Responsible Pet Ownership Workshop with AVA

By Vivian Lim, DADP2B01

The heavy rain on 16^th December 2009 did not dampen our enthusiasm as eight of us from the Diploma in Applied Drama and Psychology head down towards Bukit Merah library to conduct a workshop for children. This workshop was held in collaboration with AVA (Agri-Food & Veterinary) on responsible pet ownership. Other than workshops conducted in the library, DADP students also conducted the workshops in road shows at various community centres. The workshop aimed to educate young children about being responsible pet owners. This was done by enlisting the help of the children to help us “find” a lost dog. Through “interviews” with the owner and neighbours of the missing dog, the children learned about and even gave suggestions on how to be a responsible pet owner.

It was an enriching experience for me because I learnt many things in the one hour and fifteen minutes workshop. First of all, I learnt that it is really not easy to work with children. They have short attention spans, are easily distracted and cannot sit still for a long period of time. As this was my first time working with such a big group of young children, I must admit that I had quite a difficult time trying to manage the children in my session.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank AVA for giving me this chance to experience what it is like to work with young children. I got to learn from my mistakes and learn what works and what does not with young children. I also got to understand the behaviour of young children better and this understanding will help me in planning my future workshops for children.

The experience with AVA and the children at the library was one that is much appreciated as many useful skills and knowledge were learnt. Although it was a tiring afternoon that day, it was definitely worth the time and effort spent with the children!

Forum Theatre on Mental Wellness

By Leon Chen, DADP 1B01

Tuesday, 10th November 2009 was a day to remember. I performed in a Forum Theatre on Mental Wellness at the SP Auditorium! And I certainly needed some mental well-being that day as a virgin performer ;p

Two teams were involved – 1 and 2, and I was in team 2. Team 1’s story revolves around a girl named Nora who is trying to deal with stress from her friends, family and her coach. Team 2’s story revolves around a boy named Ryan who is dealing with a breakup from the girl he loves.

First to perform was team 1. Backstage, I was with the rest of the cast from team 2 and we were all practising our lines and getting into character for our performance. The moment team 1 finished, team 2 had to step on stage. As I walked onto the stage, applause could be heard and at the corner of my eyes, I could see my fellow classmates supporting me! I gave it my all not because I didn’t want to make a fool of myself but because of the people there supporting us and I didn’t want to let them down.

I would like to thank my seniors for guiding me along the way! I would also like to thank all the cast who supported me and told me that I could do it when I wasn’t really sure of it myself! I’d also like to thank the backstage crew who helped this performance be this successful. Nothing could have been achieved without the help from them! And lastly, I would like to thank the lecturers for giving me this precious opportunity.

The bonds that were developed during the weeks can never be replaced. So, vive le Forum Theatre and friendship!

Who Am I?

By Mitchell Poon, DADP2B02

The “Who Am I” project was a series of cross-cultural workshops, involving the use of film, as an aesthetic medium to explore issues such as suicide, and was also used mainly as a form of exchange between students in Singapore and people in the UK.

The workshop went beyond observing differences between Singaporean culture and culture of people in the UK, by digging deep into what defines us a person and what have made us to be who we are today.

Initially, I thought I would just learn more about devising, film, story-boarding, and so on and so forth. It was pretty much about expecting it to be an educational workshop.

So yes, the workshop did turn out to be something really different, but it was in no way a disappointment to me. It brought light to certain parts of my life and identity, it gave me a platform to express myself, and it helped me understand more about how I have become a citizen of a globalised community.

Never would I have used my drawing skills to express myself artistically. But through an aesthetic medium, it does feel good to be able to express myself in a way I enjoy, but it has also helped me embrace this talent that I have.

I have come to see myself and many others as descendants of not just our own culture and backgrounds, but are citizens of a globalised culture. This has enlightened me on how influence from media and friends, have shaped my life greatly.

Theatre for Seniors

By Joween Chong, DADP2B02

The Necessary Stage’s Theatre for Seniors (TFS) was created to be an avenue for senior citizens interested in drama, a joint venture of sorts by The Necessary Stage and Council for Third Age.

The ultimate aim of this project is to have the seniors have an independently run drama company for others just like themselves. They were not able to properly pursue their interests when younger in light of their career and family responsibilities.

So far the seniors have attended scriptwriting workshops, lightings workshops, vocal and devising training and have put up one show after one year of hard work.

These seniors come from all walks of life and some are in their early seventies. However, physical age has no impact on their physical selves or imagination. It is not strange to see them running, jumping, laughing and having fun like children at the playground.

I have learnt the importance of keeping an open mind and being accepting, to recognize what people have to offer rather than pass judgments based on stereotypes and my own opinions.

In another four months, the seniors will be putting up the second installment of the “Encore” series, a show which will be staged annually during their three-year TFS stint.

The preparations have begun and there is a sense of excitement in the air. Having been with them for one and a half years, I too feel this same excitement as we prepare for another night of ageless theatre.

Applied Drama Workshop with Professor Peter O'Connor

By Shirley Tan, DADP Year 1/01

The Applied Drama Workshop by Professor Peter O’ Connor from Applied Theatre Consultants Ltd (http://www.appliedtheatre.co.nz/) who flew all the way from New Zealand, was held on Wednesday 16th September. It was a time of learning and hard work, but with its fair share of fun!

