page 1
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Adrian Jackson
(UK)
Adrian Jackson is director of a unique theatre company, Cardboard ES0239
Citizens, which works particularly with homeless and ex-homeless
people, refugees or asylum-seekers – many of whom are also staff
members and performers in the company. Founded in 1992, the
company tours theatre productions, especially inter-active Forum
theatre, to all sorts of venues, including hostels, day centres,
schools and theatres; apart from the interactive Forum Theatre
IM0237
shows the company is renowned for, it has also mounted a
number of larger-scale usually site-specific productions, including
The Beggar’s Opera (with ENO), The Lower Depths (with London
Bubble), and Mincemeat. The Company has also completed two
modern versions of Shakespeare’s plays, Pericles and Timon of
Athens, in collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and
is working on Measure for Measure for 2012.
Adrian Wong
& Sri Laxshemy
Vasu Thevan
(Singapore)
Adrian Wong is a Senior Teacher with a Drama portfolio at CHIJ St
Nicholas Girls’ School. His interests include the use of drama as
pedagogy to enhance students’ inter-disciplinary learning, teacher
professional development and reflective practice.
Code
Title & Content of Presentation
From the margin to the centre: the work of Cardboard Citizens
The presenter will discuss his work with Theatre of the Oppressed with homeless
people.
Rainbow of Desire
WS0815 Process Drama - Departing is My Arriving
Departing is my arriving: participants are invited to be part of a process drama where
the facilitators will weave multiple narratives - facilitators’ and participants’ personal
histories - with the words of the late Singapore playwright Kuo Pau Kun to collectively
uncover the lives of our forebears in early Singapore. Through this, participants will
gain ideas on how to use drama as pedagogy to engage teenagers in national
education and cultural identity issues.
Sri Laxshemy is a Literature and Drama teacher at CHIJ St Nicholas
Girls’ School. She graduated from NIE. Her interest is the use of
Drama as pedagogy for language learning as well as innovative
assessment and pedagogical practices in Literature.
Bernadeta Verry
Handayani
(Indonesia)
Active as an actor of Teater Garasi Yogyakarta since 1993. In 2008,
she initiated a monologue performance titled “Sum: Stories from
abroad”, a monologue about women migrant workers. In March
2010, she facilitated a theatre performance in Sumba (East
Indonesia) as part of a campaign around HIV AIDS and Women
Migrant Workers issues.
PF0432
Chang Mei Yee
(Singapore)
Chang Mei Yee teaches Applied Drama at the School of
Communication, Arts and Social Sciences at the Singapore
Polytechnic.
PR0717
Stories From Abroad - Performance on the Lives of Women Migrant Workers
The presenter will share her experiences working on women migrant workers issues,
especially her interactive monologue performance which toured Java and East
Indonesia in 2008-2009. The session will provide opportunities for participants to step
into the performance so as to deepen their understanding of the complex issues
involved. The session will also explore larger issues such as the development of a
media campaign to increase the outreach of the work in the East Indonesian villages
she was working in.
Exploring Community Narratives Through Reminiscence Theatre
The presenter shares her journey of working on a reminiscence theatre project with a
group of senior citizens in Jurong. The sharing includes the process of approaching
likely funders and participants, the nature of devising sessions and rehearsals, as well
as the challenges and joys of working on the project.
ES0459
Conference wrap-up
page 2
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Title & Content of Presentation
Dr Christina Marin
(USA)
Christina Marín is an Assistant Professor of Performing Arts in
Theatre Education at Emerson College in Boston. She previously
served as an Assistant Professor of Educational Theatre at New
York University, where she taught courses in Applied Theatre and
Theatre of the Oppressed.
PA0328
When Students Have Their Say: Examining the School Experience with Students
through Theatre
Dr. Christina Marín will discuss her research with young people in the Boston Public
School System. Using theatre as an arts-based qualitative research methodology and
digital storytelling to gather students' narratives, Dr. Marín will share techniques of
data collection, analysis, and technology options used within this ongoing project.
The Seriousness of Play: Getting the Most out of Theatre Games and Drama Activities
WS1427 for Conflict Resolution, Bullying Awareness and Peer Mediation
The objectives for this interactive workshop are to give teachers, counsellors, and
peer educators the tools to harness the power of theatre games and dramatic
activities for conflict resolution, peer mediation, and counteracting bullying in schools.
Down’s Syndrome
Association
(Singapore)
Edith Podesta
(Singapore/
Australia)
SH0357
Edith Podesta is a graduate of NIDA’s Acting and Movement
WS1123 Working with Actors with Intellectual Disabilities -- Internal States and their External
Studies courses, who has worked extensively across Australia as an
Expression.
actor, director, choreographer, movement consultant and teacher.
