Aliwal Urban Art Festival Is Back: Free Entry, Fun Workshops, Pop-Up Art Market & Rocking Street Party
Kampong Glam, the charming enclave filled with hipster cafes and IG-worthy street art, is going to be transformed into a vibrant art jamboree for one day only this weekend for the annual Aliwal Urban Art Festival, which is finally back in physical form after two years of online and hybrid format.
Photo from Arts House Limited
This seventh edition is slated to run on 14 January 2023, Saturday from noon till late at Aliwal Arts Centre before Singapore Art Week ends. So you can expect to relish in heaps of epic activities that traverse street art, dance, music, and youth culture to your heart’s content. What’s more, entry is free, giving you no excuse to miss out on this art-filled festival.
Photo from Arts House Limited
This shindig kicks off with FLIPSIDE, a free art exhibition happening from 12 to 15 January, where you can catch 12 prominent artists, including ANTZ, BONY, SPAZ, Sam Lo, TUYULOVEME, creating two paintings from scratch on a single canvas. Once the piece is finished, you can admire it from different parts of the room to understand the entirety of the work.
Photo from Arts House Limited
Pop by the Black Market for exciting free workshops to try your hand at a new skill - think silkscreen painting, fixing a bike, graffiti techniques and more! All you have to do is register onsite.
You can also join tours around Kampong Glam and observe artists working on projects such as a live graffiti painting and a large mural to refresh the side facade of the Aliwal Arts Centre building, while having conversations with them about their craft.
Photo from Arts House Limited
Besides visual arts, you can delve deeper into the world of acting with programmes like the Urban Immersion Improv Comedy Show (free with registration) as well as an improv taster session ($20), where you’ll get to channel your inner actor or actress and put improv and comedy skills into practice. At the same time, you can watch classical and contemporary dance performances by Nine Years Theatre, Teochew Opera Concert and more.
Photo from Arts House Limited
Make your way to Urban Sounds from 5pm to 9pm after to bask in groovy tunes and melodic riffs by independent bands and artists of various music genres, such as math rock band woes and R&B group Astronauts (featuring Thai artist Lukpeach). Then end your night with a bang at the RE:union Party to soak in the energy of the streets with feel-good beats and exciting dance performances and battles, turning Aliwal’s multipurpose hall into a buzzy block party.
For the full list of programmes and activities, click here.
This post is brought to you by Arts House Limited.
