Since March, students of the SMU Arts and Cultural Fraternity have been busy preparing for the fifth installment of the SMU Arts and Cultural Festival. Now all set to awe, they invite you to pay a visit to their pet project. It’s going to be five whole days of shows that span various disciplines.

This year’s theme is the computer function “Ctrl+Alt+Del.” Leonard Lin, president of the SMU Arts and Cultural Fraternity says, “We wanted to restart the thinking process in SMU. The previous art festivals focused only on performing arts. This year we have shows that fuse different disciplines. So in a way, we’re trying to restart how we’ve gone about organizing the arts festival for the last five years. We’re trying to give it a new direction."

And that explains why this year’s SMU Arts and Cultural Festival comprises shows that defy easy categorization. In “Impromptu,” expect to see clothes designed by students of different clubs as well as dance segments. In “The Fourth World” (which calls to mind the recent “It’s All Talk” event in The Arts House), traditional ethnic instruments such as the Chinese flute and the Arabian oud will be played alongside contemporary innovations like the electric guitars and laptops.

And more is in store. Adding to the fun is a double bill by T’ang Quartet and the Folk Jazz Ensemble. There will also be an exhibition, a stand-up comedy, short skits, a musical, and fringe events such as competitions, games and band gigs. With the guidance of notable individuals such as Babes Condez, Ricky Sim and Zulkifli Mohamed Amin, these students might just put up a rocking good festival. Drop by and see how they fare.