Edith is currently Head of the BA (Hons) Acting course at LASALLE
This workshop centers around the practical use of the actor’s body in space and in
College of the Arts. Edith collaborated closely with Australia’s
relation to other actors – developing spatial, dynamic and aesthetic awareness. It
Chatswood High School's Special Needs Unit to devise and present
further examines movement through Anne Bogart’s ‘Viewpoints’ and calls upon
three plays over three years at the Young Dramatists Page to Stage
principles of Laban, Animal work, the late teachings of Stanislavski on actor’s
Festival. She delivered workshops for people with intellectual
physicality and Element work.
disabilities in every capital city in Australia over the course of five
years for the National Institute of Drama’s Open Program as well
WS1224 Creating for Actors with Intellectual Disabilities
as representing NIDA’s Open Program in the annual Awakings
Festival as a lecturer, workshop facilitator and director.
Entry points into devising and character/story development. This workshop introduces
participants with the tools to devise a theatre piece using Anne Bogart’s Composition
work and Leigh Fondakowski’s Moment work as a frame with which to devise. A
practical workshop that tracks the devising process from source work, improvisation,
direction, editing and performance.
page 3
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Title & Content of Presentation
Edmund Chow
(Singapore)
Teacher at Raffles Institution. Former teacher at Kaki Bukit Centre
(Prison School) from 2004 to 2009 where he used the arts as a
therapeutic means for the rehabilitation of prison inmates. In
2006, Edmund received an NAC Arts Professional scholarship to
pursue his Master's degree in Educational Theatre at New York
University.
PR0822
Drama for Rehabilitation in a Prison School
Egbert Wits is a Dutch-born theatre producer. Co-ordinator of the
new Theatre for Development and Education (TDE) Indonesia
programme. TDE contributes to sustainable human development
through cultural engagement. This is done by creating, supporting
and stimulating theatrical performances addressing various social
and advocacy issues within Indonesia.
PR1029
Egbert Wits
(Indonesia)
The presenter will share his work at the Kaki Bukit Centre (Prison School), looking
specifically at how drama is used for social-emotional development and communitybuilding as part of the rehabilitation process for the prison inmates of the school. The
discussion will include challenges faced, such as ethics, stigmatization and
sustainability issues.
Komplek Percandian Muaro Jambi: Forum Theatre’s Chances in Social Intervention
This presentation looks at the complexity of social intervention by using the Muaro
Jambi Temple complex in Sumatera (Indonesia) as a case-study. Participants will
discuss how Forum Theatre can be used to address social issues and the challenges
faced when doing so. Together with the participants, Egbert will negotiate a
discussion about achieving an attainable and sustainable future for both the Buddhist
temples in the area and the largely poor Muslim people that live there.
WS1530 Where Are You From? What Are You Doing?
Whenever people from various regions and backgrounds get together everyone is
always interested in: Who are you? Where are you from? This interactive session
suggests a method that addresses these questions for all participants at once in a fun
and creative way. It opens the way for further collaboration whilst establishing a
feeling of being united in diversity. A wonderful way to start the conference
experience.
Ernesto Cloma
Philippine
Educational
Theater
Association
(Philippines)
ES0341
Mr Cloma will share PETA’s development work in this 45 minute presentation.
IM0340
PETA Creative Pedagogy
Program where participants will experience group creative processes making use of
the integrated theater art approach (a weaving-in of Creative Drama, Creative Writing,
Body Movement, Creative Music and Sound, Visual Arts and Group Dynamics and
Theater Games) towards the study and analysis of topics and issues of participants’
concern. There will be venues for surfacing thoughts, feelings, and perspective about
topics relevant to their work in various art forms. Besides short improvisational
output, the participants can come out with a short creative program plan of action
using the Creative Pedagogy approach to be used for their own future work. Lots of
fun, noise, camaraderie and discovery of self and others.
page 4
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Harris Jahim
(Singapore)
Harris Jahim is an actor, director, and choreographer with BA in
Theater and Film from Murdoch University (Australia) and
University of Miami’s Actor Training Program. He is currently
Program Leader in the Faculty of Performing Arts at LASALLE
College of the Arts.
WS0613 Lessac Kinesensic Training Workshop
Dr Helen Cahill
(Australia)
Title & Content of Presentation
Lessac Kinesensic Training is an approach to voice, speech and movement that offers a
unique way of learning by integrating all three to deepen communication, human
behaviour and creativity. It is a resource for vocal behaviour, performance, and clinical
therapy.
