Saturday, March 16, 2002 :::
Multimedia Artist Jay Koh and Hearing Voices
Jay Koh is a Germany/Singapore-based multi-media and 'cross-cultural' artist. Earlier this year he curated a show called M-spaces, which have a group of artists showing works on the issue of marginalised spaces in Singapore, which is quite close to Hearing Voices in some aspects.
Jay has expressed interest in the Publicly-Engaged Art (art which reaches out to "the people out there") aspect of Hearing Voices. He would like to take part in the next phase when we have artists responding to our presentations.
In a Forum earlier this month on Publiclt-Engaged art, I spoke a little about Hearing Voices and raised the question: Who is our audience � namely, if we are writing 'English' plays about non-English speaking people, are our subjects part of our audience too? Do we need to translate it back � the other way � for them to be a possible audience for a work about them. Mind-boggling, it seems to me.
By the way, if you know any painters, actors, etc, who may want to take part in that phase of Hearing Voices, let me know.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 10:51 AM
Gibberish Play � And The Question of Singapore Language.
I spoke to Russell Heng, playwright of Half Century (about ISD detainees) and Lest the Demons Get to Me (a transsexual son comes home to do the rites of dead father). He said Hearing Voices was interesting to him because he was working on a play where the characters all spoke gibberish � a made-up language. The challenge was for the actors in his play to convey the meaning using a non-language. He's left that play aside for the moment to work on another one.
In Hearing Voices, we are trying to create that new language too. From the language of your interviewees to the language of � I don't know what yet: English, a mix of languages, a non-language? And for Daphne (see the post below on her concept), she has to translate from sign to another language.
If we translate a mainland Chinese play or a Malaysia Malay play to English, it will be easy compared to what we are trying to do in Hearing Voices, because for a Singapore play, how do you translate Singlish to English because there are people who speak proper English in the first place. So Edwin (Malays), Verena (Cooks), Suet Lee (Hawkers), Leslie (Uneducated Singles), Taufiq (Heartlanders's Singapore Dream) � will all have to grapple with that. Swee San (Foreign Maids) will also have a slightly different challenge because her maids will both speak Tagalog (which unlike, say, Mandarin or even Malay, few Singaporeans understand) and English.
I am not sure whether I am making myself clear.
But we will cross the 'language' bridge when we come to it.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 10:50 AM
Daphne's Bio and Proposal
Daphne tries to give testament to the motto "Carpe Diem!"; in her life. An aspiring playwright, struggling pianist (struggling with the runs up and down the ivories, that is) and tai-tai wannabe, her maiden effort at writing plays occurred sometime late last year. That shy, tentative attempt at some form of self expression was made under the auspices of a playwriting workshop conducted by the Central Singapore, and led by the now Associate Director of Theatreworks'; Singapore wing, Mr Tan Tarn How.
For Hearing Voices, Daphne feels a little more confident (i think, I, urh, think?) and will be venturing into what is thought to be the silent (and therefore voiceless) world of the hearing impaired. In particular, she wants to explore their notions of sound (being heard) and space (being seen, being of significance, having existence, some form of significant existence) in society, emotionally, mentally, actually/physically. She will seek to unveil the polyphonic textures of their thoughts and emotions, feelings and perceptions. This she will attempt, then she finds time away from her day-time (pre?)occupation with looking after the legal aspects of our country's national and security interests.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 9:44 AM
Friday, March 15, 2002 :::
EDWIN'S PROPOSAL
(updated)
The Malay Dilemma
Will address the sentiments of the Malay community in the aftermath of the Sept 11 incident and the December 2001 arrests of suspected terrorists in Singapore. I strongly feel that there is a latent feeling of helplessness in the Malay community that has not been aired on a national level. What the media have been presenting often does not represent the feelings on the ground. The Malay community has inevitably often looked up north at the advantage of political power and affirmative action that is vested with the Malay majority there. This unfortunately results in unfair comparisons being made. An example of this would be the �tudung� issue. Even though both societies have evolved in very different directions, there is a tendency in the community to equate themselves as the �poor cousins�. By interviewing members of the community across all the different spectra of the community, I hope to present a honest, and possibly disturbing perspective of the dilemma a Malay Singaporean faces in this day and age.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 8:51 AM
Verena's Proposal
Working title: Family Recipes
Initial impulses behind this choice:
In almost everyone�s lives, there is always a mother/grandmother/aunt/other older female relative or friend who is famed for cooking a special dish that is the family favourite. Especially in the past, this lady has often been housebound and very family-focused. Her presence/voice is mostly apparent to her immediate family (rather than in public life) and is manifested primarily through the food she cooks and the care she gives to her family members.
But given our busy lives today, do we really pay attention to her? We often take her and her dishes for granted; we usually eat and run. So why has she always cooked for us and is likely to continue cooking for us until she is gone/incapacitated by age and illness? What is behind her devotion? What satisfaction does she derive? Has she had other aspirations besides cooking? What does she say through her food? What is inside that recipe? How did she learn to cook that dish? Has she transmitted that recipe to a younger person? Does she want to? Do we want to learn? What will happen to us when she is gone?
