MRT stations: Bras Basah, City Hall, Dhoby Ghaut.

Night Festival 2012: Interesting programmes for the nostalgic folks

These two weekends, witness the transformation of the urban landscape of the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct into a dazzling and spectacular playground filled with performances and interesting surprises.

Presented by the National Heritage Board, Night Festival 2012 with its vibrancy and hype, provides the opportunities for people to come together to create new shared memories through the various engaging experiences at the festival. A careful scrutiny of the programme for Night Festival 2012 revealed that there are many interesting programmes that encourage visitors to recollect nostalgic moments, reflect on memories from the past and to reconnect with loved ones in this vibrant occasion.

For the people who are nostalgic at heart, here are some of the programmes that you may not want to miss:

Book Launch for Apache Over Singapore: The Story of Singapore Sixties Music - Vol. 1 by Joseph Pereira
31 Aug 2012 
7.30 p.m.
Select Books, 51 Armenian Street, Singapore 179939.

For the people who are inspired by the exciting pop scene in Singapore in the 1960s, join author, Joseph Pereira, who is one of Singapore's music veterans, in a book launch of the book Apache Over Singapore: The Story of Singapore Sixties Music - Vol. 1. At this book launch, Joseph Pereira shall share some very personal experiences and relive the heydays of the Singapore music scene! This is the event to attend if you love the music from the 1960s Singapore. I have a strong hunch that this event could provide the opportunity for music enthusiasts to rub shoulders with music veterans from that period.

Night Painting | Cast in Light
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012 
8.30 p.m., 9 p.m., 10 p.m., 11 p.m.
Venue: Vanguard Builing, 71 - 77 Stamford Road, Singapore.
This performance will draw the patronage of people like yours truly who fondly misses the glorious days of the former MPH Building. I fondly remember the times when I use to visit the MPH Bookstore that used to be located in the MPH Building to browse for a book to purchase. "Built in 1908, the MPH Building was originally known as the Methodist Publishing House but was later renamed Malaya Publishing House" (source: infopedia).

In this performance, performers Li Cassidy-Peet and Terry Wee explore and interact with the architecture and office-like spaces in an voyeuristic adventure and leave their mark.

I have no idea what mark they would make, but I now recall the wonderful aroma of coffee that used to linger in the air when I was visiting the former MPH Building more than a decade ago. What are your memories of the former MPH Building?

Vanguard Building. Former MPH Building.

Night Photobooth Analogue Style @ Peek!
24 and 25 Aug
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012 
7.30 p.m. - 12 midnight
Venue: 36 Armenian Street, #01-04/ 02-04, Singapore 179934 (opposite the Peranakan Museum).
Get your picture taken, the photo booth Analogue style! I thought it was a nostalgic way to capture the images of ourselves the analogue way. Night Festival goers can choose to get their picture taken with a range of Lomography cameras, a carefully refurbished Polaroid camera from The Impossible Project and so forth. This is a great reason to stay away from digital cameras for a brief moment.

The photo-taking sessions are free-of-charge. The photographs will be uploaded digitally onto the Facebook page of Peek! If you are lucky, you can request to take a photograph of yourself and your friends with a Polaroid camera so that you have a physical photograph of a treasured moment to keep as a memento.

Night Photobooth Analogue Style at Peek! Night Festival 2012.

Flash Tales in a Night by Singapore Footprints

24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012

31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012

8.30 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Venue: Singapore Management University Lee Kong Chian School of Business, along Stamford Road and Roving.

If you wish to re-experience one of the forms of entertainment before television became common, comb the Singapore Management University Lee Kong Chian School of Business and along Stamford Road to look for the extravagantly dressed story-teller who is busking on the streets. Be captivated by his entertaining stories and animated speech. If he has ended his story-telling abruptly, it could be because the joss stick that the story-teller is using to gauge the duration of each story-telling session has stopped burning.

Flash Tales in a Night. Courtesy of Singapore Footprints.

Nestle 1930s Street Stall
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Venue: National Museum of Singapore, Stamford Green (outside the museum building).
If you are nearby Stamford Green while searching for the roving story-teller who tells Flash Tales in a Night, look for the Nestle booth that features a street stall of the 1930s. This will surely transport you back in time.