Helen is the Deputy-Director of the Youth Research Centre,
KY0142
University of Melbourne. She is a former secondary teacher and
works in youth, education and health promotion research,
specialising in the use of participatory techniques. She has
developed a number of national and international drug education
and mental health promotion and HIV prevention programs for use
in school and community settings.
IM0443
Stretching Identities: Using Drama for Social Change
Applied Drama is often selected as a tool to assist communities to change social
norms. Dramatic portrayals however, can reinforce rather than challenge limiting
stereotypes, and thus contain and constrain social roles. For change to occur one must
stretch identities to encompass new possibilities in thought and action. This paper
discusses the way in which drama can be used to help participants to detect and
dislodge those assumptions that govern gender relations and health behaviours. It
highlights the way in which both theory and evidence can be used to guide aesthetic
approaches to enhancing social change. Examples are drawn from HIV prevention and
gender rights projects conducted in South East Asia. These projects require
community members to traverse social norms in order to discuss sensitive issues such
sexual health, drug use, sexual preference and gender rights. Theory is developed
which highlights the way in which the selection of genre influences the knowledge
that can be represented through the drama, and consequently the possibilities for
change that can be fashioned.
Connections and Change: Incorporating Evidence-Based Approaches into the Use of
Drama for Health Promotion.
In the Connections and Change immersion workshop participants will sample a range
of drama-based tools used within participatory programs for addressing HIV
prevention and gender rights in development programs in South East Asia. In addition
they will receive short presentations and notes upon the available research evidencebase which provides key pointers about the characteristics of effective life-skills
programs.
Dr Hsu Rey-Fang
(Taiwan)
Assistant professor of the Department of Drama and Application,
National University of Tainan. Pre-artistic director (1994-2002) of
Tainaner Ensemble. (Tainan Jen Theatre). Playwright and director.
PR1862
Learning through Theatre: A Way to Experience the Historical Past
This presentation/lecture will focus on two T.I.E. programmes Opening the Gate in
1895 & Bridge of Ancestor. Through the two programmes
to show how the Theatre-in-Education ( T.I.E) model and its interactive strategy, such
as ‘role play’, ‘meeting’, ‘image theatre’, ‘hot-seating’,
and ‘taking sides’ stir up the emotion of the participants and lead them into the
historical space in the play to learn the history.
page 5
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Title & Content of Presentation
Dr Hwang Ha
Young
(Singapore/
S Korea)
Hwang Ha Young is Assistant Professor on the Theatre Studies
Programme at the National University of Singapore.
PR0309
Forgetting and Remembering: Re-Living Memories with Elders in Singapore
Ian Loy
(Singapore)
A graduate from LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts in 2002 with a
Diploma in Drama and a recipient of the NAC Georgette Chen Arts
Scholarship.
How do we inhabit memories in places where the landscape keeps little or a highly
selected trace of history in its constant urban (re)development? Beginning with this
question, this session invites participants to a dialogue on a community performance
project in Singapore, through which elders remember and share their stories and
experiences.
PR0205
Youth Development Through Arts Education for Young Children in At-Risk
Communities.
Theatrical workshops to equip young children of Circuit Road / Balam Road area to
realize their potential in creativity and confidence. This project targets migrant, underprivileged and at risk families.
Indonesian Family
Network
(Singapore/
Indonesia)
InVisibleSight
(Singapore)
SH0256
InVisibleSight is a team of 5 graduating students from Singapore
Polytechnic’s Diploma of Applied Drama and Psychology who
believe in encouraging exploration through the fusion of
interesting concepts with applied drama.
WS0406 Project: Van der Waals
Addressing issues of friendship in Secondary Schools through drama.
The team will share its Theatre-in-Education programme to show how drama may be
used to address friendship issues, such as insensitivity and possessiveness through a
30-minute performance and a 1-hour post- performance workshop.
page 6
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Title & Content of Presentation
Dr Jane Gilmer
(Singapore/NZ)
Jane, an Asst Prof at NIE, has been a professional actor for the past
20 years touring internationally with Shakespeare's plays and,
training actors in Chekhov's techniques. She specialises as a
theatre theory and practice researcher. Her areas of research
include: feminist theatre; psychoanalysis and contemporary
theatre trainings; spiritual consciousness in 20th century theatre
practice; alchemy and theatre, theatre pedagogy and, the impact
of colonialism on theatre.
WS0918 The Why’s and How’s of Teaching Shakespeare in the Classroom
Teachers who are given the task of teaching Shakespeare inevitably feel challenged by
the texts - the language, its content, the complexity of characters and how to ‘stage’
it. In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to address these questions
and discover through drama exercises and discussion how Shakespeare can be taught
in the classroom so that it is interesting and importantly, of value in an educational
environment.
