The DARE Festival 2024 is set to light up the Gateway Theatre on 13 November 2024, bringing together established artists and artists living with disabilities for an extraordinary celebration of art, inclusivity, and courage.
This will be the third year in which the DARE Festival is being held to support inclusivity, and with a special focus on reaching deaf audiences.
Headlined by world-renowned Singaporean jazz singer Jacintha and local pop sensation shazza, along with artists living with disabilities like Andrea Hosking, Sky Shen, and Dr. Azariah Tan, this year’s festival promises a ground-breaking journey of self-discovery and empowerment through music, performance, and storytelling.
Making her debut at the DARE Festival is Lily Goh, a celebrated figure in Singapore’s Deaf community, who will be delivering a powerful and inspiring performance, adding a new dimension to the festival’s inclusive celebration of artistic expression.
Her participation further enriches the festival’s diverse line-up of dynamic talents and collaborative performances, which includes the likes of Jacintha, shazza, Masia One and Reverie among others.
Among the artists living with disabilities performing include Andrea Hosking, Sky Shen, Dr Azariah Tan and Lily Goh.
A PLATFORM FOR COURAGE AND INCLUSIVITY
The DARE Festival was created to challenge societal norms, empowering individuals to embrace their unique strengths, talents, and differences.
With a line-up that merges established artists and artists living with disabilities, the festival creates a powerful narrative — that art transcends boundaries and abilities.
This year’s inclusive show unfolds in three acts:
- “Dare To Be” – a celebration of self-discovery and embracing one’s identity.
- “Dare To Live” – an exploration of living fully and authentically.
- “Dare To Be-Live” – a vision of a future where inclusivity shapes a better world for all.
Said Mr Vincent Lim, Co-Founder of Collective Perspectives, “The DARE Festival is our flagship event which brings to life our mission of providing infinite possibilities to our beneficiaries.
“Ultimately, this is a transformative global movement to empower PwDs in realising their full potential, talents and contributions through the right support and opportunities.”
The DARE Festival 2024 will also be accessible to the deaf community and persons with vision impairment with the inclusion of Singapore Sign Language interpreters and captions for people with hearing impairments and audio description for those who are blind.
A calm room is available for patrons who need to relax and seek calm.
Jacintha, a world-renowned Singaporean jazz singer, will once again captivate audiences with her exquisite interpretations of classic jazz standards.
She boasts an impressive career that began with her critically acclaimed album “Here’s To Ben,” recorded at the legendary Oceanway Studios in Hollywood. Building on her earlier success with established labels, she went on to record nine more albums in Hollywood with Groove Note Records.
These albums, known for their pristine audio quality, have garnered widespread acclaim and are available in various formats, from vinyl and CD to digital platforms.
Expressing her enthusiasm for the festival, she said, “I am happy to work and collaborate with Lily Goh. I believe she and countless others have overcome challenges that far exceed any we’ve faced.
“Instead of focusing on inclusivity from society’s perspective, we should be open to learning from individuals like Lily. How much more capable and empathetic could we become?”
Also involved is Masia One, an artist who has redefined the global hip-hop landscape for Asian and female artists.
Born in Singapore and raised in Canada, she has gained recognition for breaking barriers in the music industry, founding ‘The M1 Academy’ to uplift female creatives, and gracing stages from Burning Man to Ultra Music Festival.
She said, “The DARE Festival is a unique platform which brings together so many diverse and wonderful talents, who are all driven by the same motivation to champion inclusivity.”
Shareefa Aminah, better known as shazza, is a 23-year-old local singer-songwriter who recently went viral on TikTok for collaborating with Canadian pop duo Crash Adams.
She said, “The DARE Festival is all about empowerment – daring to express ourselves and showing that music and art can unite people from all walks of life.
“I’m thrilled to be performing with so many talented individuals; it’s a huge privilege that I get to do what I love to uplift this incredible movement.”
A SHOWCASE OF DIVERSE TALENT
Every performance will be a collaborative act between the established artists and the artists living with disabilities, exploring the universal themes of human resilience, the beauty of differences, and the power of living authentically.
There will be no solo performances, as the entire concert is designed to highlight the inclusive spirit of collaboration.
Lily Goh, a 45-year-old Deaf arts and music practitioner-artist, renowned for her captivating TikTok live sessions, where she not only teaches Singapore Sign Language but also showcases the vibrant world of Deaf music, will dazzle audiences with her performances.
As Ms Goh prepares for her DARE Festival debut, she shared, “I’m thrilled to be part of such an inclusive and inspiring event.
“The DARE Festival is a powerful platform to showcase the incredible talents of deaf artists and to challenge stereotypes.
“Through my music, I hope to inspire others to embrace the beauty of diversity and to see that Deafness is not a limitation but rather a source of strength and artistic expression.”
The DARE Festival 2024 is not only a cultural event but also a platform for social change. Collective Perspectives remains committed to its mission in fostering opportunities for artistic expression and personal development by championing value creation, economic empowerment and elevating the status of persons with disabilities in society, which will contribute towards their sustainability.
Tickets to the event can be purchased from SISTIC.
PHOTOS: COLLECTIVE PERSPECTIVES