The Nestle 1930s Street Stall offers each of its visitors a free cup of delicious NESCAFE White Coffee. If you are very lucky, the roving KIT KAT girls in old school uniforms may give out KIT KAT treats to you when you are nearby the stall.

At the Nestle booth, visitors can also relive some fond childhood memories through traditional games like five-stones and chapteh (feathered shuttlecock).

Nestle 1930s Street Stall. Night Festival.

The roving KIT KAT girls who have so kindly posed for a photograph so that you can know how to recognize them.

WE THE PEOPLE by Brian Gothong Tan (Facade Projection)
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Venue: National Museum of Singapore.
This facade projection by Brian Gothong Tan combines film, motion graphics and experimental animation, Brian's complex yet playful work, with soundscapes by award-winning composer Philip Tan. Suitable for all ages. Do not be surprised to see visual images on the projection that trigger memories of the past and of moments in Singapore's history.

WE THE PEOPLE. Night Festival 2012.

One Fine Day by Paper Monkey Theatre (Singapore)
24 and 25 Aug 2012 
8 p.m., 9 p.m., 9.30 p.m., and 10 p.m.
Duration: 10 minutes per show
Venue: National Museum of Singapore, Glass Atrium (2nd level).
Return to the days of watching puppet performances while sitting on the ground. The modern twist is that you can do so in the comfort of an air-conditioned environment! Paper Monkey Theatre presents One Fine Day, a shadow puppetry performance. The storyline is set in the context of the Singapore HDB (Housing and Development Board) flat. Take a peek into the homes of families living in the same HDB flat when it is 6 a.m. in the morning.

If shadow puppetry interests you, you may also like to join the shadow puppetry-making workshop that is at the other end of the Glass Atrium from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Night Festival 2012. Shadow-puppetry workshop. 24 and 25 Aug 2012.

The Wedding Dress: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
Free admission from 6 p.m. till 2 a.m. 
Venue: National Museum of Singapore, Exhibition Gallery 1, Basement.
Complete your quest for nostalgia by visiting the exhibition, The Wedding Dress: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion from the Victoria and Albert Museum. During the Night Festival, from 6 p.m. till 2 a.m., admission to this special exhibition will be free! Be enchanted by the superb collection of wedding dresses from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The wedding dresses can date back to as early as the 1800s Victorian era. Wedding dresses by celebrated designers, including Charles Frederick Worth, Charles James, Christian Lacroix, John Galliano, Norman Hartnell, Vera Wang, Vivienne Westwood and Zandra Rhodes are also being showcased at this exhibition.

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Night Festival 2012
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Free admission
For more details, please visit: http://www.brasbasahbugis.sg/nightfestival

Nearest MRT stations: Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut, City Hall.

Night Festival 2012: Highlights to enjoy within an hour

Image courtesy of National Heritage Board.

When the sun sets and the skies darken these upcoming two weekends (24 Aug and 25 Aug, 31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012), people in Singapore can expect to experience the hype and extravaganza of spectacular aerial performances, music, dance and installation artworks at the heart of the Bras Basah.Bugis precinct.

This year's Night Festival will be bigger than the previous night festivals. Stakeholders and partners from the Bras Basah.Bugis Arts and Heritage precinct community have come together to make this festival a success.

As arts and culture spill onto the streets at the Night Festival these two weekends, get ready to contain the splendor and excitement with your open-hearted presence.

There are numerous fascinating performances and events at this year's Night Festival. The festival stretches from Cathay building to Armenian Street. With such a wide spectrum of activities to choose from, here are some of the highlights to consider if you should only have an hour, or less, to spare this weekend.

WE THE PEOPLE by Brian Gothong Tan (Facade Projection)
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Venue: National Museum of Singapore (Building facade).
Brian Gothong Tan is one of the local contemporary artists to look out. I had the pleasure to see some of his previous art installations and found him to have a playful sense of humour.

This facade projection combines film, motion graphics and experimental animation, Brian's complex yet playful work, with soundscapes by award-winning composer Philip Tan. Suitable for all ages if you are ready to go for a colourful and surreal journey. This is a positive example of Night Festival 2012 providing commissions and platforms for local artists and musicians to showcase their art.