PA0120
Building 21st Century Teaching and Learning Practices through Drama
Singapore schools apply drama in a range of contexts: as a co-curricular activity, as
part of an enrichment programme, as pedagogy for different curriculum areas, and as
a subject in its own right. Those who teach drama come with different experiences,
expertise and qualifications. In this paper we will discuss the results of a nationwide
survey inquiring into the state of play of drama education in Singapore. We will
highlight how drama is being applied in schools. We will also acknowledge and
address the help school practitioners feel they need from drama artists and
pedagogues to provide for 21st Century learning.
Janet Pillai
(Malaysia)
Janet Pillai is a senior lecturer at the School of Arts, University
Science Malaysia, Penang. Besides formal teaching at the
University, Pillai leads Arts-ED an organization specializing in
heritage education, research and publication for community. ArtsED also specializes in program development and training in nonformal arts education. Research interests include topics such as
cultural sustainability, role of the arts in heritage conservation and
pedagogical approaches to art education.
KY0244
Transmission and Transformations
'Remembering' is a form of mental documentation that can be accessed through
doing and recalling. Remembering 'how' and 'why' something happened or is done in
a particular way forms an impressive cultural knowledge bank which is a tremendous
asset to a people and a reliable, sustainable base for Improvisation and innovation.
The keynote will focus on how community- based applied theatre work relies on
cultural banks, intergenerational communication and collective memory in the
transmission and interpretation of cultural knowledge.
PF0545
Stories from Uncle/Aunty: Transforming Oral History into Performance
This presentation is in lecture format and will consist of 3 short media presentations
(slide show and video) showing different ways in which oral history collected from the
community was researched by youth and transformed into 3 different performances
(dance, music and puppetry). The discussion will revolve around the multidisciplinary
approach which provides room for children to exercise their dominant intelligence
and to work as a trans-disciplinary team.
page 7
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Dr Joe Winston
(UK)
Joe Winston is Associate Professor of Drama and Theatre
IM0651
Education at the University of Warwick, where he co-ordinates the
highly successful MA in Drama and Theatre Education. He is also
co-editor of the world’s leading research journal, Research in
Drama and Theatre Education. He has led many master classes for
students and teachers in different international settings and is well
known for his lively approach to drama work. He has published
widely in the field. His latest book Beauty and Education was
published by Routledge in 2010 and a new edited book, Second
Language Learning through Drama is due out in June 2011.
PR1552
Title & Content of Presentation
Myth, poetry & character education through drama
Using a poem from Ted Hughes’ ‘Tales from Ovid’, the story of Midas, this immersion
will explore how drama can help us get to grips with the deep human issues that
resonate from the tale and also to enjoy and make sense of the sensuousness of the
poetic language. This will be suitable for primary and secondary teachers as two
different schemes of work will be offered to each. And it will hopefully be a workshop
for us to enjoy at a personal as well as a professional level.
Beauty, laughter and learning through drama
Laughter in the classroom may not always be helpful, as all teachers know. There are
different kinds of laughter and sometimes it can be vicious and callous rather than
friendly and good natured. This paper will nonetheless argue that laughter at its best
is far from a frivolous addition for the drama teacher and can be seen to be very
clearly an educational virtue. Perhaps surprisingly I will propose that there is a strong
potential link between the virtues of laughter thus conceived and the virtues of
beauty – or at least a particular aspect of beauty, the virtues we associate with charm
and being charming. And though some of us may not have the good fortune ever to
be talked of as a beautiful teacher, which of us would not, after all, delight in being
thought of as a charming one?
Joned
Suryatmoko
(Indonesia)
June Wee
& Ann Hui Peng
(Singapore)
Yogyakarta (Indonesia)-based theater maker. Works with Teater
Gardanalla where he serves as the Artistic Manager/Director. His
background is people theater and his works focus on exploring
direct interaction between artists and passers-by in public spaces.
PF0331
June Wee is currently a lecturer with the Diploma in Applied
Drama and Psychology at Singapore Polytechnic.
PR0101
Ann Hui Peng heads the Children Service Centre of the Singapore
Children’s Society. She has been intensively engaged in preventive
and outreach work for children for the past 3 years.
Exploring Contemporary Educational & Public Theater Performance for Developing
Community
How can we engage the public in simple, practical theatre performances that are
accessible to all? This session incorporates the presentation of a community-based
work (Story Shop) around personal stories that the presenter has performed in
Indonesia and which is open to audience interaction.
