“There are three kinds of human beings,” the actor playing Ishmael in a theatrical adaptation of Moby Dick told the audience. “The living, the dead and those who are at sea.”

Ishamel’s statement sounded like an exaggeration, but as puppets of itinerant sailors entered the stage with their hollow eyes and wooden features, the audience started to believe Ishmael’s words.

The character’s declaration set the tone for the rest of the 2024 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), the city-state’s annual arts festival celebrated for its cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary performances.

Organized by Arts House Limited and commissioned by Singapore’s National Arts Council, this year’s SIFA runs from May 17 to June 2 across various art centers in Singapore. This time, the festival is themed “They Declare”, a promise to welcome voices from people of all backgrounds and identities.

And SIFA lives up to this title. Its line-up includes both famed local artists, such as Singaporean playwright Haresh Sharma, and award-winning international troupes hailing from Spain and Germany to New Zealand to talk about the nature of human beings.

Moby Dick, a Norwegian showcase by director Yngvild Aspeli, opened the festival on the night of May 17 at the Esplanade’s Singtel Waterfront Theatre, which saw hundreds of people in attendance.

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