During the workshop the class was tasked with creating frozen images by using their bodies to depict various social issues in Singapore and discussed how these images could be worked on towards a solution. Next was an activity of variations of the story ‘Goldilocks and the 3 Bears’. Each group had to use 2 lines from each member to create a storyline. Creative juices were flowing and it was a time of laughter after hours of hard work. After the workshop, Professor Connor shared with us a New Zealand cultural dance called the Haka. He taught us how to dance the traditional war Haka as we learnt in awe the meaning of it. It was indeed an honour for us to be able to indulge in the rich heritage of the Haka, as well as to share with him the language that made us Uniquely Singapore.

At the end of the day, the class walked away with valuable learning points such as how-tos for workshop facilitations and the theories of Augusto Boal, the famous Applied Drama practitioner. Although the essence of the workshop was covered in the course, probably no one had ever seen it the way Professor O’ Connor brought it to us. It was an eye-opening and deeply enriching time for all.

We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to Professor Peter O’ Connor for his patience and insightful teachings, and Ms Jennifer Wong for coordinating this workshop with roaring success!

Performance "H"

By Charlene Poon, DADP Year 2/01, with an introduction by Thomas Lim, DADP Year 2/01

"H" is a devised piece based on real-life interviews and a visit to a hospice, intertwined with personal experiences of the students involved in it. Set in a hospice, it explores the complexity behind altruism, social expectations and the process of dying.

What started out as an assessment for our Devised Drama module became a thought-provoking performance which we have put up about three times for various audiences, most memorably a performance at Celebrate Drama! 2009 at The Arts House in July. We had no idea that Performance "H" would go as far as this when we first began!

We started off by experimenting with dramatic improvisations; taking a look at what each person could bring to a context or idea spontaneously. The casting came a little later after the script had been written and finalised by the director in the group. I was cast as a nurse who was really jaded from working in a hospice and probably did not really bother being honest with herself about whether she was working in such a place because she genuinely cares or because it was just a job.

It is interesting to note that all of us had a lot to take away from the process of devising regardless of whether we were the director, actors, production manager, lights manager etc., because we had to work together as a group to research and discover about things such as how life is like for patients in a hospice, what the different kinds of attitudes those working in hospices have towards palliative care and what are the feelings and thoughts of dying patients. The process of actually deciding what to focus on was a tedious one since all of us had different ideas and opinions about what works and what does not. Ultimately, we had to bear in mind the objectives we had set in the beginning and the kind of message we would like to give to those who watched the performance.

Overall, the experience helped us to grow as students in the course by forcing us to confront the initial thoughts and stereotypes we might have had surrounding the topic we were working with. This is very beneficial because we really have to be on our toes throughout the course, and be unafraid and open enough to embrace or incorporate different perspectives with our own as we learn more about the various mediums and conventions in drama that can be use to impact different communities and the psychology that can aid in it.

CHIJ Toa Payoh Stress Management Workshop

By Kimberly Arriola , DADP Year 1/02

Upon arrival at CHIJ Toa Payoh Convent, I was nervous and excited at the same time – I was about to facilitate an actual workshop! Many “What Ifs” were running through my mind. “What if the students aren’t cooperative” or “What if I forget what to do?”

When our group of facilitators reached the classroom, we were greeted by two girls who sat quietly in a corner. I scanned the room. There wasn’t a teacher in sight. An image of chaos and horror flashed through my mind.

Oh my gosh, we were entirely on our own! My co-facilitators on the other end, seemed not to mind as they instructed the rest of the girls to return to class for the workshop to begin.

We started off with a round of introduction and an icebreaker game (SPLAT), which I facilitated. I was surprised that the girls were really co-operative and lively. It was a relief for me that I could give clear instructions and that the game went smoothly.

It was good thinking on my part (yes, self-praise is good!), to take Miss Chang’s advice and use an example when giving instructions as we had been taught during an Applied Drama class. I was glad that I did a good job but I felt that if I had spoken more clearly and slowly the girls could understand my instructions better. (Did you notice I can be humble too!)

Next we did a short performance that showed how two extreme students coped with exam stress differently. Carin played the nervous and worried student A , while yours truly was the cool and composed student B. The audience enjoyed the performance thoroughly.

After the performance, the participants were asked to form groups, according to the ways they cope with stress. They were then requested to put up their coping method as a 10-second performance. This gave the girls an opportunity to share the methods of how they cope with stress.

Everyone had a good laugh while watching the others perform. Deborah then explained to the participants the different forms of appraisals for coping with stress.

We ended the workshop with a mini “forum theatre”. We asked for examples on methods that student A and B could learn on how to cope with the stress that they experienced. The funniest suggestion was to do a chicken dance during an exam, unfortunately it was not feasible. We probably should have explained what was required more clearly. Well, in the end, we did do a chicken dance just for some entertainment value!

The experience of conducting a workshop was not as intimidating as I thought it would be and I had a lot of fun interacting with the students and teaching them about different methods of coping with stress.