Sunburst goes virtual this year, with a dash of imagination

LIGHTS, camera, action - but this show will not have an opening curtain or an audience in attendance.

For the first time in its four-year history, the Sunburst concert, an annual fund-raiser for the School of the Arts Endowment Fund (Sota EF) and Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore), or MDAS, will be held online in response to the current Covid-19 safe-distancing measures.

"The Sunburst Virtual Concert 2020: The Business Times-CapitaLand Fund-raising Show" will be broadcast on Thursday from 8pm to 8.45pm on Sota's YouTube channel.

This year's concert takes on the theme of "Air". Students from Sota will follow the theme in their performances set around the school campus; there will also be collaborative performances between them and MDAS beneficiaries, complete with digital-editing effects.

Despite not being held in physical venues like Sota's concert hall and drama theatre this time, the show "promises to be a visual treat", said its executive producer, Global Cultural Alliance.

The concert stage will be beamed from various locations in Sota, such as its library, canteen, rooftop and its grove-like terrace.

Wong Wei Kong, editor of The Business Times, the organiser of the concert, said the restrictions triggered by the pandemic have "not derailed the show, but have instead unleashed a new creativity".

"The impact of Covid-19 has highlighted more than ever the need for greater inclusivity. The message of Sunburst, in bringing together Sota students and MDAS members on the same stage, is even more relevant."

This year's show aims to raise S$250,000 in support of Sota EF and MDAS. CapitaLand group is the presenting sponsor; OCBC and Standard Chartered Bank are the main sponsors, with DBS and the SPH Foundation as supporters.

Tan Seng Chai, chief corporate and people officer for CapitaLand Group and executive director of CapitaLand Hope Foundation, said: "We are heartened to see the resilience of our young beneficiaries, putting together this virtual concert despite the pandemic."

He expressed hope that the concert will "enable (the beneficiaries) to showcase their talents and give them greater confidence in shaping their future".

Refreshing takes

The 45-minute online show will offer refreshing takes on well-known pop and classical works, including John Lennon's "Imagine" and Bach's "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring".

Members of MDAS and Sota students will also come together to perform a cover of Bruno Mars' "Count on Me", in a nod to the need for unity and interdependence against the disruptive force of the pandemic, particularly in the lives of MDAS members.

Artistic director Jeremiah Choy said: "The situation is an opportunity for us to showcase the different aspects and facade of Sota and MDAS... Here, the platform showcases how the students and the members adapt to the situation and lets them deliver something different, something refreshing."

In another item on the programme, a trio of students from Sota will sing against a visual backdrop comprising original art by MDAS members.

Freesia Tong, one of the trio, said: "These meaningful and vibrant works represent friendship, hope and joy as we strive to create a more inclusive community."

William Eng, MDAS member and a designer with MDAS employment programme B-Hive, said the different take for this year's concert amid the pandemic resonates strongly with the name Sunburst.

He said: "Despite difficulties, we still can burst through the barriers - like sun rays."