The world may be at a standstill, but local theatre company Theatreworks certainly is not. They have been using the downtime to undergo a revamp, starting with a name change.
Now known as T:>Works, spearheading this change and new direction is Ong Keng Sen, the Singapore theatre veteran who returns as artistic director following the completion of his Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.
Other than the brand update, the company is also taking the chance to announce that they are heading online to host virtual lectures and even an arts festival. For starters, there’s digital programme Curating No-thing, that comprises four separate lectures and a shared space on Zoom led by Ong for The Curators Academy. He will be hosting the lecture series for the wider public, as well as consultations and clinics for a smaller group of participants.
With the artistic director’s inclination towards thought leadership, the series will span topics such as Creating Worlds, Ethical Generosity, Rethinking Value, Small Actions and Listening. Rather introspective stuff. These sessions will be conducted virtually, towards the end of May.
On top of that, T:>Works will also go ahead with its second edition of the Festival of Women: N.O.W 2020, together with the festival’s artistic director, theatre artist and educator Noorlinah Mohamed. Created and developed entirely by women, the festival focuses on female creatives, change-makers as well as thinkers. This year’s edition will be a wholly digitised performance festival, held in June.
And while many local theatre groups here are showcasing past performances online, T:>Works will not be doing the same anytime soon. According to them, it’s to allow space for them to move forward and create new material. Looks like there’s no looking back for the troupe.
More information about T:>Works’ virtual programmes here.
