Theatre Made Inclusive: Creative Captioning Course

This programme aims to give anyone a robust introduction to captioning for a live theatre show. Each week, participants will delve into theoretical as well as technical understandings of how to create captions – both functionally and stylistically – for not just Deaf but also neurodivergent and general audiences

We will discuss current and sometimes controversial issues in captioning and what to expect as a captioner in rehearsals and shows. This will all culminate into an end-of-course assignment where participants will get to design captions from scratch and operate them for a short 15-minute in-class presentation.

Please inform us of any accessibility requirements during registration, and we will do our best to work with you to provide them

Date: 3, 10 & 24 June
Time: 11 AM to 4 PM on all 3 days
Duration: 12 hours contact time

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The critically acclaimed Shakespeare in the Park returns with the popular comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream – a romantic comedy filled with mischief and magic.

Enjoy your picnic under the night sky as the industrial kingdom of Athenia transforms into an enchanted dreamworld of moonlit water and fairyland mayhem.

'The course of true love never did run smooth …'

The Fairy King and Queen are at war, four young lovers have eloped to the forest, and a group of tradesmen are rehearsing a play. But it is Midsummer Night and Puck, as chief mischief-maker, is pulling pranks to ensure that the course of true love is anything but smooth. Puck's magic spells cause the lovers to change their allegiance, and one of the tradesmen, Nick Bottom, undergoes a shocking transformation.

Can the magic of fairyland be reversed before sunrise or will Athenia be turned upside down forever? Find out in this evening of theatrical wonder at another Shakespeare in the Park spectacle.

Date: From 3 May 2023
Time: Tuesdays - Sundays: 7.30pm
Duration: Approximately 2 Hours 30 minutes (20 minutes intermission)
Specific Accessibility Show Date 21 May 2023

Close to You, The Hits of The Carpenters

Be mesmerised by Wendy Chin, Singapore’s Karen Carpenter as she performs hit songs such as For All We Know, Only Yesterday and Close to You.

Wendy Chin is a veteran whose most treasured time is spent making music—her voice being her instrument of choice. She continuously explores and pushes her vocals to the limits and names Janis Ian, Eva Cassidy, Karen Carpenter, K.D. Lang and Linda Ronstadt as her favourite female artists.

(Vouchers for coffee/tea will be provided at each performance at Esplanade. Limited to one voucher per ticket.)

Date: 10 Jul 2023
Time: 10.30 am & 3 pm
Duration: 1 hours

Best of Qiong Yao

Join Esther Ong and Wendy Tiow as they perform adaptations of melodramatic scenes from Qiong Yao’s romance novels and revel in nostalgia with familiar tunes from classic films and television series such as A Pearly Veil of Dream and Across the Water.

(Vouchers for coffee/tea will be provided at each performance at Esplanade. Limited to one voucher per ticket.)

Date: 7 Aug 2023
Time: 10.30 am & 3 pm
Duration: 1hr

PATIENTCARE-2023

“45th International Conference on Patient care & Nursing” during July 26-27, 2023 Singapore City, Singapore with a theme “Nursing Care-Caring Today for a Healthier Tomorrow"(ICPCN-2023) .

Date: 26 July
Time: 9.00am
Duration: 9 hours

Raga 2023: ABHIPSAA – A Seeking

Mesmerising and immersive, ABHIPSAA – A Seeking charts a personal journey of discovery in physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. In four choreographic works, revered dance doyen Bijayini Satpathy expands the parameters of the formal and representational norms of the odissi tradition through both narrative and non-narrative dances, reimagining classical odissi forms through her own interpretation.

This work was first premiered in Dec 2021 across two sold-out two evenings at Duke Performances. This critical success, a dramatic exploration and reshaping of an ancient tradition, catapulted Satpathy to the forefront of the field. After decades of performance and study, Satpathy calls upon deep kinetic and emotional insights to evolve a revered cultural art form into an entirely modern expression.

Date: 12-14 May 2023
Time: 8 pm (Fri & Sat) & 3 pm (Sun)
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Specific Accessibility Show Date 8 pm (12 May Fri & 13 May Sat) & 3 pm (14 May Sun)

Happy Place

Val is the deejay on a Singapore morning radio show - 'The Happy Place on One One Oh Point Oh'. She is interviewing her old friend Estee, now an Instagram political poet writing about pressing social issues. The chirpy on-air conversation quickly spirals into a heated and emotional debate on their significance and place in society. But as the pair deploy all available verbal ammunition and even uncover buried secrets to best each other, there are several questions that they refuse to answer: Where is Val’s absent radio partner? What horrifying cataclysm is happening in the outside world that the listeners are frantically calling in about? And what impact can these two supposed influencers possibly have on the end of the world?

Happy Place is a darkly comic play about the role of art, entertainment, and their creators in an increasingly grim and tumultuous world.