Sharing HOPE: Theater in low income communities.
This presentation will detail the workings of the partnership between Singapore
Children’s Society and Singapore Polytechnic on Project HOPE. Started in 2009, Project
HOPE reaches out and gives hope to children from low-income families living in rental
flats.
page 8
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Prof Dr Jung
Shu-hwa
(Taiwan)
Shu-hwa Jung has worked in professional theatre for over 26 years PR1133
and has taught theatre as part of various university and college
appointments. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Taipei
National University of the Arts. Her specific interests are in
Community Theatre, Drama in Education and Theatre in Education,
especially as it pertains to Taiwan.
Juraimy Abu
Bakar
(Singapore)
Juraimy is an educator, who has been actively involved in the
performing arts as either an actor or dancer for the last 16 years.
He currently teaches English, Art, and Drama.
WS0714 Integrated Art-Drama Approach to Foster Reflective Learning
Kenneth Kwok
(Singapore)
English Language, Literature and Drama teacher, recipient of
Outstanding Youth in Education Award (2002) for youth
development efforts through drama. M.Ed in Arts in Education.
WS0203 Forum Theatre in the Classroom: Bullying
Kok Heng Leun is the Artistic Director of Drama Box. Under his
direction, Drama Box has become known for its exploratory
Chinese Language theatre work and extensive works in the
community. He is known particularly for his joker (facilitation)
skills and has conducted many workshops in various countries for
different communities. Heng Leun is the recipient of the National
Arts Council’s Young Artist Award in 2000 and the Japanese
Chamber of Commerce & Industry Culture Award in 2003.
KY0349
Hui Ling co-founded and oversees NeNeMas, the educational arm
of Drama Box. She recently completed her Masters of Arts in
Applied Drama at University of Exeter, UK. With many years of
teaching and facilitating experience in educational institutions, Hui
Ling continues to believe in the humanistic value of education and
aspires to touch people with her work. With that passion, she
founded ARTivate – the youth wing of Drama Box in 2007, aiming
to groom the next batch of young artists for the theatre industry.
IM0550
Kok Heng Leun
& Koh Hui Ling
Drama Box
(Singapore)
Koh Hui Ling
Drama Box
(Singapore)
Code
Title & Content of Presentation
Theatre in Education: School-Parent Partnership
This presentation provides a platform for discussion around how parents can be
important stakeholders in school-based drama education efforts. The presenter will
share parents’ experiences in Taipei He-Tee Primary School where the parents
themselves have initiated and run five different Theatre in Education programmes.
Workshop participants will be immersed in a secondary school classroom experience
that uses an integrated art-drama approach specially designed by the presenter to
foster student engagement and social-emotional development, particularly students’
ability to engage in reflective learning.
Interactive workshop that will immerse participants in an introductory forum theatre
experience designed for teenagers to address the issue of bullying. Ideal for teachers
in a secondary school or tertiary education setting.
Theatre is a Language
Theatre is not just an entertainment. It is a language. A language not just words, but a
system of telling and understanding the world. It embodies memory and creativity,
expressed through the body, words and emotion.
In the keynote we will talk about how Drama Box has been searching for that
particular language, and how we try to share this language with our audience and
community, so that we can talk about the world in the most creative way. It is our
belief that theatre is not just a mere product, but also as a means to engage, to
understand and to dialogue.
Introduction to Forum Theatre: Breaking the Silence
Breaking the Silence is the Forum Theatre training workshop in Drama Box’s Applied
Theatre workshop series. Combining Brazilian theatre legend Augusto Boal’s “Theatre
of the Oppressed” and David Diamond’s “Theatre for Living”, Breaking the Silence is a
pedagogy that was developed through ten years of community theatre work by
Drama Box, many of which involved using Forum Theatre as a tool to engage different
segments of the community in dialogues. This short immersion workshop will
introduce participants to our pedagogy, the art of creating Forum Theatre, as well as
the aesthetics behind Forum Theatre. Participants will also experience some activities
page 9
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Title & Content of Presentation
Luisito Nario
& Elsie Burgos
Theater for
Batangas
(Philippines)
Luisito Nario, the Chairman of Theater for Batangas, is a theatre
and dance practitioner.
PR0925
Project Lipa: Sustainability and Survival Strategies for a Community-Based Theater
Arts Programme.
Lynn Kremer
(USA)
Lynn Kremer has written and directed for theatre, opera, and film.
Her work has been performed in venues in New York City,
Minneapolis, Boston, Cambridge, Washington D.C., Ft. Worth,
Chicago, Ireland and Bali. Professor Kremer is a member of the
faculty at College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts.
