PRISM 48 - WHAT CULTURAL DESERT?

In 1977, the Singapore Festival of Arts (later renamed SIFA) kicked off with this advertisement: “A cultural desert? We want you to be the judge.” The phrase “cultural desert” was used about 20 times in the local newspapers that year alone. But as a port city open to the world, Singapore had been a hub for regional culture and new ideas about Asian modernity since the late 19th century. Even in the 1970s and 80s, speculative fiction and Malay rock were generating bold new forms of cultural expression.  

So how did this happen? Why did we think this was a desert? In this conversation, writer Fairoz Ahmad, editor Zubin Jain, and moderator Venka Purushothaman take a closer look at alternative perspectives of Singapore’s creative fecundity. Fairoz shares more about the socio-political landscape in which Malay rock flourished and resonated, while Zubin turns the spotlight on how speculative fiction of grappled with the fast-changing Singapore of the same period. Did these worlds of generative genre innovation and art-making arising out of perceived aridity ever intersect? Do they cross-fertilise today? How might we change if we examine new narratives about who we were? 

General Advisory

• No admission for infant in arms and persons below 6 years old
• Admission is subject to valid tickets produced at the entrance

Duration

• Approximately 1 hour with no intermission

Late Entry Advisory

• Please be seated 15 minutes before the start time
• Due to the nature of the program, please note that latecomers may be unable to enter.
• Please kindly note that unclaimed seats will be forfeited and offered to walk-in patrons.

Photography / Videography Recording Rules

• No Photography, Video Recording and Audio Recording is permitted for this event

_{All information is correct at time of publishing but may be subject to change without prior notice.}

_{The Organiser reserves the right to amend the above without prior notice. In the event of any dispute, the Organiser’s decision is final.}