Flippin' 'eck, that's a lot of Art!

May is a good month to celebrate arts and culture in Singapore, what with the many activities planned out for residents on our dear l'il red dot.

The National Heritage Board (NHB), for example, is obviously bent on getting us Singaporeans and Permanent Residents to visit their 7 museums and heritage institutions at least once in our lives. Not that the goal is not a noble one, mind. From May 18, in other words this Saturday, the NHB is throwing its doors open to these sites to all Singaporeans and PRs for FREE. 

Yes, you heard me right, FREE. That bit of news should get us--the value-loving local--all tingly inside. Don't believe me? Here's what the NHB has to say: 

"Citizens and PRs enjoy free admission to NHB's museums and heritage institutions all year round. Through free admission, NHB hopes to give citizens and PRs greater access to [these sites] to enjoy their offerings."

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is always good for a leisurely stroll to whet one's artistic appetite. (Credit: NHB)

In case you are wondering, the 7 sites are: Asian Civilisations Museum, National Museum of Singapore, Peranakan Museum, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore Philatelic Museum, Malay Heritage Centre and the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. Thank you NHB!

Flip for joy!

In other news, the Esplanade is also currently holding its annual Flipside arts festival. In its own words, Flipside is a festival that "presents the lighter side of the arts, offering fun and quirky theater, and music and dance programs. Audiences can expect unconventional, imaginative work and eccentric humor".

Credit: Esplanade

Flipside runs from May 17 to May 26, and there are plenty of free programs to enjoy in and about Singapore's durian-shaped arts destination. 

The chamber music group, Tze n Looking Glass Orchestra, will be one of such free acts and they will be looking to stir people's emotions and jog our memories as they play famous film music and soundtracks such as Psycho's iconic bath scene. This will be held at the Esplanade Concourse on May 22-23, with two sets each night starting from 7.15 p.m.

Another one to watch out for is the American brothers of Nate and Jacob Sharpe. It's not every day that you get to watch a circus act here, and when you do, it tends to tear a hole in your wallet. So when an opportunity presents itself to watch "character comedy, world-class juggling, death-defying acrobatics, and bad puns", I would suggest you make a beeline to catch the act. It will be on at Esplanade's Outdoor Theatre from May 17-19, starting at 7.30 p.m.

But here's the one performance that has me intrigued. Touted as Japan's answer to the U.S.'s Blue Man Group, Siro-A is a 6-member performance group that hails from Sendai. If you take your mime with a strong dash of optical illusions and technology thrown in the mix--or techno mime, as I call it--then I think this is a show not to be missed. 

Check out the group's video below (I especially love the humor in "Hole", beginning at 5:08):

Siro-A's Technodelic Visual Show is a ticketed event though, so if you're interested, be sure to visit SISTIC soon as there are only three sessions scheduled for the festival, starting from May 25 at 8 p.m.

For more information on what's going on during the rest of Flipside, check out Esplanade's Web site.

Have an art-filled month ahead!