Elsie S. Burgos is the Vice-Chairman of Theater for Batangas and
Executive Director of ESI Little Theater, a community based theater
group composed of children ages 6-12.
Theater for Batangas Chairman Luisito Nario and Vice-Chairman Elsie Burgos will share
the best practices and survival strategies implemented in developing a communitybased theater arts programme in a locality in the Philippines, particularly highlighting
the public-private partnership which was the key element for achieving sustainability.
WS1326 Training the Beginning Performer
This is a workshop that equips teachers with strategies to engage their students in
voice and body training. A vocal and physical warm-up led by the facilitator will be
followed by participants sharing personal stories which will be used to clarify acting
techniques such as focus, gesture, timing, commitment, objective, emotion memory,
and vocal variety.
Madhu Sakhrani
Tan
(Singapore)
Madhu Sakhrani Tan has taught English and Literature in secondary WS0507 Process Drama - Secondary School Teachers
schools for over 17 years. Her interest and belief in the use of
drama as pedagogy led her to pursue an Advanced Post-Graduate
This experiential workshop aims to take participants through the process of
Diploma in Drama in Education at NIE/NTU.
developing a dramatic response to situations and materials from a range of
perspectives. This workshop will be particularly helpful to educators who wish to use
process drama in the secondary school classroom for language learning as well as
personal and social development.
Matthew Lyon
(Singapore)
Drama Educator, Editor of online arts journal The Flying Inkpot
Theatre and Dance. Has been writing reviews of Singapore theatre
since 1999.
WS0102 Teaching Theatre Review-Writing
Hands-on workshop targeted at teachers who want to take their secondary or tertiary
education language, literature or drama students through the process of theatre
review writing as a means to develop arts appreciation and critical thinking skills.
page 10
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Mok Chiu Yu (Gus) Though trained as a counsellor, Mok is currently teaching part time PR1961
(Hong Kong)
at Lingnan University and is the chairman of the Asian People’s
Theatre Festival Society. His varied background includes work as a
youth worker, a newspaper editor, a high school teacher, an arts
festival organizer and a cultural worker. He was Executive
Secretary of the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong
(ADA) from 1995 - 2004 after which he headed a new organization
called Centre for Community Cultural Development. He has
extensive experience in cross cultural collaboration in theatre e.g.
the Big Wind Project, a cultural caravan involving artists from nine
cities in Asia, Australia and America, which toured Asia for 4
months. He has been involved in many community theatre projects
(including projects involving migrant workers and persons with
disability) in Hong Kong. He has also been a keen promoter in
various educational and community theatre methodologies in
Hong Kong e.g. Basic Integrated TheatreArts, Theatre of the
Oppressed, Playback Theatre, Playforward Theatre etc. He was the
Congress Director of IDEA 2007 in Hong Kong. He has published
numerous works and has made a number of independent films. He
won the first ever Drama Achievement Award presented by Hong
Kong's Arts Development Council in 1999. More recently he helped
Griffith University to set up a Master programme in Education and
Applied Drama in Hong Kong. He was the hearing director of the
First Hong Kong International Deaf Film Festival in 2010.
Nazreen Osman
(Singapore)
Senior Teacher in Drama & Performing Arts at Tampines Primary
School. She completed her Masters Degree in Drama Education in
2007 from the National Institute of Education.
Title & Content of Presentation
The Centre for Community Cultural Development since IDEA 2007
The presenter will talk about his organizations attempts to promote community
cultural development (community arts) and not just community theatre/drama in
Hong Kong.
WS0304 Developing Curriculum 2015 through Drama
Presentation and practical session that demonstrates how drama has been applied as
a pedagogical tool in a Singaporean primary school context, especially for English
Language learning as aligned to the new 2010 syllabus.
page 11
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Title & Content of Presentation
Dr Peter
O’Connor
(NZ)
Associate Professor Peter O’Connor is the Director of the Critical
Research Unit in Applied Theatre at the University of Auckland and
Founding Director of the acclaimed Applied Theatre Consultants
Ltd (ATCo). ATCo is one of the world’s most successful applied
theatre companies with major national and international projects.
PR1347
Getting Better at and Through Drama
This session considers what it means to get better at doing drama in the classroom
and how teachers can assess and measure developing drama skills. A matrix of
progressions developed for the NZ Ministry of Education is used as a spring board for
discussion. Similarly the question of how to assess other curriculum areas when
drama has been used as a teaching pedagogy will also be discussed.
PR1448
Measuring Success: Applied Theatre, How do We Know if it Works?