Date: 4 - 7 May 2023
Time: 3pm & 8pm
Duration: 70 minutes
Specific Accessibility Show Date 6 May, 3pm, with touch tour from 1:45 to 2:15pm

A Space for EveryBody

Enjoy an informal sharing of a short performance created during the week of da:ns focus - EveryBody, led by Candoco Dance Company, for and with Singaporean dancers with disabilities and without disabilities: Diverse Abilities Dance Collective, Tung Ka Wai, Muhammad Ammar Nasrulhaq and more.

Two dance artists from Candoco Dance Company will lead and work with a group of homegrown dance artists to share and explore Candoco’s inclusive and creative approach to dance making and performance. Different lived and professional experiences, artistic practices, perspectives and cultures will be skillfully weaved together to create something unique that will speak to us all, which can be shared and developed long into the future.

Collaboration is at the heart of Candoco’s practice and success, with each artist learning from the other to create something new.

This programme is presented as part of da:ns focus – EveryBody, a weekend of dance with inclusivity, diversity and participation, where we encourage everybody and every body to experience dance.

Date & Time: 14 Apr 2023, 6pm & 7pm
15 APr 2023, 6pm & 7pm
Duration: 30 Minutes

Dancer Development Workshop

Candoco Dance Company is a world-renowned professional dance company recognised for their bold and inclusive approach towards dance. Led by two of its dance artists, this workshop offers an insight into the company’s ethos and to introduce participants to an integrated dance approach, making creative environments more inclusive.

This is an opportunity for all dancers and movement practitioners with disabilities and no disabilities to further develop their creative and inclusive practice, no matter what stage of career they are in. Participants will have the opportunity to explore movement practices and choreographic approaches from the current repertory, and share thoughts and questions directly with the Candoco artists.

The workshop’s capacity is limited to 30 people. Pre-registration is required and applicants should meet one of the following criteria: 

  • Practicing dance or movement professionals with an interest in developing integrated practices, or
  • Full-time dance students, aged 18 and above.

This programme is presented as part of da:ns focus – EveryBody, a weekend of dance with inclusivity, diversity and participation, where we encourage everybody and every body to experience dance.

Date: 15 Apr 2023
Time: 10am
Duration: 3 hours

No Excuses, No Limits

"A powerful force on the hip-hop dance stage" The Guardian

Dance like anything is possible.

Be inspired by this international award-winning all-star breakdance crew, ILL-Abilities, comprising seven of the world’s best differently-abled dancers. No Excuses, No Limits takes audiences on a journey of each dancer’s story through dance, music, audience interaction, working towards an understanding of the limitless possibilities that any person can hold.

Having performed in over 25 countries and reached more than 1 million audiences globally, ILL-Abilities makes its way back to Singapore with its latest production, No Excuses, No Limits. This motivational showcase sold out 10 sessions at Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., USA, and will be one that you probably have not experienced before!

ILL-Abilities is a play on the word “ill”, inspired by its usage in hip hop culture to describe something in a positive manner. Rather than meaning “sick” or “unwell”, the “ill” in ILL-Abilities refers to the incredible, amazing and intricate talent of its crew members, who strive to inspire and spread positive thinking through their optimistic attitudes, personal stories and unique dance moves.

This programme is presented as part of da:ns focus – EveryBody, a weekend of dance with inclusivity, diversity and participation; and we encourage everybody and every body to experience dance.

Date & Time: 14 Apr 2023, 8pm
15 Apr 2023, 2pm & 8pm
16 Apr 2023, 2pm
Duration: 1 hour

Integrated Dance Workshop

We believe that dance is for every body.

We welcome differently-abled participants between the ages of 15 and 30 to join this creative movement-exploration workshop conducted by ILL-Abilities, an international break dance crew comprising seven professional dancers who are differently-abled. This workshop aims to provide a platform for participants to discover their own strengths through creative movements, team activities, exercises and challenges.

Drawing inspiration from hip hop culture, the “ill” in ILL-Abilities does not mean “sick” or “unwell”. Rather, it refers to something positive, in this instance the incredible talent and dance abilities of the crew. The dancers of ILL-Abilities strive to inspire others and spread positive thinking through their optimistic attitudes, personal stories and unique dance moves.

Pre-registration is required and participants should fall under these criteria:

  • Individuals with disabilities (physical, sensory, developmental and/or intellectual)
  • Able to follow simple verbal cues and instructions
  • Aged between 15 to 30 years old

Please note that to ensure the safety of all participants, the workshop will be limited to a maximum of 25 participants. An accompanying aide can be present with the participant, if required. Please register and share your access needs with us.

This programme is presented as part of da:ns focus – EveryBody, a weekend of dance with inclusivity, diversity and participation, where we encourage everybody and every body to experience dance.

Date: 16 Apr 2023
Time: 11am
Duration: 1 hour

No Limits Battle

Everyone’s welcomed to check out this special No Limits Battle, where ILL-Abilities, an international all-star breakdance crew comprising differently-abled dancers, battle with some of the best homegrown break-dancers in Singapore.

Conceptualised by ILL-Abilities, the rule of this exhibition battle is simple—dancers spin a wheel labelled with constraints and aids, think out of the box, and faceoff! The message is simple yet powerful: injuries may happen to anyone and any dancer, but you are stronger than you imagine; believe in yourself and create opportunities from challenges.

