How does a theatre company work with a local NGO?
How does film become a means of communication for the hearing impaired?

As an artist, what approaches can be used to negotiate the reality of the community’s experience as it translates into the creation of an art piece?

This sharing session will be framed by a discussion surrounding aspects of community engagement when using artistic methodologies to work with communities. A framework on levels of engagement will be put forward, adapted from Suzanne Lacy’s ‘Mapping the Terrain – New Genre Public Art’, for discussion alongside examples of work with communities from Sinema and Drama Box.

Koh Hui Ling from Drama Box will be speaking about their recent project on Sex Workers, which is a collaboration with social services group, Student Christian Movement. This project took the form of a forum theatre and a play which highlighted the situation of sex work and sex workers in Singapore, mediated through the social services group.

Nicolas Chee from Sinema will be sharing about his experiences and thoughts on SADEAF FIlmmaking initiated by sister company, Sinema Academy of Motion Pictures Limited (SAMP). The filmmaking programme “Make Your First Short Film” for The Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf ) by Sinema Academy of Motion Pictures Limited (SAMP) is the first programme initiated in March 2010 that is specially tailored for the deaf people. It targets SADeaf members and staff who are keen to pursue film or video making, but are restricted due to their disability. Having an additional skill like filmmaking, and another outlet of communication, the programme empowers the students with an additional skill set and means to reach out to the general public through visual communication – film.

A discussion on the framework for levels of engagement with communities will be facilitated by visual artist Felicia Low