Consequently, this project will not be another Like Water for Chocolate where the woman protagonist subliminates her love for a man she cannot marry by cooking for the family he creates with another woman. Instead, this project will focus on the often silent woman behind everyone�s lives, the wind beneath our very wings; how and why she continues to nurture and sustain us through thick and thin with her cooking.
Research/Project Scope:
With the help of my friend, Sheela Narayanan (a reporter with The New Paper and keen supporter of local theatre, who became very interested in this topic when I told her about it), I will be interviewing 4�8 elderly women about their famous dishes, plus if possible, some of their family members. Hopefully, this interview process can be conducted and completed within the next 3�6 months.
The interviews will be documented by audio as well as video. Besides the creation of a play which Verena will eventually write, other possible outcomes of this interview process might be:
- a series of newspaper articles,
- a compilation of oral history,
- a recipe book/booklet,
- a documentary.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 8:50 AM
Swee San's proposals
Idea 1
To explore the inner voices or consciences of individuals through the mind of an individual who has the ability to read others� minds. Through this mindreader, we learn the concerns and thoughts of ordinary men on the street: the cobbler; the sweepstakes vendor; the bus driver; the student, the foreign worker. We see how people who on the surface are worlds apart, actually have similar fears and desires. We see how guilt and greed takes hold of society, and how many of us say one thing but mean another. And how we put on masks to protect ourselves or to keep a distance from others.
Idea 2
Four Filippina friends come to Singapore to work � two as maids; one as a nurse; one as a cashier. The play explores their fears, frustrations and psychological state when deciding to take loans from friends and family to pay the employment agency; their thoughts and feelings when they attend interviews. We hear prospective employers� comments when they view the videos of the maids. And we examine societal attitudes towards foreign workers and how attitudes differ towards a maid and a nurse, for example. The difficulties they encounter in adapting to a new environment and the discrimination they face at work � these are some of the issues that will be explored. Also, the strains of being away from family (in one case husband and child).
Idea 3
Miscommunication, misinterpretation and misunderstandings. All these could arise because different individuals look at the same thing in different ways. Perhaps because they bring with them certain biases or are influenced by their upbringing, education, occupation etc. The play could explore assumptions and stereotypes. When we think of a taxi driver, do we expect him to dress and speak a certain way? Do we expect the fishmonger to act a certain way? Are we threatened when our maids are more highly educated than us? Do we speak in one way to our maid and in another to our child�s school teacher? Do our words and attitudes convey our feelings about people? Do we understand that callous words can cause great hurt and psychological damage? Is what we infer the same as what the other party implies?
Tarn How, above are rough ideas. Need to be streamlined and shaped.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 8:45 AM
Edwin Roberts
Edwin's background:
Graduated from Oklahoma City University in Media and Communication Studies in 1993.
Started D'rama Productions in 1995 with a series of touring school assembly shows. Writes in various media, including short films (Singapore International Film Festival), corporate/marketing videos, CD-ROM's and assembly/stage plays. His play "My name is Nadra", about the events that led to the Maria Hertogh Riots was staged at the Drama Centre in November 2000.
What Edwin does:
Conceptualises and scripts new material to keep the Arts scene in schools evolving.
Edwin's passion:
Develop my craft and keep abreast of issues and topics that re relevant to student life.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 8:37 AM
Thursday, March 14, 2002 :::
Verena's picture
... is here.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 9:50 PM
Taufig's Project
Essence(not chicken essence!)
3 groups targeted for research.
----------------------------------------
first group.
50yrs old onwards Male and female (*maturity)
second age group.
25-35yrs old Male\female (*stagnation)
third group
18-23 (young teens) (*seeds of growth)
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The seeds of growth, these represent the time when ideas are born,hopes and dreams are planted . Basically the the time when "Conscious life" begins.
Then we go on to the next group, marked "stagnation". This is where i believe, The average Singaporean has "stopped living" and "started surviving".Why how or when? that is precisely what these questions(below) are structured to find out.
The final age group "maturity". Somehow, this age group has reached its peak. their hopes and dreams,wants and desires have changed.Does it represent happiness. have they matured or just "accepted" their conditions,adapted to
their environment.
----------------------------------------
In between these groups are empty spaces. The transition period. What is their catalyst. Do we have a catalyst? to move on to the next stage? Or do we just accept and go on in exhaustion.(perhaps, whats in between this, is what that contributes to the story)
In this project, i would like to tell their story. The Singapore dream, where are we now.Have we gone beyond the 5Cs? What is the Singapore dream, hat is the essence of what that makes us, us.
----------------------------------------
Questions
1.What are your dreams?
2.Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
3.If you had a chance(to start again) where or what would you do different?
4.What do you consider to be the most important thing to you now?
(material or otherwise).
5.Are you happy?
6.Have you accomplished everything you set out to do?
