PERFORMANCES & SCREENINGS

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay is Singapore's national performing arts centre, officially opened on 12 October 2002. This architectural icon with its distinctive twin shells, is sited within Singapore's civic district, just by Marina Bay at the mouth of the Singapore River.
Esplanade aims to be a performing arts centre for everyone, and its programmes cater to its diverse audiences. Its programme line-up spans all genres to encompass music, dance, theatre and visual arts, with a special focus on arts education and community access.
Esplanade houses world-class performance spaces, supported by a comprehensive range of professional support facilities and services. Its two main venues are the 1,600-seat Concert Hall, with acoustics by Russell Johnson of ARTEC Consultants, and the 2,000-seat theatre, an adaptation of traditional European opera houses in horseshoe form.

In the past year, Esplanade has welcomed 7 million visitors and hosted 1,800 performances.

Asian Civilisations Museum, Empress Place (ACM)

The Gospel According to St. Matthew
Jointly organised with the Italian Cultural Institute
9 October (Sunday), 8pm
Free Admission to Screening, free seating

Since its premiere at the 1964 Venice Film Festival, Pasolini’s ‘The Gospel According to St. Matthew’ has been a hallmark of remarkable filmmaking. Telling the life of Christ in stark and realistic terms, Pasolini draws characters of gaunt resoluteness operating a background of what the New York Times called ‘sullen peasants and sprawling children’. Lovingly restored to capture the sometimes grim beauty of the cast and landscape, this film that still resonates today, and this rare screening should not be missed.

The Whirling Dervishes
The Destar Ensemble
Jointly organised with the Turkish Cultural Centre
23 October (Sunday), 8pm
$15 per ticket, Registration required

The Order of the Whirling Dervishes is one branch of the vast Sufi tradition of Islam. The universal values of love and service shared by all Sufis are very much relevant to the social and political realities of today, and this ritual, which is only performed by the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, has come to symbolise these values in the hearts and minds of millions throughout the world. Come and be entranced by this remarkable performance of devotion and artistry by the Destar Ensemble from Turkey.