Ep 1: “Right Time, Right People” feat. Arun Mahizhnan (Part Two)
About
In the second part of Episode 1, host Serene Chen and Mr Arun Mahizhnan talk about the cultural policy that catalysed the establishment of the National Arts Council. Arun shares fascinating anecdotes of his personal and professional relationship with the late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between artist and arts manager.
Addendum
[1:08:20] Host Serene Chen mentions that Ong Keng Sen was festival director for three editions between 2014 to 2017. There were four editions (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017).
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[00:00:41] Report of the Advisory Council on Culture and the Arts (ACCA): The ACCA report, which was released in 1989, is the first publicly-available cultural policy in Singapore. It has been regarded as a major landmark report that laid the foundations for arts development in the late 20th century.
[00:01:32] The National Arts Council: The National Arts Council is a statutory board established on 15 October 1991 to oversee the development of arts in Singapore. It is under the purview of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
[00:04:33] The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS): The Institute of Policy Studies is a Singaporean think-tank that studies and generates public policy ideas in Singapore. Established in 1988, IPS became an autonomous research centre of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore in 2008.
[00:08:34] First Local Collaboration: First local-foreign collaboration between two dance companies, Singapore Dance Theatre and Hong Kong Ballet was titled Unknown Territory.
[00:08:37] Singapore Dance Theatre: Singapore’s national dance company which was founded in 1988 and renamed Singapore Ballet in December 2021.
[00:08:37] Hong Kong Ballet: The Hong Kong Ballet is one of Asia’s premier ballet companies, founded in 1979.
[00:08:44] Festival of Asian Performing Arts (FAPA): The Festival of Asian Performing Arts, which was launched in 1993, was a new festival aimed at promoting traditional and contemporary Asian performing arts. It was complement and alternate with the Singapore Festival of Arts.
[00:11:49] TheatreWorks: TheatreWorks (currently known as T:>Works) is an independent, non-profit Singaporean theatre company that develops and nurtures professional arts skills. It supports Singapore artists, and articulates the Singapore arts through its various productions and developmental programmes.
[00:11:59] Singapore Repertory Theatre: Singapore Repertory Theatre is a non-profit professional theatre company founded in 1993.
[00:12:31] Hong Kong Arts Festival: The HKAF, launched in 1973, is a major international arts festival committed to enriching the cultural life of the city by presenting leading local and international artists in all genres of the performing arts as well as a diverse range of “PLUS” and educational events in February and March each year.
[00:15:36] ITI: Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI), formerly known as Theatre Training and Research Programme (TTRP), is an independent theatre school for contemporary artists. ITI is a unique enterprise in theatre training, human understanding and raising social and cultural awareness.
[00:15:38] The Substation: The Substation is Singapore's first independent contemporary arts centre. Founded in 1990 by Kuo Pao Kun, it is known for its pioneering and experimental arts programming.
[00:16:01] RTS (Radio Television Singapore): After the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, all of television and radio operations in Singapore were fused to become Radio Television Singapore (RTS), a part of the Ministry of Culture. The government officially dissolved RTS on 31 January 1980.
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[00:07:15] Ong Teng Cheong: Singapore’s fifth president whose term was from 1993 – 1999. Fondly remembered as the People’s President, he is also known for championing the arts within state governance and policy-making in Singapore.
[00:10:38] Robert Liew: Robert Liew, born in Singapore in 1948, is a pioneer in the Singaporean arts industry and served as the artistic director of the Singapore Arts Festival from 1985 to 1988.
[00:11:10] Anthony Steel: Anthony Steel is an Australian festival director and the former artistic director of the Adelaide Festival. He was appointed as the artistic director of the Singapore Arts Festival from 1982 to 1984.
[00:11:21] Tisa Ho-Ng: Tisa Ho-Ng is currently the director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival and was previously the Artistic Coordinator of the Singapore Arts Festival in 1990.
[00:11:24] Liew Chin Choy: Liew Chin Choy is an established arts administrator in Singapore who became heavy involved in the local arts scene in the early 1980s. He served as the artistic director of the Singapore Arts Festival from 1992 to 1999.
[00:11:36] Goh Ching Lee: Goh Ching Lee was the Senior Director of Arts Cluster Development at the Singapore National Arts Council and was appointed as the director of the Singapore Arts Festival from 2000 to 2009.
[00:11:39] Low Kee Hong: Low Kee Hong is currently Head of Theatre, Performing Arts at the West Kowloon Cultural District Hong Kong. He was the Artistic Director of the Singapore Arts Festival from 2009 to 2012 and the General Manager for the Singapore Biennale from 2005 to 2009.
[00:11:45] Ong Keng Sen: Ong Keng Sen is a Singaporean director of the theatre group, TheatreWorks, which was founded in 1985.
[00:11:55] Gaurav Kripalani: Gaurav Kripalani is artistic director of the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) and the director of the Singapore International Festival of Arts from 2018 to 2021.
[00:12:08] Natalie Hennedige: Natalie Hennedige is the Artistic Director of Cake Theatrical Productions and will step in as the new festival director of the Singapore International Festival of Arts from 2022 to 2024.
[00:12:24] Liu Thai Ker: Liu Thai Ker was the Chairman of National Arts Council (NAC) from 1996 to 2005. Trained as an architect, he was also Chief Planner of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) from 1989-1992.
[00:15:40] T. Sasitharan: Thirunalan Sasitharan is a Singaporean theatre educator and the co-founder and director of Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI). In 1996, Sasitharan succeeded Kuo Pao Kun as the artistic director of The Substation.
[00:15:42] Kuo Pao Kun: Kuo Pao Kun was a playwright, theatre director, and arts activist in Singapore who wrote and directed both Mandarin and English plays. He founded three arts and drama centres in Singapore, conducted and organised a number of drama seminars and workshops, and mentored Singaporean and foreign directors and artists. He is also the co-founder of Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) and the Substation.
[00:17:03] Eddie Kuo: Professor Eddie Kuo is an academic advisor at Singapore University of Social Sciences.
[00:18:00] Tan Beng Luan: Tan Beng Luan was the founding general manager of The Substation.
[00:20:25] Tay Kheng Soon: Tay Kheng Soon was the founding Chairman of the Substation
[00:22:30] Wong Han Juan: Wong Han Juan worked with the Practice Performing Arts School from 1988 to 1990 and she was also the Acting Manager of The Substation from 1990 to 1993.
About our Speakers
Serene Chen is a bilingual actress, host, voice artist and lecturer. She spent the first 3 years of her professional career as an Producer-Presenter in Singapore’s first arts radio station, Passion 99.5FM.
Arun Mahizhan is Special Research Adviser at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). Before joining IPS in 1991, he had worked in both the public and private sectors for 20 years, mostly in public communication fields. During his time at Mobil Oil Singapore, he played a critical role in the growth and strategic direction of the Singapore Arts Festival.