Ep 8: “We Need This Burden” feat. Kok Heng Leun
About
What can we learn from all the conversations we’ve had on Backlogues so far?
In the pilot series of Backlogues, we have interviewed arts managers from differing backgrounds and practices. As a wrap-up, hosts Charlene Shepherdson and Serene Chen have a special discussion with veteran theatre practitioner Kok Heng Leun to find out his insights and actionable takeaways from the pilot series and the evolution of arts management in the 1980s and 1990s. They exchange views on the delights and challenges of working as an arts manager in Singapore, as well as reflect on persisting issues facing the arts ecosystem.
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[00:02:39] Ministry of Community Development (MCD): The official ministry overseeing the arts and culture sectors in Singapore from 1984 to November 1990. The Cultural Affairs Division oversaw the arts and culture, which Tisa Ho-Ng (our Backlogues Episode 2 guest) worked in, alongside other officers including Juliana Lim. Check out Backlogues Episode 5 for more information.
[00:02:46] The Substation: Founded by Kuo Pao Kun, The Substation is a multi-disciplinary, contemporary arts centre that officially opened on 16 September 1990 and is known for being a supporter of new artistic work and experimental practices. It was located at 45 Armenian Street till July 2021. Check out Backlogues Episode 5 for more information.
[00:02:51] The Necessary Stage (TNS): A non-profit local theatre company established in 1987, known for breaking new ground in original local content, its devising methodology and intercultural exploration. Check out Backlogues Episode 4 for more information.
[00:02:58] Drama Box: Founded in 1990, Drama Box is a socially-engaged theatre company known for creating works that inspire dialogue, reflection and change. By shining a spotlight on marginalised narratives and making space for the communal contemplation of complex issues, it seeks to tell stories that provoke a deeper understanding of Singapore's culture, history and identity. Kok Heng Leun is the founder, and was artistic director from 1998 til 2022.
[00:03:55] Literary Drama Debating Society (LDDS): Extra-curricular activity that can be found in some schools in Singapore.
[00:08:28] Action Theatre: A former non-profit theatre company that was founded in 1987 by artistic director Ekachai Uekrongtham. It was known for its refreshing approach in creating new works, as well as nurturing new talent. It was in operation til the 2000s.
[00:08:37] Practice Theatre Ensemble (PTE): Formed in 1986 as part of The Theatre Practice, the bilingual semi-professional theatre troupe allowed company members to train and further develop their artistic skills. Under Kuo Pao Kun’s artistic direction, it aimed to give balanced emphasis to creating new plays reflecting contemporary Singapore and drawing freely from the repertoire of world theatre.
[00:08:40] Southern Arts Society: Formed in 1972 when Practice Performing Arts School’s art ensemble went independent. The Southern Arts Society gained a reputation for plays that enjoyed long runs, as well as for its style of xiangsheng. A notable pioneer member is Han Lao Da, a Chinese-language theatre playwright, director, educator and xiangsheng pioneer.
[00:09:48] The National Library: The flagship national library of Singapore, the country’s largest public library. Today it is a subsidiary of the National Library Board (NLB) and its history can be traced back to 1823. Check out Backlogues Episode 6 for more information.
[00:10:02] Richard Wagner: A German composer, theatre director and conductor.
[00:10:06] 2001: A Space Odyssey: A 1968 science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. Heng Leun was referring to “Ride of the Valkyries” by Richard Wagner, which was part of the soundtrack.
[00:10:25] The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole: Written in 1984 by Kuo Pao Kun, it was first staged in Marine Parade Library, 16 November 1985. A story pitting man against the establishment, Kuo’s first English work is a satirical monologue about a man’s struggle with government bureaucracy as he attempts to fulfil his grandfather’s final wishes.
[00:10:27] The Eagle and the Cat: Produced by Margaret Chan, an autobiographical play in which Kuo Pao Kun shares his beliefs that fuelled his vocation as a writer of theatre.
[00:14:11] 评弹 Pingtan: General term denoting Suzhou pinghua and tanci, namely, storytelling and ballad singing in the Suzhou dialect.
[00:14:16] Guinness Theatre: The theatre blackbox that used to be part of The Substation when they were located at 45 Armenian Street. Named after Guinness Breweries for 10 years after they sponsored SGD$1.1 million.
[00:16:55] Theatre for Youth Ensemble: A year-long programme offered by The Necessary Stage, which provided hands-on training mainly in performance as well as other aspects of theatre such as production, directing, writing, design and arts administration, conducted by professional arts practitioners. Check out Backlogues Episode 4 for more information.
[00:18:17] Singapore Arts Festival: Started in 1977 as a national arts festival. Check out Backlogues Episode 1 for more information.
[00:18:20] Report of the Advisory Council on Culture and the Arts: 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.
[00:18:28] National Performing Arts Centre: Known today as The Esplanade. Plans for a national performing arts centre for SIngapore started in the 1970s. The centre was only named The Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay in 1994.
