Belgium Welcomes Singapore Encore
Seat of the European Union is the 2nd European city and 9th in the world to experience an evening's showcase of Singapore's arts, culture and cuisine
In partnership with the Singapore Embassy in Belgium, the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) will be hosting the exclusive Singapore Encore event at the Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) on Wednesday, 25th November 2009. Guests will include some 200 dignitaries from the diplomatic, business and cultural sectors of Belgian society.
Organised by the SIF, Singapore Encore is staged around the world in celebration of the Singapore spirit through arts, culture and cusine. The evening's programmee includes an Asian buffet dinner, featuring traditional Singapore culinary delights like chicken rice, statay and sugee cake. Alongside dinner, guest will also enjoy a visual art exhibition by Creative [SIN]ergy, a Singapore arts group based in the UK. The group seeks to promote the creative works of Singapores abroad and to foster collaboration amoung its members.
The evening’s highlight is a concert performance by the critically acclaimed T'ang Quartet. The classical string ensemble was formed in 1999, bent on breaking new ground by setting new standards in artistic achivement. The quartet has peformed extensively around the world and won numerous international and local awards for its musical accomplishments, while extending the sheer enjoyment of calssical music to a larger audience.
Singapore Ambassador to Belgium,
His Excellency Mr Anil Kumar Nayar, says,
“While Singapore is well-known as a forward-looking economic hub, through the Singapore Encore, we hope to bring another aspect of Singapore - its thriving cultural scene - to our Belgian friends.”
“Singapore and Belgium are now actively bringing the best aspects of our respective cultural settings to one another. When Crown Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde visited Singapore in November 2008, an important objective was to promote the realization of this shared interest. The art exhibition, "A Story of the Image: Old & New Masters from Antwerp", was opened in Singapore in August 2009 by Belgium’s Foreign Minister Yves Leterme and it enjoyed a very successful run. Next year, Singapore looks forward to participating in the cultural exhibition organised by BOZAR (Centre for Fine Arts), in conjunction with the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in Brussels. Against this backdrop, Singapore Encore is yet another milestone in the growing cultural and artistic exchanges between Singapore and Belgium.”
Ms Jean Tan, the SIF’s Executive Director, elaborates, “Singapore Encore is a wonderful collaborative platform for us to showcase Singapore’s exciting developments in the field of arts and culture to build ties. Although Singapore is a small and young nation, our cultural and ethnic diversity has helped to fuel a flourishing local arts landscape. The SIF is delighted to partner the Singapore Embassy in Brussels for this edition of Singapore Encore and to share Singapore’s rich cultural talents with our Belgian friends.”
Since its inception in 2004, Singapore Encore has travelled to major cities such as Dubai, Manila, Tokyo, Vienna, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Washington D.C. Past
performers include singers Claressa Monteiro, Jacintha Abisheganaden, Alemay Fernandez, and musicians like the Nuradee Brothers, Jeremy Monteiro, and the Huqin Quartet.
For more information and interview opportunities, please contact:
Ms Priscilla Teo
Senior Executive, Corporate Communications
Singapore International Foundation
DID: + 65 6837 8727
Mobile: +65 9858 3110
Email: priscilla.teo@sif.org.sg
Mr Jelle Zuidema
Head of Belux
Lewis PR
Telephone: +32 (0) 3 242 88 19
Email: jellez@lewispr.com
About the Singapore International FoundationThe Singapore International Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in 1991. Its mission is to build a better world through shared ideas, skills and experiences, so as to uplift lives and create greater understanding between Singaporeans and world communities.
Our activities are organised around three strategic thrusts: working with communities for sustainable development, exchanging ideas for greater understanding, and showcasing Singapore to build ties. We focus on five core areas: healthcare, education, the environment, arts and culture, and livelihood and business.
For its work, the SIF was presented the Excellence for Singapore Award. Our Patron is His Excellency S R Nathan, President of the Republic of Singapore.
For more information please visit www.sif.org.sg
