LASALLE students and alumni deepen partnership with stakeholders of Little India through multi-sensory festival ARTWALK Little India 2018

Popular multi-disciplinary arts festival ARTWALK Little India, jointly organised by LASALLE College of the Arts (LASALLE) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB), with the support of Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association, returns for its fourth edition in January 2018 as part of Singapore Art Week. With an extended programme across 10 days, and the addition of new hands-on activities such as Dress-a-Puppet workshops and Aura Photography readings, visitors can expect an immersive experience like no other.

Themed Urban Mythology, this edition of ARTWALK sees numerous artists return to resurrect long-lost tales of Little India. Master storyteller Kamini Ramachandran, a long-time participant since 2016, sets the tone by telling stories of the supernatural variety. Eunice Lim, artist of the well-received ARTWALK Little India murals Cattleland and Cattleland 2, is also back to honour Singapore’s longest-running Tamil bookstore, the Siyamala Bookstore, which imports publications directly from India. Leow Wei Li, a student volunteer on Eunice’s mural in 2017, decided to take part in this year’s ARTWALK after her enjoyable experience last year. Wei Li joins up with Dominic Khoo to form art duo, sobandwine, and their mural is an homage to the marigold flower in Indian culture.

ARTWALK is managed by a team of seven BA(Hons) Arts Management students from LASALLE, with guidance from renowned artist and LASALLE Senior Fellow, Milenko Prvacki. In total, there are seven new murals, one visual art installation, and three performing artists at ARTWALK 2018, in addition to fringe activities.

Beyond the kinship that many participating artists and students have developed with the community at Little India through successive installments of ARTWALK, the project has, over time, generated greater awareness of the rich heritage of the cultural precinct. From a visitorship of 74,000 to 2015’s inaugural edition of ARTWALK, the festival has grown by leaps and bounds, attracting 140,000 visitors to Little India for the 2017 edition. ARTWALK Little India 2018 marks the first of a renewed three-year partnership between STB and LASALLE, following a successful first three years between 2015 and 2017.

To further draw out the collaborative nature of the festival, business owners within Little India were invited to play an even more engaged role in ARTWALK 2018. For the first time, corporate sponsors who have businesses within the area jumped on board the project. These include main sponsor Corwin Holding Pte Ltd (joint venture between Lum Chang Holdings and a fund managed by LaSalle Investment Management Asia), developer of the new mixed development project at former The Verge, and co-sponsors Nippon Paint and Wanderlust Hotel. Four organisations also came on board as programme partners, with special programmes created for ARTWALK Little India: Monster Day Tours, Indian Heritage Centre, Artgrain, and Audace Bar & Restaurant.

“We wanted to ensure that everyone involved felt like they have a stake within the neighbourhood and festival. Our end goal is all about celebrating the rich diversity and history of Little India, and with the personal investment of these individuals, many of whom came up with very creative ways to amplify the theme of this year’s ARTWALK, we believe 2018’s edition adds new layers to an already exciting and on-going dialogue of Little India,” shared Hazelina Oh, a BA(Hons) Arts Management student of LASALLE.

“ARTWALK Little India has played a key role in injecting vibrancy into the precinct and making Little India and its rich heritage relevant to a younger generation. It has also made the tourist experience in Little India more immersive. We are pleased with the impact ARTWALK has made, and have extended our partnership with LASALLE by another three years to 2020,” said Mr Kenneth Lim, Director, Cultural Precincts Development, STB.

ARTWALK Little India 2018 runs from 18 – 27 January 2018, with programmes and activities happening on Thursdays to Saturdays, 6pm – 9pm. Details of all artists, artworks, performances, activities and promotions can be found on http://artwalklittleindia.sg/, with a digital version of the festival guides available for download. Members of the public can pick up a copy of the festival guide at the Indian Heritage Centre or Clive Street POLI site.

Guided Tours by Monster Day Tours: Sign up at https://artwalklittleindia2018.peatix.com/

Self-guided tours: Available through the Locomole app on mobile devices, on both the App Store and Google Play store.

ABOUT LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore is a leading tertiary institution in cutting edge contemporary arts and design education and practice. The college offers more than 30 diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in fine arts, design communication, interior design, product design, film, animation, fashion, dance, music, theatre, arts management, arts pedagogy and practice, art therapy, Asian art histories, and creative writing.

Its faculty is led by a community of award-winning artists, designers, educators and researchers, and their practice-led research sets LASALLE apart as an international centre of excellence. Critically acclaimed alumni form the core of the cultural and creative sectors in Singapore and increasingly, internationally.

Founded in 1984 by De La Salle Brother Joseph McNally – a visionary artist and educator – LASALLE is a not-for-profit, private educational institution. LASALLE receives tuition grant support from the Singapore Ministry of Education. Its degree programmes are validated by Goldsmiths, University of London.