Developing young audiences for the arts

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

1. A very good evening and thank you for having me at this conference. A warm welcome to all of you, especially our guests from overseas, welcome to Singapore. It is my pleasure to be here today at the opening of the 4^th Singapore Drama Educators Association (SDEA) Theatre Arts Conference.

2. Today, I'm here to listen and learn from you who have years of experience in arts education – drama education in particular. Like many of you here today, I'm looking forward to hearing your ideas on how we can better engage young audiences through theatre, and I hope that all of you will share your insights with us here.

The importance of theatre for young people

3. Play is an important part of child development and learning, so much so that it is recognised in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Play encourages children to create, explore and to master different worlds. It also builds our children's confidence and resilience. This will help them navigate future challenges, especially in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

4. I was preparing for this speech and it dawned on me that my wife, who is also a theatre practitioner, playwright and director, likes the word 'play'. I've heard her say during interviews that she not only creates a play on stage, but likes to play as well. So she sees the word as a very important connector between what she produces, what she presents on stage, and what she enjoys as a playful person. I believe that you are all playful at heart and that the stage, the theatre, allows us this space to play; to play with children and inspire them.

5. That is why this year's conference theme, 'Future Generations: Projecting Playful Possibilities', is a very meaningful one. It is about projecting future possibilities in theatre for young people, through play. Children's theatre introduces our young to the arts in a fun and engaging way. It strengthens their language and communication skills, and instils a sense of empathy that enables them to be comfortable with diversity and differences. It can also spark a lifelong interest for the arts, and nurture Singapore's next generation of artists and audiences.

Growing audiences for the arts

6. Strong audience support is key to growing Singapore's vibrant arts and culture sector. To develop future audiences, the National Arts Council (NAC) has been increasing the quantity of family-friendly programmes for children and youth as well as working to raise the quality of such programmes. This year, it will be introducing dedicated children's programming here at Goodman Arts Centre, and also partner Esplanade on a pilot Student Visit Programme. These efforts will enable more of our young to experience and to immerse themselves in the arts. I hope that more companies, more members of our arts community, will start creating productions for children and youth. From my experience, I have often found that children are our most honest and also very challenging members of the audience!

Developing capabilities of drama educators

7. Educators play an integral role in developing quality arts experiences for our young. They develop students' potential for learning and expression through the arts, open their minds to new experiences, and nurture the values and curiosity that will help our youths find their way in the world.

8. To stay relevant, educators need to keep learning and growing. And I'm happy to hear that SDEA's programmes for professional development are constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of both education and arts landscapes. For example, the recent certification course, named 'SDEA Drama Pedagogy: Essential Teaching and Learning Approaches' will equip freelance theatre practitioners with the pedagogical competencies to lead drama groups and be recognised to teach in all schools.

9. Over the next two days, you will also have many valuable opportunities to network and to share resources with like-minded people. Together, we can explore innovative ways to reach out, educate and inspire more young people through theatre.

Conclusion

10. Finally, I would like to thank SDEA, your members and volunteers for putting this conference together. I hope you will continue to build bridges between and among drama educators, practitioners and young audiences, and continue contributing to Singapore's arts and cultural ecosystem for many years to come.

11. I wish all of you an enjoyable conference, and hope that it inspires you and every one of us, to enrich your practice and make an impact on the lives of our young people you work with.

12. Thank you.