Night Festival 2012. WE THE PEOPLE.

One Fine Day by Paper Monkey Theatre (Singapore)
24 and 25 Aug 2012 
8 p.m., 9 p.m., 9.30 p.m., and 10 p.m.
Duration: 10 minutes per show
Venue: National Museum of Singapore, Glass Atrium (2nd level). 

The storyline of this shadow puppetry performance is set in the context of the Singapore HDB (Housing and Development Board) flat. Presented by Paper Monkey Theatre, the performance takes audience to a peek into the homes of families living in the same HDB flat when it is 6 a.m. in the morning. Watch how the puppets come alive to tell a story with a Singapore flavour in this performance. Please be prepared to sit on the floor for ten minutes to get a better view of the puppetry performance.

If shadow puppetry interests you and there is more time to spare, you may also like to join the shadow puppetry-making workshop that is nearby, from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

One Fine Day by Paper Monkey Theatre.

An example of a shadow puppet.

Circus Swingapore
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012 (Circus Kids)
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012 (Circus Swingapore Performers)
7.30 p.m., 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.
Duration: 15 mins per show
Venue: National Museum of Singapore, The Platform (2nd level).

Be entertained by the aerial spectacles performed by the Circus Kids and Circus Swingapore. I learnt that Circus Swingapore is Singapore's only School of Circus Arts with students ranging from 7 to 50 years old!

Circus Kids. Night Festival 2012. Photograph courtesy of Belinda Tan.

Circus Swingapore. Night Festival 2012.

Nestle 1930s Street Stall
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Venue: National Museum of Singapore, Stamford Green (outside the museum building).

On the way travelling from the National Museum of Singapore to the Singapore Art Museum, transport yourself back in time as you walk past the Nestle booth that features a street stall of the 1930s. Depending on the popularity of this street stall, you can hopefully spend minimal time to queue for and indulge in a free cup of delicious NESCAFE White Coffee.

If you are very lucky, the roving KIT KAT girls in old school uniforms may give out KIT KAT treats to you. While savouring the white coffee and KIT KAT treats, visitors can also relive some fond childhood memories through traditional games like five-stones and chapteh (feathered shuttlecock).

Nestle 1930s Street Stall. Night Festival.

The roving KIT KAT girls who have so kindly posed for a photograph so that you can know how to recognize them.

Mimoid II by Stephane Beve, Milosh Luczynski and Philippe Rizzotti
Music Composed by Vuk Krakovic
Mixed and SFX designed by Ctrl Fre@k (Jeffrey Yue)
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Venue: Singapore Art Museum (Building facade).

Experience the artists' vision of the possible future of the Singapore Art Museum. This light installation presents a constantly evolving architecture of the Singapore Art Museum's building. Each transformation is said to be based on the building's history and structure. Perhaps one of the interesting experience to watching this light installation is to listen to how sound and visual elements combine seamlessly to present an artistic installation.

Night Festival 2012. Singapore Art Museum.

Children's Dreams by Jérôme Donna and Public Lighting Department to City of Lyon, France
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Venue: School of the Arts (SOTA)

This light installation which is designed by Jérôme Donna, a lighting designer at Public Lighting Department to City of Lyon, presents larger-than-life illuminated drawings by children representing characters from fairytales such as The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood. Each of the choreographed lighting sequence is seven minutes in duration.

May you have fun making good guesses which fairy-tale characters each of the illuminated drawings is intended to depict.

Night Festival 2012.

A gentle reminder:
There are so many other interesting programmes that are noteworthy to attend in this year's Night Festival such that visitors are likely to be carried away and spend more than an hour at the festival. As such, please remember to wear or to bring along a reliable time-telling device to keep a good watch of time if you could only spend less than an hour at this festival!

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Night Festival 2012
24 Aug and 25 Aug 2012
31 Aug and 1 Sep 2012
7.30 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Free admission
For more details, please visit: http://www.brasbasahbugis.sg/nightfestival

Nearest MRT stations: Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut, City Hall.