[00:18:30] National Arts Council (NAC): The National Arts Council is a statutory board established on 15 October 1991 to oversee the development of arts in Singapore. It is currently under the purview of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
[00:18:36] Arts Housing Scheme: An artist assistance scheme initiated by the former Ministry of Community Development in 1985. In recognition of scarcity and cost of land in Singapore, the objective of the scheme was to secure space and provide subsidised rental spaces to arts groups. For more, see Hoe (2020).
[00:18:54] National Theatre Trust: A board formed in 1960 tasked with administering the National Theatre so as to stimulate the growth and appreciation of the arts and thereby foster a Malayan culture and identity among the people. It also took over management of the National Theatre Fund, which had until then been held by the government in trust for the public.
[00:19:07] Semi-Residential-Status-in-Theatre Scheme: A residency scheme providing artists and arts groups up to 12 days of annual rent-free use of one of the designated theatres for rehearsal and stage performances, as well as priority booking of theatres a year in advance, and exemption from entertainment tax.
[00:28:31] Sing Lit Station: Literary non-profit organisation based in Singapore with the core mission of serving the local literary community of writers and readers through creating a space for writers to grow their artistic and professional lives; inviting readers to explore our literary culture; and working with many partners to build inclusive and dynamic communities.
[00:28:33] SingLit: Sing Lit is an amalgamation of the words “Singapore” and “literature”. In 2016 the Singapore Book Council started the #buysinglit movement, which aims to encourage the community to read books by homegrown authors.
[00:35:56] TheatreWorks: Renamed T:>Works in 2020. A non-profit English-language theatre company established in 1985 by Lim Siauw Chong, Lim Kay Tong and Justin Hill. Goh Eck Kheng was one of the founding members. Check out Backlogues Episode 3 for more information.
[00:35:59] Landmark Books: Established in 1986, Landmarks Books is an independent boutique publishing house specialising in high-quality illustrated books, Asian subjects, Singapore literature and children’s books. It was founded by Goh Eck Kheng who wanted to give authors and those requiring publishing services an alternative to publishing conglomerates. Today, they also provide publishing services and consultancy. Check out Backlogues Episode 7 for more information.
[00:37:14] Practice Performing Arts School (PPAS): Co-founded by playwright/director Kuo Pao Kun and dancer/choreographer Goh Lay Guan in 1965. Today, it is known as The Theatre Practice. When TTP first began as a school, it aimed to integrate creative performance with arts education through the teaching of dance, theatre and music. Check out Backlogues Episode 5 for more information.
[00:39:11] The British Council: UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. The Singapore branch was established in 1947.
[00:40:42] Arts House Limited (AHL): Established on 11 December 2002 as a public company limited by guarantee under the National Arts Council. Today, it is known for organising the Singapore Festival of Arts, as well as managing numerous state-owned arts venues and spaces, including performing arts space Drama Centre as well as three creative enclaves for artists, arts groups and creative businesses: the Goodman Arts Centre, Aliwal Arts Centre, and Stamford Arts Centre. AHL is also the cultural place manager of the Singapore’s civic district, and since 2021, it also organises the Singapore’s Writers Festival.
[00:41:21] Centre 42: Non-profit arts organisation with IPC status committed to the creation, documentation and promotion of text-based works for the Singapore stage. As a theatre development space and intermediary, they incubate original writings for the stage, support the development of artists and new works, and develop and maintain a functional archive documenting the histories and processes of Singapore theatre.
[00:50:48] Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins: Written by Chinese American anthropologist Anna Tsing and published in 201. The book uses the matsutake mushroom as a focal point for exploring the end of capitalist progress and the proliferation of ecological degradation and economic precarity in the twenty-first century.
[01:00:50] Charles Dickens: English writer and social critic, and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.
[01:00:51] Tale of Two Cities: An 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution.
[01:04:38] Care and Intimacy Group: a working group of arts workers exploring ways to build towards better practices around care and intimacy in artmaking.
[01:04:47] Good Practices in Singapore Theatre Paper: A paper published on April 2021, and was written by a working group of theatre practitioners. The paper was written with the intent of advocating for better practices in the theatre industry in Singapore and includes guidelines for critical issues including ethical practices, hiring and payment practices, intellectual property, workplace health and safety and interpersonal safety.
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[00:09:19] Kuo Pao Kun: 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.
[00:09:32] Wong Kan Seng: A former People’s Action Party (PAP) cabinet minister.
[00:10:17] Ren Bao Xian: Actor from China.
[00:13:12] 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. Check out Backlogues Episode 5 for more information.
[00:13:44] Mrs Chua Ng Ger: Long-standing caretaker of The Substation when it was at 45 Armenian Street.
[00:18:03] Arun Mahizhnan: 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. Check out Backlogues Episode 1 for more information.
