Points of View 2018

Points of View: Critical Frames for Performance Writing and Making

This was a nine-day programme developed by the Asian Dramaturgs’ Network (ADN) and organised by Centre 42 for young performing arts writers and makers to explore various ways of viewing and approaching artistic work. It ran from 4 to 12 May 2018 under the auspices of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). Participants experienced a range of performances, attended a series of workshops and seminars, and engaged in critical dialogue with SIFA artists, organisers, industry experts and fellow critical thinkers. I worked closely with Lim How Ngean, co-director of ADN, to develop a rigorous writing programme for the Performance Writing track. I held one-on-one writing clinics with participants as they developed pieces of critical writing responding to the SIFA lineup, led a seminar on writing affectively, “an erotics of art” (Sontag, 1964) and the various lenses we bring with us to a performance encounter, and held workshops on how to facilitate a pre-show artist talk, as well as how to develop a comprehensive press kit for a production. You can read about the entire programme here.

Participant Ke Weiliang: “Corrie’s feedback was useful in challenging me to flesh out opinions that I subconsciously had at the back of mind, but did not managed to commit pen to paper to for whatever reason. And above all, I am grateful for her generosity in sharing her knowledge/experiences and being so patient in trying to help unpack doubts and queries that I had towards arts writing in general.”