Ayer Hitam: A Black History of Singapore (2019)

17 January 2019 – 20 January 2019 @ Black Box, Centre 42

Synopsis

In this lecture performance, actress Sharon Frese explores the history and influence of the African diaspora in Singapore. She shares images and documents relating to slavery, colonialism, jazz and nationalist struggle, reaffirming the value of black culture in our shared heritage.

Both a history lesson and a theatrical ritual, Ayer Hitamcommemorates the black men and women—enslaved, indentured and expatriate—who crossed the oceans into unknown territory. They draw strength from these tides, which Indian convicts called the “black water”—in Hindi “kala pani”, or in Malay “ayer hitam”.

This production is presented with support from Centre 42.

(Source: M1 Singapore Fringe Festival Website)


artefacts

Ayer Hitam: A Black History of Singapore (2019), Review
Reclaiming a Sober History “Fraser was a well-known figure in Singapore […] and there are many stories of him, but not fitted for this sober history.” In her lecture-performance of Ayer Hitam: A Black History of Singapore, Sharon Frese recites the quote above from the book, One Hundred Years of Singapore. Fraser was a Caribbean butler who came to Singapore from the West Indies in 1887 when his master, Sir John Goldney, brought him along. While the original context meant that anecdotes abo
Isaac Tan
Reviewed: 17 January 2019