Esplanade Presents

Talk

Huayi Dialogues: Long Time No See with Edward Lam

(Hong Kong)

14 Feb 2025, Fri, 7.30pm

2hrs

(Intermission: None)

Esplanade Black Room

Tickets from $5
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Synopsis

This is a conversation bridging the past and the future. It has been seven years since Edward Lam last participated in Esplanade’s Huayi – Chinese Festival of the Arts with Why We Chat. For the world, these seven years have been indescribably transformative. In ninety minutes, Lam will piece together fragments of the past seven years to create a bigger picture. What roles do you and I play in these stories? How does this encounter differ from his previous visits with a theatrical production? Have these seven years shaped a different Edward Lam? Lam eagerly awaits this answer. What title best encapsulates this reunion? Only one fits: long time no see.

 

This talk is part of the Huayi Dialogues series, curated and hosted by Singaporean artist Liu Xiaoyi.

 

About Huayi Dialogues 

The Huayi Dialogues is a groundbreaking initiative by Huayi Festival, curated by Singapore theatre artist Liu Xiaoyi. This platform brings together artists, cultural practitioners, and audiences through a rich tapestry of lectures, panels and discussion.

 

A festival should be more than just a stage for performances—it should also be a bridge for dialogue, fertile ground for collaboration, and an engine for growth. The Huayi Dialogues strives to provide a dynamic platform for lasting and meaningful exchanges, serving as a catalyst for new ideas and partnerships in the cultural ecosystem.

 

The inaugural Huayi Dialogues will be held during Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts 2025, featuring three master lectures and a thought-provoking panel discussion. Experience the wisdom and creativity of Fang Xu (Beijing), Wu Nien-jen (Taipei), and Edward Lam (Hong Kong), three luminaries of Chinese theatre. They will each share personal insights drawn from their illustrious careers, exploring themes rooted in their respective cultural contexts. From Beijing’s humanistic narratives to Taipei’s interdisciplinary artistry and Hong Kong’s experimental and international perspectives, these lectures will illuminate the diversity of artistic creation across different cultural landscapes. Be inspired by their experiences and reflections, and discover new pathways for creativity and connection.

 

Whether you are a practitioner of the arts or an audience member brimming with curiosity, the Huayi Dialogues promises to offer you an inspiring and enlightening experience.

Admission Age:
6 and above.
Language: Mandarin
Things to Note:
Accessibility: All our venues are wheelchair-accessible. We offer various services to support patrons with access needs. For assistance, please contact Esplanade Customer Experience at 6828 8377. Concessions are available for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and one accompanying companion. To learn more, read our accessibility guide.
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Artist Information

Edward Lam

Edward Lam founded Zuni Icosahedron with friends in the early 1980s and established Edward Lam Dance Theatre, where he serves as the artistic director, during his residence in London (1989–1995). Since returning to Hong Kong in 1995, he has devoted himself to theatre and directed more than 70 original productions. Lam was awarded Best Director at Shanghai theatre festival Modern Drama Valley’s One Drama Awards on several occasions, including for Men and Women, War and Peace (2010), The Doppelgänger (2012), and What is Sex? (2017), and was named Artist of the Year (Theatre) by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2017. A firm believer in education, Lam has given lectures at The University of Hong Kong, the Academy of Film at Hong Kong Baptist University, and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In 2015, he launched the first edition of ELDT On Screen, a cinematic showcase of four of his adaptations of literary classics. He has also published books of collected essays, including Waiting for Hong Kong, The Meaning of Entertainment, Evil But Glamorous, My TV Dinner Years, and Leading Ladies in the Mandarin Cinema. In 2016, Taiwanese journal Performing Arts Review published Who is Afraid of Edward Lam, Hsu Yen-mei’s analysis of Lam’s stage productions from 2006 to 2015. 

Liu Xiaoyi

The Artistic Director of Emergency Stairs in Singapore, Xiaoyi is considered one of the most promising leaders at the forefront of the experimental theatre scene and cultural exchange network in Asia. He has been involved in over 80 theatre productions as director, playwright, and actor over the past two decades. Xiaoyi has remained steadfast in his pursuit of the development and transcendence of theatrical forms, while actively promoting cross-cultural and transnational dialogues. Outside of his creative endeavors, he is also a dynamic curator, educator, and cultural critic.

 

Major awards Xiaoyi has received include Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal (2010), the Young Artist Award (2016) by the National Arts Council of Singapore, Nanyang Outstanding Young Alumni Award (2022), Patron of Heritage and the Arts Award (2023) by Nanyang Technological University, Golden Point Award (2017, 2019, and 2023), Global Outstanding Young Leaders Award by Asia Week (Yazhou Zhoukan) (2024).

 

Platforms initiated and curated by Xiaoyi include Re-viewer, Singapore’s inaugural Chinese theatre critique platform (2014–present); Southernmost, an intercultural arts festival (2017 – 2019); No More Theatre , dedicated to fostering collaboration between digital technology and the arts (2018 – present); Emergency Academy , a global youth cultural leadership incubator (2020 – present); and The Peripheral Experiment, an independent arts festival (201 – present); Young Artists Incubation Platform Emergency Camp (2014 – present); among others. Presently, Xiaoyi serves as the resident artist in Linjiang New District in Jiangsu Province, China, while holding the position of Senior Research Fellow and International Exchange Advisor at NAFA, within the University of the Arts Singapore. 

Date & Time

14 Feb 2025, Fri

7.30pm

Esplanade Black Room
Tickets & Prices
Standard
Price $5

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