Using the theatre as a means of changing attitudes or dealing with sensitive issues
with targeted audiences is proving a popular approach by government and NGO
funders keen to make significant changes. This session looks at how administrators
and funders can evaluate applied theatre programmes and know if they are effective
and efficient tools. Using a range of case studies session participants will look at
different evaluation models as a way of measuring applied theatre success.
page 12
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Dr Prudence
Wales
(Singapore/
Australia)
Prudence was a secondary school teacher for many years, teaching WS1019 Using Drama as a Core Pedagogy in the English Language Classroom
Drama, Theatre Studies, and English. As Director of Publications for
Drama Australia from 2002 to 2008, she edited NJ (Drama Australia
This workshop explores ways in which to engage primary school students in speaking,
Journal) and worked on a range of Drama Australia publications.
reading, writing and listening through drama and storytelling. Working with a form of
She is a past president of Drama Victoria and has worked as a
drama education known as Process Drama, the facilitator will model ways to involve
curriculum writer and VCE examiner in Victoria, Australia. Her PhD
and actively engage all the students in a class. The facilitator and participants will
(University of Melbourne) focused on teacher identities. Her
collectively construct an episodic drama that is created with the application of a
research interests include narrative inquiry, identity and
variety of role-playing and improvisational activities and drama conventions. As the
subjectivities, applied theatre, adolescent health, feminist theory,
participants move in and out of the fictional dramatic world they create they will
and ethnographic performance. Prue is currently working on a
make choices and reflect upon their decision making from a range of perspectives,
research project with colleagues from the University of Melbourne
engaging in deep and critical thinking.
focusing on women working in educational institutions. This has
been developed into an ethnographic performance that they
Process Drama is a form a drama education. It involves all the students in a class being
continue to develop and perform.
actively engaged in an episodic drama that unfolds as it is created by the students and
teacher. The dramatic narrative of the drama develops through a string of role-playing
and improvisation activities and conventions. During these activities the students and
teacher 'live' in the moment of the drama, accepting the world of fiction. However,
they are also simultaneously encouraged to step out of the drama and critique their
choices and decisions.
PA0221
Title & Content of Presentation
Exploring Possibilities for Embodied Learning for the 21st Century Learner
In this paper we will draw on findings from our mixed methods study identifying and
building drama pedagogical practices in Singapore. Focusing on a mentoring
programme funded by the NIE Office of Educational Research (OER) we discuss the
processes and praxis, challenges and tension of implementing drama across the
curriculum to facilitate engaged and embodied learning in a variety of settings.
Dr Richard Barber,
Makhampom
Foundation
(Thailand/
Australia)
Dr Richard Barber is a theatre and community worker, currently
living in Chiang Dao in northern Thailand. He is the International
Program Director of the Makhampom Foundation. He has a 20year background in theatre, social movements, and conflict
resolution in the Asia-Pacific region. He designed and developed
the Makhampom Living Theatre centre and earned his PhD at the
Monash University School of Theatre and Drama Studies.
WS1635 Using Theatre Art as an Engagement Tool
The workshop will provide a dynamic introduction to Makhampom’s ActionReflection-Re-Action approach, through participatory games and exercises, group
reflections and discussion, and case presentations of Makhampom’s applied practice.
ES0136
Dreaming, Theatre, and Community Engagement – Lessons of the Makhampom Living
Theatre in Northern Thailand
This presentation will invite the audience to reflect on Makhampom’s journey of
immersion into the diverse Chiang Dao community.
page 13
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Title & Content of Presentation
Rosemarie
Somaiah
(Singapore)
Rosemarie Somaiah, author, entertainer and arts educator, runs
Asian Storytelling Network. She performs and writes for all ages,
but delights in and values her work with children for the discipline
it enforces on the artist.
PR1653
Storytelling at St 11: Rediscovering the Pedagogy of Play in Preschool
Rosemary
McGowan
(Singapore/ UK)
& Hannah Grant
(UK)
A graduate of London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, Rosie PF0108
is a freelance theatre practitioner, facilitator and educator, based
in Singapore, who has taught in numerous academic institutions
and is an adjunct lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic, lecturing and
developing course material on the Applied Drama and Psychology
Diploma.
This presentation will share the process, the reflections and the learning that took
place during the 16 sessions of storytelling at St 11 Childcare Centre. For these 16
sessions, very detailed written Reflections of every session from the storyteller
provided the teachers specific skills instruction, including tips on Phonics, Literacy
Instruction, Comprehension, Motivation and Childcare to give the teachers the
support they needed to help the children build up their literacy skills, including
speaking, listening, reading, writing, thinking and self-expression.
