From 7 to 23 July, the School of the Arts (SOTA) held its second arts festival since the inception of the school. This Arts Festival was officiated by MG (NS) Chan Chun Sing, Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and the Arts.

The SOTA Arts Festival 2011, themed in tune, in step, in flight marks SOTA’s first festival on its new permanent campus. The Festival offers a blend of traditional and contemporary artistic vocabularies, highlighting creative work stemming directly from the SOTA curriculum. It aims to be a platform for exchanges and dialogue, where ideas can germinate from the student-teacher exchanges, professional exchanges, and between overseas and Singaporean artists and educators.

This Festival boasts 17 days of music, theatre, dance and visual arts, including a dance showcase, three theatre productions, two exhibitions and eleven music concerts, presented in our purpose built arts venues as well as site-specific locations around the campus.

Works from our partner schools from around the world–China, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark and USA were also presented in this Arts Festival. Our valued partners are namely, Queensland Academy of Creative Industries, Attached Middle School of Yunnan Arts Institute, Sankt Annæ Gymnasium, The Swiss Foundation and Chicago Academy for the Arts.

As part of the ongoing festivities, SOTA celebrated its official opening on 15 July, of which, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the guest-of-honour at the event. This event marked a new chapter in the school’s journey since its inception in 2008 as Singapore’s first national pre-tertiary specialised arts school.

We would like to thank everyone who made this series of events possible and meaningful. Lastly, do look out for the next SOTA Arts Festival, which will be held in 2013!