The Aliwal Urban Art Festival is back once again to celebrate the local urban arts scene. Expect showcases ranging from live music to art and graffiti installations to break-dancing. Mark your calendars and we’ll see you there!
The Kampong Gelam conservation district, which encompasses areas such as Aliwal Street, Haji Lane and Arab Street, has become a hotspot for fashion, food and more importantly, the arts. This unique old-meets-new precinct forms the backdrop to the 2015 edition of the annual Aliwal Urban Art Festival, which will be held on January 17th, from 5pm to midnight.
The Festival sees a carefully curated selection of art inspired by international street culture but driven by homegrown talents. According to festival curator Tom “Shellsuit” Kelly, attendees can expect a “diverse cross-section of new and established bands, DJs and artists performing in the same place on the same night”.
The Aliwal Urban Art Festival 2015 will assault your senses in the best way possible. There will be live performances from Wicked Aura, Darker Than Wax, Phyla and Syndicate, alongside art installations from artists Mojoko + Shang and RSCLS. If you’re more into the adrenaline-pumping stuff, catch all the B-boying and skateboarding action at the Red Bull Cypher in the Park and the Volcom Skate Park.
A highlight of the event is #LushLovesLocal, a segment presented by radio station Lush 99.5 that sees its crew come out from the studio to A for Arbite, a cafe located on 28 Aliwal Street. Tune in to the station from 5pm to 9pm or hang out at A for Arbite for live updates on the Festival, Conversations Over Coffee (conversations with local creatives), Beats & Beer Live (an hour-long chat with local electronic music label founders) and Shigga Shay Live, a one-hour stripped-down live performance by the youngest hip hop artist charted on Singapore radio.
“We have expanded the scope of the festival this year to include other elements of street culture. The festival site is larger and now includes all three performance spaces at Aliwal Arts Centre, the back alley and the carpark. Just like last year, we’re putting on a good show while sticking to a stripped-back approach of trying to provide the best possible environment for artists to do their thing,” said Tom.
The Festival is organized by Aliwal Arts Centre, which was established in 2013 to help give artists a leg-up by providing studio and other creative spaces. It is also supported by the National Arts Council of Singapore in conjunction with the Singapore Art Week.
Aliwal Urban Art Festival 2015
Date: Saturday, 17 January 2015
Time: 5pm – midnight
Venue: 28 Aliwal Street, Singapore 199918
Admission: Free
For full lineup, check out the event page.