SINGAPORE ARTS FESTIVAL '09

The Singapore Arts Festival was first started in 1977 as a national arts festival celebrating the local arts activities of Singapore's different communities. For the past three years, the Festival, organised by the

National Arts Council, has played a symbiotic and major role in the development of Arts in Singapore. It has helped to transform the city's cultural landscape, turning it into one of Asia's major cultural capitals today. The Singapore Arts Festival still remains as the largest singular event on Singapore's arts calendar. Artists from more than 20 countries come to Singapore to perform, attracting thousands of patrons and audiences around the world.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Despite the economic recession, the Singapore Arts Festival 2009 was still taken place in Singapore like every other year. This was due to the overwhelming response from the past 3 decades. Although the ticket prices were being cut down by twenty percent this year, the Singapore Arts Festivals 2009 was still a great success!

The recent development of the Esplanade marked the beginning of Arts in Singapore. Singapore Arts Festival was then introduced. The purpose of this festival is to champion local arts makers and showcase innovative international productions that are relevant and appealing to wide range of audiences from arts lovers to the uninitiated.

BEST PRACTICES

What so special and different about this year Singapore Arts Festival was that the grand opening was being held at the iconic Singapore attractions, Marina Barrage. This place was not a popular spot for the Singaporeans but the National Arts Council was the one whom actually decided to have Marina Barrage as the opening ceremony of Singapore Arts Festival 2009.


The closing was being held at nearby residential of Yishun Central. Personally, I think it is a great idea of doing it in the residential area because it gives more exposure to everyone. Usually or most of the performances are being held in the Esplanade or Victoria Concert Hall, but having performances at the nearby residential area is not a bad idea after all. This is garner more support and interests from the people near the residential area.


Being a member of the ArtsFest Club, patrons will be able to get thirty percent discounts on tickets. It is a free membership. This is to attract many people to join the ArtsFest Club membership. These people will also get updates on the festival that is going on around the calendar year.

SINGAPORE '09 VS GALWAY '08

ARTS FESTIVAL

(Comparing with Galway '08 not '09)

Galway Arts Festival is the defining cultural expression of Galway and is at the heart of all aspects life in the city. Over its 31 years history the Festival has become a vital showcase for Irish arts and international arts and is now firmly established as Ireland’s leading arts festival. The Festival collaborates with artists and companies throughout the world to create and produce new work. Over 100,000 people attend the Festival annually with hundreds of writers, artists, performers and musicians creating theatre, spectacle, street art, music, comedy, literature and music to produce a stunning fortnight of cultural activity and celebration.

Both Singapore and Galway Arts Festival was a success in terms of its marketing strategy. To show how successful, below are comparisons between the two festivals using the 8 ‘P’s ‘in Marketing Event. Both provide experiential and facilitating components.

Product
Singapore and Galway Art Festivals provide similar products for example, variety range of activities which has the element of arts, music and dance. This is what the potential customers need, want and will pay for when they go for this kind of this festival.


Place
In terms of place, both are held in different spots. Singapore Arts Festival held many different activities at many different places for example, most of the theatre and dance performances are held in either Victoria Concert Hall or the Esplanade. Galway Arts Festivals held some of the performances at Kings Head Bar and Nuns Island Studio.


Programming
The programming for both Singapore and Galway Arts Festival can be found in brochures and also in websites. The official website of Galway Art Festival provides a precise and detailed explanation of each of the festivals. It includes the pricing, place, date and what to expect when going to the festival. In my own opinion, the Singapore Arts Festival was not very detailed enough.


However, still both of these festivals were a success.


People
In this context, People refer to the interactions between customers, the setting and the staff constitutes a larger part of the whole event experience. The intern and the volunteers are also the people working there. They were the one who volunteered to help out in the event without being paid. Singapore Arts Festival also took in interns and volunteers to help out the whole event so do the Galway Arts Festival. However, Galway Arts Festival organiser took in more people in to help out. Both of the organiser of Singapore and Galway Arts Festival picked the right people whom they think can help to work out the festival. This is to ensure that the hospitality received by visitors directly shapes the visitors’ whole experience.


Packaging and Distribution
Destinations can package events with other attractions and services or events can be offer their own.


Some of the Singapore Arts festival was actually being held at the Esplanade which actually near to other attractions like the Singapore Flyers and shopping malls. Galway Arts Festivals has also actually held some of the festivals at the shopping malls and hotels. So the organiser of both the Singapore and Galway Arts Festival actually package the festivals nearby some of the attractions and services whom the patrons can access.


Price
Tickets pricing for both the Galway and Singapore Arts Festivals range completely different. Singapore Arts Festivals pricing are much cheaper than the one Galway Arts Festival offers. Due to the global recession, the National Arts Council who was the organiser for Singapore Arts Festivals 2009 has actually reduced all tickets price by twenty percent.


However both the Galway and Singapore Arts Festivals provide a free admission entry to some festivals. It means that actually both the Festivals are targeting on everyone regardless whether they are rich or poor.


Partnerships
National Arts Council worked together with the Singapore Tourism Board SHAW Foundation, The University of Western Australia and the Tote Board. These organisations were the premier partners of Singapore Arts Festivals. Galway Arts Festival was funded with many other organisations like Failte Ireland and Galway Country Council. They worked with a few partners to raise the festival.


