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Theatre for Young Audiences in Singapore: Dimensions of Creativity

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Theatre for Young Audiences in Singapore: Dimensions of Creativity Caleb Lee Wei Hao A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance Royal Holloway, University of London July 2020 Declaration of Authorship I, Caleb Lee, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. Signed: Date: 3 July 2020 2 Acknowledgements This research would not have been possible without the help and guidance of my supervisor, Professor Helen Nicholson. Her knowledge, enthusiasm and patience have been a source of inspiration to many of us. Thank you for believing in me, pushing me and taking me on this journey of discovery. This study was supported by the National Arts Council Arts Scholarship, generous funding from Kwan Fook Ngah Estate and LASALLE – College of the Arts. Thank you for believing in the value of Theatre for Young Audiences and its promises. A big thank you to all my TYA colleagues back in Singapore for the valuable conversations, encouragement and your hard work in pushing the sector forward: Brian (I Theatre), Ruby and Lilian (ACT 3 International), Chandran (ACT 3 Theatrics), Luanne and Michelle (The Artground), Rachel and Glenda (Esplanade – Theatres by the Bay), Benjamin (Paper Monkey Theatre), Charlotte (Singapore Repertory Theatre), Tze Chien (The Finger Players), Sean (SOTA), Michele (Singapore Drama Educators Association), Elaine (The Learning Connection), Isabella, Jeffrey, Bright, Athena, Annie, Heather, Sadrina, Isyak and many others whom I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years. To the Asian TYA Network, thank you for inspiring me and imprinting a new identity on the TYA landscape in South-East Asia. In the UK, I would like to acknowledge Justin (The Unicorn), Chris (Halfmoon Theatre), Jeremy (Rose Bruford College), Pete and Roman (Polka Theatre), Kate (The Egg Theatre), Chloe (Page One Theatre), Pete (Punchdrunk Enrichment), Michelle and Daphna (Peut-Être Theatre), Samantha (Little Angel Theatre), Tim and Max (Oily Cart), Katherine, Purni, Sarah, Jo, Danny and Linda – thank you for your generous, wonderful and imaginative insights. At Royal Holloway, a big thank you to the amazing staff and PhD cohort with special mentions to Poppy, Siobhan, Chien Chen, Ye Teng, Catherine, Caitlin, Sally and Emma. On a personal note, I would like to thank my family for their endless love and support, Dr Robin for being my pillar of strength and giving me sound advice, Daryl, Xavier, Terry, Gary and Hong Wei, who have been wonderful friends, my lovely former students, and Abby – my partner and collaborator – who has stood by me and cheered me on in my final lap. 3 This thesis is for my grandmother. Thank you for taking care of me, teaching me many valuable life lessons, and watching over me. Even though we lost you halfway through this journey, I will always remember your generous spirit, love and kindness. Every word is dedicated to you. 4 Abstract This thesis explores the relationship between Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) and Singapore. The research is set against the fast-moving and changing landscape of the city- state, and aims to illuminate the position of TYA where market forces, education and politics intersect. It analyses the socio-political circumstances under which TYA is produced and received, and illustrates the ways in which it responds to different periods and contexts. By bringing together critical perspectives of creativity from theatre and performance studies, cultural geography, education and management, this thesis investigates how TYA in Singapore connects with different conceptualisations of creativity. The central argument in this thesis is that, while TYA might be pressured to respond commercially to the demands of the market, it also has the potential to adapt to changing circumstances and engage children through new forms of participation and spectatorship. Methodologically, it employs a mixed-method approach, using interviews, archived documents and performance analyses. By examining case studies that are informed by my professional practice as the festival manager of the ACE! Festival – a local arts festival for children and their families – as well as my participation in TYA-related events, site visits and engagements with the National Arts Council, this thesis traces the connections between varying cultural narratives, political agendas and theatre practices in the city. With TYA gaining interest and recognition in Singapore and the region, this thesis is relevant to theatre-makers, producers, educators and to the wider emerging field of scholarship in TYA. 5 Table of Contents Chapter One Introducing Creativity and Theatre for Young Audiences in Singapore 11 Researching Theatre for Young Audiences in Singapore 13 Contextualising Theatre for Young Audiences in Singapore 14 The Arts Master Plan: Theatre for Young Audiences and cultural policy 18 Singapore50 and creativity 22 Research methodology: a