Kuo Pao Kun Festival

“We each find our own way, our path
To search, to know, to understand, to express
Not the past
But the future
In search of him
In search of ourselves
In search of the reasons
why we continue to search”

– Kuo Jian Hong, Artistic Director

First conceived to mark the passing of theatre doyen and Practice co-founder Kuo Pao Kun, the Kuo Pao Kun Festival is an international celebration of his legacy, his beliefs and his numerous contributions to the Singapore cultural landscape and beyond. 

The festival is intended not only as a celebration of Kuo Pao Kun, but also a hopeful projection into the future of Singapore’s art scene, built on the foundations of Kuo’s work. Artmakers from diverse backgrounds and practices, many with strong personal connections to Kuo himself, are invited to re-interpret Kuo’s classic texts by examining them through different lens, cultural contexts and art forms. 

A truly international festival, the Kuo Pao Kun festivals have featured Singaporean and international works staged in Singapore, India, Hong Kong and The United Kingdom. This undoubtedly speaks to the universality of Kuo’s writings and its effectiveness as a link between different cultures. By injecting new life into these plays, the hope is that these works will continue to inspire generations of artmakers to come.