Drawing inspiration from hip hop culture, the “ill” in ILL-Abilities does not mean “sick” or “unwell”. Rather, it refers to something positive, in this instance the incredible talent and dance abilities of the crew. The dancers of ILL-Abilities strive to inspire others and spread positive thinking through their optimistic attitudes, personal stories and unique dance moves.

This programme is presented as part of da:ns focus – EveryBody, a weekend of dance with inclusivity, diversity and participation, where we encourage everybody and every body to experience dance.

Date: 16 Apr 2023
Time: 4.15pm

Let's Dance! A party for migrants & friends

All for one and one for all—Helmed by their fellow migrant workers in Singapore, this event welcomes all migrant workers and friends to come together, relax and enjoy a performance as well as a party. In this showcase, Singapore-based migrant workers from a myriad of professions and countries share their stories through a series of dance performances. Following this, everyone is invited to take the dance floor and show off their own moves, accompanied by a special DJ set playing popular beats from the region. On top of the good memories made at this celebratory session, take home a goodie bag as well to remember this party.

What better way to celebrate the spirit of community and the joy of movement? See you at the Esplanade Annexe Studio!

This programme is developed in partnership with the Migrant Cultural Show.

This programme is presented as part of da:ns focus – EveryBody, a weekend of dance with inclusivity, diversity and participation; and we encourage everybody and every body to experience dance.

Date: 16 Apr 2023
Time: 1pm & 4pm
Duration: 2 hours

EveryBody Dance Now (Accessible Sessions)

An extension of the moonlit workshops of EveryBody Dance Now, this indoor session at Esplanade Concourse invites everyone and every body to take part and experience dance.

Celebrate with Spanish Dance Singapore and their passionate Flamenco moves. Vibe along with the dancers from Down Syndrome Association, accompanied by their instructor from Danz People, who will show you their moves to their favourite K-pop song. Allow yourself to be creative in the way you move your body and see how dance can be a tool for empowerment and self-expression. A dance floor for all, to experience the joy of movement at EveryBody Dance Now.

5.30pm:  Flamenco by Spanish Dance Singapore

6.30pm:  K-pop by Danz People and Down Syndrome Association

Date: 16 Apr 2023
Time: 5.30PM and 6.30PM
Duration: 30 Minutes
Specific Accessibility Show Date All shows are accessibility friendly

The Monster in the Mirror

Don’t let them see who you really are.
A funny yet moving original pop musical, The Monster in the Mirror follows the journey of Jane, an average school girl navigating the stressful world of teenage politics and social media drama. She is bullied in school, scolded at home, and tormented by the self-critical voice in her head. That is, until she receives a magic mirror from a flamboyant Fairy God Delivery Beng. She peers into this mirror and finds herself face to face with someone who has been living in her head all her life—a monster. Things quickly unravel as the monster begins to overpower Jane and turn her world upside down. Will the monster take over? Or will she learn to forgive and love herself?

Date: 12-27 May 2023
Time: 2.30PM and 7.30PM
Duration: 100 Minutes
Specific Accessibility Show Date 20 May, 2.30PM

HOTEL

A hotel in Singapore is opened at the turn of the century, when the island is still a jewel in the crown of the British Empire. Each day, new faces appear and swiftly disappear – guests and staff alike.

Every ten years, we check in to meet the hotel’s residents: Indian mutineers, Cantonese nannies, Malay film stars, Japanese soldiers, transsexual sex workers, wedding guests, suspected terrorists, and more. They live out the pivotal moments in their personal lives, as empires die and new ones are born from their ashes.

Even though the chambermaids clean up after them, readying the room for the next guests, traces of the past persist, and time reveals its cyclical nature. Ghosts communicate with the living, doubles are separated by decades, and a single moment of decision haunts the generations that come after.

An immersive, multi-generational epic, HOTEL explores the notions of empire, nationhood, migration and identity against the backdrop of a shrinking world. Spanning a century and performed over close to five hours in nine languages, this groundbreaking theatrical event highlights the eclectic energies born from the collisions between the old and the new, East and West, tradition and modernity.

Written by Alfian Sa’at & Marcia Vanderstraaten
Directed by Ivan Heng & Glen Goei
Starring Munah Bagharib, Rebecca Das, Brendon Fernandez, Ghafir Akbar, Ivan Heng, André Jewson, Jo Kukathas, Dwayne Lau, Lee Chee Keng, Moo Siew Keh, Pam Oei, Oon Shu An, Siti Khalijah Zainal & Yap Yi Kai

HOTEL is performed in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Malay, Tamil, Urdu, Tagalog and Japanese, with English surtitles

Advisory: 16 (Some Mature Content)

Date: 8 June - 8 July 2023
Time: 2.30pm/7.30pm
Duration: Part 1: Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes (with 20 minutes intermission) Part 2: Approximately 2 hours (with no intermission)
Specific Accessibility Show Date Captioned Performances: 20 & 21 June 2023; 22 & 23 June 2023/Audio-Described Performance with Touch Tour: 1 July 2023