mixed-methods approach 31 Conducting interviews 33 Experiencing performances and spaces 36 Archival research 38 Reflecting on my position as a researcher and producer 41 Overview of chapters 44 Chapter Two Part One: Conceptualising Creativity as a Socio-Spatial Practice 47 Part Two: Creative Learning, Urban Transformation and the Rise of Theatre for Young Audiences 63 Constructing a historical narrative for Theatre for Young Audiences 64 The story of act 3: pioneers and professionalism in children’s theatre 67 The National Arts Council Arts Education Programme and creative learning 74 The commodification of the National Arts Council Arts Education Programme 81 Urban transformation and the (new) beginning for Theatre for Young Audiences 85 Chapter Three Managing Creativity: A Case Study of I Theatre’s The Rainbow Fish 92 Reading The Rainbow Fish in context 93 6 The aesthetic and educational dimensions of Theatre for Young Audiences 96 The assessment of Theatre for Young Audiences and entrepreneurism 104 The creative process: managing the artistic and social dimensions 112 Creative marketing 123 Curating the foyer space: challenging commercialism 130 Chapter Four Negotiating the Local and Global: Creativity and the Cultural Politics of ACE! Festival! 135 Festival as a creative and cultural practice 136 Reflections on Disney’s The Lion King and KidsFest 139 Global productions: commodifying creativity 142 The ACE! Festival in practice: cultural and creative connections 148 Hakim and the Giant Turtle: reinventing heritage 155 Our Island: confronting differences through cultural exchange 163 Festival as a space for dialogue 175 Chapter Five Rethinking Creativity: The Artground as an Alternative Space for Theatre for Young Audiences 179 Researching The Artground: a sensory approach 180 The Artground as a situated practice 183 Reflections on The Artground 187 A constructed space of play 192 Baby Space: spontaneous and open-ended play through performance 201 The Ground Breakers programme: a slower way of working 208 Creative limitations and the future of The Artground 215 7 Chapter Six Implications and Possibilities 218 Research and methodological implications 220 Policy implications and future pathways 224 Final reflections: changing worlds and geographies of hope 233 Bibliography 237 Appendix A: List of Interviews 250 Appendix B: List of Emails 251 8 List of Figures Figure 1: National Gallery Singapore, 2015. Source: Today Online 25 Figure 2: National Day Parade, 2015. Source: Today Online 27 Figure 3: URA Annual Report, 2001. Source: URA Library Archives 50 Figure 4: Civic and Cultural District, 2016. Source: URA Library Archives 50 Figure 5: Treasure Island, act 3, Bras Basah Park – Drama Festival, 1983 70 Figure 6: The company of act 3, 1984 71 Figure 7: The Rainbow Fish, I Theatre, The Singapore Airlines Theatre, 2011 99 Figure 8: The Rainbow Fish, I Theatre, The Church of Our Saviour’s auditorium, 2002 100 Figure 9: The NAC External Assessment Form, The Rainbow Fish, 2016 106 Figure 10: The Drama Centre Visitors’ Centre, 2016 116 Figure 11: Rehearsal of The Rainbow Fish, The Drama Centre Visitors’ Centre, 2016 118 Figure 12: Performers using headpieces in The Rainbow Fish, The Alliance Française Theatre, 2008 122 Figure 13: Performers using rod puppets in The Rainbow Fish, The Singapore Airlines Theatre, 2011 122 Figure 14: Publicity brochure of The Rainbow Fish, 2016 125 Figure 15: The Rainbow Fish craft activities (in partnership with Fun With Mama), 2016 129 Figure 16: The Drama Centre foyer 132 Figure 17: Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort 141 Figure 18: Lobby of the MasterCard Theatres 142 Figure 19: KidsFest flyer, 2012 143 Figure 20: The Lion King, Marina Bay Sands Theatre, 2018. Source: MBS 148 Figure 21: Hakim and the Giant Turtle, I Theatre, ACE! Festival 2012 162 Figure 22: Our Island, I Theatre and Kipper Tie Theatre, ACE! Festival 2012 168 9 Figure 23: The Goodman Arts Centre 184 Figure 24: Outside The Artground – The Good Garden 189 Figure 25: Inside The Artground – the space leading to the main area 190 Figure 26: Inside The Artground – the baby stage 191 Figure 27: The view from The Artground’s stage – the maze, the White Box, dome, and wall 192 Figure 28: The Artground programme 196 Figure 29: Baby Space, The Artground, 2017 204 Figure 30: The GroundBreakers 2017/2018 Programme 210 Figure 31: Puno (Letters to the Sky), 2018. Source: Papermoon Puppet Theatre 227 Figure 32: You Can Reach the Sky, The Artground, 2017 231 10 Chapter One Introducing Creativity and Theatre for Young Audiences in Singapore My first experience of what is today referred to as Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) happened in 1989. I was five, and the production that I watched was an adaptation of Charlotte’s Web, a popular children’s novel by American author E.B. White, staged inside a black box theatre within the sumptuous parkland surrounds of Fort Canning Hill, Singapore. I vividly recall the excitement and anticipation of going to the theatre with my parents.
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