Some of the pricing were modify and even the products so as to make the packages more attractive. And this was due to partnership.



Promotions
Singapore Arts Festival offer patrons savings off regular ticket prices if they purchase tickets to multiple shows, including exclusive discounts of up to an unprecedented 30% for ArtsFest Club members. Galway Arts Festival also offer patron discounts for every Fridays.


Both of these festivals were broadcasted in Medias like the television and radio stations. Prints like brochures, magazines and newspapers were also used to advertise these festivals. Basically there were mass advertising going on in each countries. Both of the Festivals actually have their own promotional and marketing tool and the way it was being done differ from one another other.

ETIQUETTE, ROTOZAZA (UK)

Rotozaza Directors Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali have quietly established Rotozaza as one of UK’s most consistently surprising and creative performance groups since 1997. Etiquette is the first newly developed theatrical form they called “Autoteatro”, where the participants are both the actors and the audience.

It is a half an hour shared experienced between two people of the opposite sex in a public area. The headphones telling them what to say to each other and the small objects positioned at the side of the table were the things that worked out the whole play. The unique characteristic of this play is that audience themselves are involved and their minds were set to the extreme wild imagination!

On the 1st June, I attended to one of the events of the Singapore Arts Festivals which is called the Etiquette. It was held at Dome, a café in Marina Square.


Usually theatre play does not appeal to me that much because I do not find it interesting at all. The settings and the set up for a play in theatre are always predictable and expected. However the reason I found Etiquette very interesting was that this play neither have a stage nor a huge audience.


What attracts me most to this theatre play is because it was a very unique and far different from other plays. It involved two persons in a café with headphones on.
This is a play where the two participants are the only actors and audience. Your performing partner could well be your closest friend, or even a perfect stranger! Whoever you are with, it will be a fascinating revelation. It was held in front many café patrons who are not aware of what is going on between the two of you.

Personally, I found myself very feeling enthusiastic and involved throughout the whole play. It seemed that I was performing in the world of my own imagination. This play gave me a wider understanding and definition of what is play is al about. It is about language and the meaning of it. It was my very first time experiencing the magical of this play. Small figurines of a female and a male, a plastic house, a phial of ‘blood’ and chalk were the ‘props’. These ‘props’ can be found at the side of the table. There were instructions and guidelines to follow throughout the play and the participants were told to make use of these ‘props’ at the appropriate scene of the play.


I admit that some of the parts in the play left me flustered however, I enjoyed myself to the fullest. How I wish that the duration of the play can be longer.


I have learned many valuable lessons after going to this play. First it improves the way I speak and communicate with others. Speaking is a way we express our thoughts and feelings. I have also learnt to love and embrace the English Language. Lastly it also tests my listening skills on whether am I a good or bad listener. It taught me to be focus all time.


After all, spending $16 was not a waste of money!

WHO'S IN?

Below are the stakeholders identified in this festival.

Host Organisation - National Arts Council

Host Community - Singapore

TOURISM BENEFITS

Political Impacts

For example, the opening of the Singapore Arts Festival was held at the Marina Barrage and thousand of people came to witness the grand opening of the Art Festivals. Marina Barrage was not a well known place. When the opening of Art Festivals was being held there, many people are becoming more aware of the national icon of Singapore, Marina Barrage, a place that is going to complement Marina Bay and it is a part of the upcoming development of Marina Bay Sands. Now Marina Barrage is seen as a national icon.


On top of that, it helps Singapore in attaining a greater international prestige.

Economic Impacts

Despite the economic downturn, Singapore Arts Festivals turned to be a success. It attracted thousands of people to the whole festivals since the price of tickets were being reduced by twenty percent. This actually gives a rise to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Singapore. It created more revenue for Singapore. Not only that the tourism receipt also increase due to the inbound tourism.


This festival attracted thousands of visitors around the world and these visitors are likely to extend their length of stay. Thus hotels will have more revenue coming in.

Social and Cultural Impacts

Social and Cultural Impacts is actually the obvious impact seen in Singapore. Singapore has become a place in Asia for performing Arts. Singapore Arts Festival has gained so many recognitions and prestige overtime. Singaporeans were exposed to so many different background and cultures from many countries around the world. These actually educate and broaden Singaporeans understanding of Arts from around the world.

Physical and Environmental Impacts

Again, the opening of Singapore Arts Festival at Marina Barrage has showcased the new icon of Singapore. Marina Barrage is a part of the upcoming development of Marina Bay Sands. So everyone around the world could catch a glimpse of Singapore upcoming future environment in Marina. It was a positive exposure for Singapore.

Singapore Arts Festival '09

Singapore Arts Festival 2009 was a great success like the previous years. However more can be done to improve this festival. Maybe National Arts Council can showcase more of Singapore social and cultural diversity in the form of arts next year. They should emphasize and focus on Singaporean talents’ in performing arts.


Singapore Arts Festival can be as big and successful as Galway Arts Festival. One needs to improve overtime. Hopefully there are more performances being held in the heartland of Singapore so that anyone can access to the festival without much travelling.


Being totally involved in this year Arts Festival was really amazing. The experience was almost inspiring and extraordinary. I hope that next year, there will be more and exciting arts performances coming up.