Hannah obtained her MA in Applied Theatre (Drama in Education
& Drama in the Community) at the Central School of Speech and
Drama specialising in the power of theatre as a tool to share global
stories and characters in community settings. She has been a
director and performer and has worked in education, youth
development and public service with a focus on youth at risk and
issues of diversity.
Srisrividhiya
Kalyanasundaram
& Bindhumalini
Narayanaswamy
(India)
Srivi is the Founder-Director of Fooniferse Arts Pvt.Ltd and CoFounder and Partner at ArtIndea Project, organizations based in
India that are engaged in using arts and media to create spaces for
empathetic and honest education systems and human interaction.
A large part of her work in the last 8 years has been designing
educational media and products for the underprivileged, with the
long term goal of empowering them to be leaders who can define
their learning pathways.
Bindhu Malini is a singer, actor, graphic designer and illustrator.
After intense training in Carnatic Music for 15 years she now trains
in Hindustani Music and is a disciple of Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan, a
resident guru of Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata. She also
teaches music, and spearheaded a British Council Project,
International Voices, in Bangalore where 55 children from 4
schools including 13 blind children came together to share the joy
of sharing music and singing.
IM0134
Theatre:Connect- Youth Identity in London and Singapore - A Pilot Project.
Theatre:Connect’s pilot project was an exploration of young people’s identities in
connection to the area in which they live. Working with a youth theatre based in
Hackney, London and a group of young people in Singapore, two interesting and
thought- provoking pieces were devised with the guidance of established theatre
practitioners. The objective of the session is to showcase and discuss the two different
performances, the methods and results of evaluation, the difficulties faced, the
successes and how it can be improved for future developments
Connecting Energies – Creating Visuals – Transforming Selves
In traditional India, the various art forms were connected by a common philosophy,
symbolism and spirituality even though each had its own rules and formats. This
immersive arts experience which has been conducted around India with children of
varying ages will create a dynamic and safe space for participants to engage in diverse
movement, theatre, vocal and visual art exercises, culminating in the creation of an
illustrated storybook, with characters, myths and experiences evolved from a unified
state of body-mind consciousness.
page 14
correct as of 15 March 2011
Presenter
Biography
Code
Tapestry Playback
Theatre
(Singapore)
Tapestry, the first Playback Theatre company in Singapore, was
PF0211
formed in April 2002. Tapestry uses a form of improvisational
theatre to engage people to share stories or moments from their
lives, and recreate their stories immediately on stage. Tapestry
combines the oral traditions of storytelling, the use of rituals, deep
listening skills, and various performing styles. Essentially, Playback
Theatre uses the arts as an act of service to affirm each person's
uniqueness, and at the same time, builds and strengthens our
PR0512
connections to each other as a community of people.
Title & Content of Presentation
Playback Theatre and Personal Stories; A powerful instrument for artistes, community
workers and therapists
Playback Theatre is a unique form of improvisational theatre that engages people to
share their stories or moments from their lives, and gives them an opportunity to see
their stories recreated immediately on stage. The objective is to showcase how
Playback works and have a discussion on its possibilities in community work.
Playback Through the Eyes of Cambodia - An Overseas Project by Tapestry Playback
Theatre
Tapestry Playback Theatre, in partnership with Mercy Teams International and
Singapore International Foundation, carried out a series of Playback Theatre
workshops in Cambodia from 2006-2007. Tapestry will present insights and
challenges, such as language, culture and logistical issues, in using interactive drama
with the local communities.
Tay Tong
(Singapore)
PR1238
Theatre for
Seniors
(Singapore)
SH0155
Wong Yock Leng
(Singapore)
Dr Wong Oi Min
(Malaysia)
Yock Leng, a critique on social injustices, hopes human kind will
PR0616
cultivate the honesty to self-discern and the wisdom to using one’s
power.
Project X – Bridging the Gap of Alienation Between Sex Workers and Society
Wong Oi Min is a PhD in Arts, actor, director, drama/theatre
educator. She is currently a full-time lecturer at the National
Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage (ASWARA) of Malaysia. She
specializes in Physical Theatre & Applied Theatre and mainly takes
them as her orientation in promoting and developing theatre arts
& education. She upholds her beliefs in “Cross-Boundary Towards
Multicultural Coexistence” in her work.
The Possibilities of School-based Art Projects by Artists In Collaboration with Schools
PR1758
Project X hopes to use this session to create a platform to critically engage and expand
the mindsets of every individual present in the dialogue on the issue of sex work/er.
A comparison with 3 school-based art projects that initiated by artists in collaboration
with schools in finding their impact, their possibilities and their difficulties.