The arts deserves to be safe for everyone to take part in. Have we done enough to ensure this, especially for children? With more young ones participating and enjoying the arts and drama, what do we need to consider when working with children in rehearsal rooms, activity spaces, and other arts experiences - both in person and the digital space? How can we create positive change so that these spaces remain safe for creativity to thrive?
Join us at Connections 2022: Safeguarding of Children in the Arts and take part in discussions to make the arts safe for everyone to enjoy. These discussions will form the basis for further efforts into making structural changes in the arts.
Programme Details:
This year’s Connections 2022 will comprise of a 1-day symposium featuring 2 Conversation Circles and a Panel Discussion. This is a hybrid event and participants can join in person or online.
Date: Saturday, 19 Mar 2022
Time: 10:30AM - 5:00PM (Participants may register for just the panel discussion from 2PM - 3:30PM)
Venue:
(In-person) Common Ground, Auditorium, 21 Bedok North Street 1, Singapore 469659
(Online) Zoom
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Time
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Activity
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10.30am
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Opening and Welcome Remarks; Housekeeping
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11am – 12.30pm
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Conversation Circle 1: Safeguarding of Children in the Arts in Singapore’s Context
What is safeguarding and what does it mean in the context in Singapore? How are other countries safeguarding children in the Arts? In these small conversation circles, let’s examine our own understanding and unpack what safeguarding might mean to us.
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12.30pm - 1.50pm
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Lunch
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2pm – 3.30pm
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Panel Session: Safeguarding Policies in Singapore - Existing Frameworks and Practices
Join our diverse panel from the education, arts, and non-arts sectors as they share about existing safeguarding frameworks and practices in their organisations.
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3.30pm - 3.45pm
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Break
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3.45pm - 5pm
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Conversation Circle 2: What's Next For The Sector?
Armed with a better understanding of existing practices, round up the day with a final group discussion about the next steps we should take to safeguard young children in the arts sector.
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Panellists:
Azhar Yusof
Azhar Yusof is the Head of CoachSG at Sport Singapore. In his role at CoachSG, he leads the coaching education and development efforts across all sports. He also oversees the Safe Sport Taskforce that aims to safeguard sport and ensure that all participants may engage in sport in a positive and safe environment.
Azhar has a diverse background; having been a national athlete, an international match official and a coach in multiple sports. A teacher by training, he headed the PE & CCA Department at Raffles Institution before joining the National Institute of Education (NIE) as a Senior Lecturer and Assistant Head (Teaching).
Bernice Lee
Bernice is an artist, performer, writer, and dance practitioner. She co-directs Rolypoly Family/Derring-Do Dance (@rolypolyfamilysg) with Faye Lim - known for their signature Body Smarts Through Movement Arts programmes, teaching body safety, consent and boundaries. They advise and consult on safeguarding practices for children. Rolypoly Family is dedicated to honouring children’s creative genius, and caring about children’s perspectives. Moving and playing are central to their art-making.
Deborah Yang
Deborah is the Deaconess I/C of the Safeguarding Team at Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church. The team’s objectives are to foster a safe church culture and environment in order to prevent abuse and neglect, and to assist the church in responding to any instance of such harm.
As part of the team, Deborah has been involved in formulating safeguarding policies, as well as conducting training for church leaders and volunteers on abuse awareness, safe practices, and incident reporting.
Charlene Rajendran
Moderator
Charlene Rajendran is a theatre educator, dramaturg and researcher at the National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is the Co-Director of Asian Dramaturgs’ Network (ADN) and the Lead Editor of ADN Re/View. As a practice-led academic she publishes in varied spaces and works on interdisciplinary and community arts projects.
About Connections:
Connections is a non-partisan platform for connecting stakeholders in the education sector through open dialogues on current challenges, issues and developments with the aim to inspire change.
Through the various activities organised under Connections, SDEA has:
- Used applied drama activities to explore the gaps in inclusivity in education
- Actively promoted the use of drama as a pedagogy to complement existing teaching practices
- Initiated and facilitated dialogues with/between various stakeholders such as NAC, MOE (CPDD, ECDA and AEB (formerly CCAB)), NIE (VPA), WDA, teaching artists, educators and various professional theatre companies
- Conducted drama workshops in partnership with The Kennedy Center (US), CCAB and NAC