[00:18:05] Tisa Ho-Ng: Former Assistant Director, Cultural Services Division, Ministry of Culture; Artistic Coordinator for Singapore Arts Festival 1990; member of board of directors for The Substation and The Necessary Stage. Check out Backlogues Episode 2 for more information.
[00:18:07] R. Ramachandran: Used to be the executive director of the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS). Prior to his appointment at the NBDCS, he was the deputy chief executive of the National Library Board and the director of National Library Singapore. He was the first secretary-general of the Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians, and has served as the secretary and president of the Library Association of Singapore. Check out Backlogues Episode 6 for more information.
[00:18:09] Michelle Heng: An English Literary Arts Librarian at the National Library of Singapore. She has co-curated exhibitions on Singapore’s English-language literary pioneers, and edited bibliographies and select publications on their works. In 2016, she helped to handle the Hedwig Anuar donor collection comprising personal documents, ephemera and books. Check out Backlogues Episode 6 for more information.
[00:20:18] Lucilla Teoh: During the 1980s, she worked in different capacities as an arts manager with Theatreworks, including being a production manager and stage manager. Lucilla is also known for her role as an actress in 12 Storeys (1997) as well as her contributions to the White Paper that resulted in the formation of the Singapore Film Commission (SFC). Check out Backlogues Episode 3 for more information.
[00:20:30] Hedwig Anuar: The first female and first Singaporean director of the National Library of Singapore from 1965 until her retirement in 1988, and the National Book Development Council of Singapore’s Director from 1981 to 1988, where she then continued to serve as an Executive Committee member until 1998. She was also the first local woman to obtain the highest librarianship qualification – Fellowship of the Library Association, London. Check out Backlogues Episode 6 for more information.
[00:21:07] Clarisse Ng: Production/Technical Manager of The Necessary Stage during the 1980s and 1990s, where she worked on landmark productions such as Lanterns Never Go Out, Still Building and Off Centre. Clarisse is currently working on a project basis, and sees her life’s work as facilitating the art-making process, encouraging and supporting independent and emerging art-makers, and enabling conversations about the arts. Check out Backlogues Episode 4 for more information.
[00:21:58] Lee Wai Kok: Mr Lee Wai Kok was the Director of People's Association from May 1970 to 1977 and later on the Chief Executive Director of PA from Sep 1977 to Jul 1978.
[00:22:05] Juliana Lim: Ms Juliana Lim was arts manager at People’s Association from 1978-1981; from 1981 to 1993 she was a manager at the Cultural Services Division of the Ministry of Culture, later renamed the Ministry of Community Development, again renamed to the Ministry of Information and the Arts. She was part of the steering committee of the Singapore Arts Centre together with Ruby Lai and Tisa Ho-Ng, and was the General Manager of the Singapore Arts Centre Company Limited which was set up in late 1992 to plan for the arts centre that would come to be known as Esplanade — Theatres on the Bay.
[00:24:37] Goh Eck Kheng: Book editor, publisher and founder of Landmark Books, a boutique publishing house known for producing quality books on Asian subjects. He is a founding member of Theatreworks and author of two children’s books, Jun and the Octopus and Friends: A Counting Book. Goh also served as a board member of the Media Development Authority from 2007 to 2008. Check out Backlogues Episode 7 for more information.
[00:30:22] Lim Li Kok: Book editor and founder of Asiapac Books, a Singaporean publisher known for its educational comic books and illustrated books on Asian subjects. Established in 1983, its publications are now sold in more than 20 countries and have been translated into more than 20 languages. Lim’s love of books once led her to opening a bookstore in 1976. Check out Backlogues Episode 7 for more information.
[00:34:22] Alvin Tan: Founder and artistic director of The Necessary Stage. Known as a leading proponent of devising theatre in Singapore.
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[00:03:37] National University of Singapore: Singapore’s flagship university.
[00:35:13] S-11: a former coffee shop near the old National LIbrary and The Substation, and a fond social gathering place for many arts workers.
[00:35:20] Singapore Management University (SMU): Singapore public university established in 2000, with an Arts and Culture Management programme led by Dr Hoe Su Fern.
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[00:14:02] Bao ka liao: A Singlish term borrowed from the Hokkien dialect language, which is commonly used to describe “doing everything, covering all roles”.
[00:58:05] Masak masak: A children’s game of playing with toy kitchen implements and toy food. A colloquial term used to describe playing.
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.
Kok Heng Leun is a prominent figure in the Singapore arts scene, having built his artistic career as a theatre director, playwright, dramaturg and educator. He is known for engaging the community on various issues through the arts, championing civic discourse across different segments of society. He began his work in the arts as an arts manager during the 1990s, and is currently founder of Drama Box, a socially-engaged theatre company.
Charlene Shepherdson is a Singaporean poet and community organiser focused on language in written, performative and visual forms. She was the second Station Control (General Manager) of Sing Lit Station.