----------------------------------------
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 9:27 PM
From Leslie
Hi Tarn How,
I've done some interviews on the singles (three different personalities). Will keep you posted soon. Need some guidance in translating to a script of reasonalble standard.
Hi Leslie,
Call me!
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 9:19 PM
Hi Guys,
I am posting everyone's bios as they come in.
So far, we have Lionel, Swee San, and Verena.
I will create links to these bios and the pics too later.
As you can see this is a work in progress and I am learning how to do it properly -- suggests and complaints welcome.
Please check this site as often as you can - daily even. It will be how we communicate in between meetings.
Please send me a brief write-up about yourself soonest we you can get introduced (again, for some of you) to the group.
Thanks.
Tarn How
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 8:27 PM
Lionel's Bio
Written by a 'fan'
Lionel Chok may be a Bachelor of Science (Economics) with 2nd Class Honours graduate, but that has never stopped him from pursuing the one career he relishes most - filmmaking. His passion has led him to take on several film-related courses, produced and directed short films and documentaries (some of which were selected for local and international film festivals), as well as scripting. His wide-ranging knowledge and expertise of filmmaking saw him producing and directing programs -- and advertisements -- for Singapore TV stations and companies. Today, his dedication to his craft is still as intense and fervent as the day he started - fresh from a course in Directing from New York University (and the experience of Sept 11), he has embarked on a one year plan to do some of his personal projects - including that of theatre and, of course � films.
His photo:
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 8:16 PM
Swee San's Bio
Ng Swee San is a freelance writer cum editor with more than 10 years of editorial experience. She does corporate work (mainly annual reports and corporate brochures) to pay the bills.
She has written two short plays. �Bowled Over� won second prize in the 24-Hour Playwriting Competition 2000, and was performed in April 2001 as part f TheatreWorks� 30 Plays in 30 Days Festival. �Regrets� was performed as part of the Buskers Festival held in November 2001. She hopes to complete a ull-length play by the end of 2002.
Swee San ventured into tv script writing in November 2000, beginning with three episodes of �Kids United� Season 1. She has also written for the rimetime sitcom �Brand New Towkay�, and is now writing for Season 2 of �Kids United�.
Swee San graduated with a B.A. (magna cum laude) in Mass Communication from Linfield College, United States.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 8:14 PM
Verena's Bio
hi tarn how,
my one para biodata is as follows:
"Since 1986, Verena Tay has acted, directed and written for the local English language theatre scene in Singapore. She has worked with The Necessary Stage, Action Theatre, TheatreWorks, Practice Theatre, I Theatre and other local theatre groups. Verena began crafting solo performances in 1997. Her third solo piece, 'Cotton & Jade', was created with the support of the Substation and premiered during Septfest 2000; subsequently, Cotton & Jade was performed in Porsgrunn, Norway (November 2000) and during 'Transit III: Theatre, Women, Generation: International Theatre Festival & Meeting' (organised by Odin Teatret and the Magdalena Project at Odin Teatret, Holstebro, Denmark in January 2001). Since March 2001, the Substation has kindly supported Verena's work further by providing free rehearsal and performance space; she is currently preparing for her fourth solo performace, 'Medea: One on One', which will be staged from 11-14 July 2002. Verena is also proud to be part of the Hearing Voices project which will mark a new stage of collaboration with TheatreWorks for her."
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 8:10 PM
Monday, March 11, 2002 :::
More About The Hearing Voices Project
It is a one-year programme involving writers , actors, directors and other artists. The programme will consist of these stages:
1) Discovery
� Writers will go out and collect material � the aim to find these voices and capture them
� Writers will write/create pieces, not necessary for performance, and using whatever form they want. This will be closer to transcription than fictionalisation.
� Writers go back to the people and validate these voices
2) Presentation, Response, Presentation
� These transcriptions will be presented.
� Visual artists and other performing arts practitioners will be invited to create work in response to these pieces. The first body of work � transcriptions and responses from other artists � will be presented.
3) Fictionalisation
� Using the raw material gathered and created in the previous stage, writers now set out to write plays.
� These works may be very close to the original material or they may totally different. The material is be used as source, or inspiration for something else.
� The plays may not be in English. Part of the aim is to create a new language � not just of text, but of performance and staging.
o Performance
� Actors and directors come in and see how the pieces can be brought on stage.
� Actors and directors also need to hear the unheard voices and find new ways of doing their work.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 11:51 PM
What is Hearing Voices?
The project:
Aims to
- Unearth the voices that have not been accessible to English-language theatre here, and to bring them to life.
* In particular the voices that exist outside the normal experiences of English-language writers, the dispossessed, unseen, unheard because their language is not necessarily English. Two possibilities immediately present themselves: The marginal and the non-English- non-Chinese voices � that is poverty and racial prejudice.
- Create non-theatre responses to these voices from visual arts and performing arts practitioners.
- Create a new theatre pieces, in language and subject, using as springboard the new voices heard.
- Spur new possibilities/perspectives for actors and directors on performing and staging these new pieces.
::: posted by tarnhow tan at 11:43 PM
