Panel Discussion: No Space for Art: Is the Fringe Dead?

Facilitator

Charlene Rajendran is a theatre educator, writer and dramaturg. She is interested in issues of difference, interdisciplinarity, play-based pedagogy and thought-leadership in urban multicultural contexts. Her work as dramaturg includes interdisciplinary and community arts projects such as AIR (2024), ItSelf TerJadi (2023), Kepaten Obor (2022), In the Silence of Your Heart (2018) and Both Sides, Now (2013-2018). Publications include (Asian) Dramaturgs’ Network: Sensing, Complexity, Tracing and Doing (lead editor, 2023) Changing Places: Drama Box and the Politics of Space (lead editor, 2022). She works as Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education – Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Panellist

Anais Adjani is the Business Development Manager at Teater Ekamatra, where she works to connect more people with the company’s mission and programmes. She is passionate about using her voice and position to support the creation of art that speaks to important issues and communities today, while continuing Ekamatra’s commitment to platforming ethnic minority artists and arts managers.

In her role, Anais focuses on building partnerships, strengthening stakeholder relationships, and creating opportunities that ensure the company’s artistic ambitions and community impact continue to grow. Having grown alongside the company, Anais continues to champion initiatives that uphold Ekamatra’s vision. She also is very invested in ensuring that Ekamatra’'s rehearsal and production pantry is the best.

Heng Leun is a prominent theatre director, playwright, dramaturg, and educator, known for engaging the community on various issues through the arts, championing civic discourse across different societal segments.

As Founder, Artist of Drama Box (Singapore), notable directorial works over his three-decade career include Drift, Trick or Threat, and Underclass; site-specific theatre ubin and Project Mending Sky, Both Sides, Now, which explores end-of-life conversations, and the recent Air, about the dispossession of the indigenous Malays and Orang Seletar of Singapore.

National awards received include the Young Artist Award, Cultural Fellowship, and Cultural Medallion. He also served as a Nominated Member of Parliament (2016– 2018), representing the arts sector. In 2024, he received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Tainan, for his achievements in the fields of academia, arts and education.

Panellist

Melissa is the General Manager of The Necessary Stage (TNS) and the Executive Producer of the annual Singapore Fringe Festival.

Aside from running TNS since 2005, she assisted with research and translation for TNS’s productions, including Manifesto (2016) and Underclass (2018). She also served as the dramaturg for the company’s works such as 《演员四十》(Actor, Forty) (Esplanade Huayi 2017 commission), Civilised (2019), The Year of No Return (SIFA 2020/2021 commission), and SG Insecure (2025). As Executive Producer of the Singapore Fringe Festival, she leads the overall organisation and curatorial team for the event.

Panellist

Noorlinah Mohamed is an actress, arts educator, researcher, and creative producer. She is an award-winning actress of stage, television, and film, and has performed in Singapore and internationally across Asia, Europe, and the US. Academically, she holds a PhD in Arts Education from the University of Warwick and serves as a teaching artist and consultant in arts pedagogy. Her experience in creative production encompasses curating, directing, and producing events of varying scale, notably O.P.E.N. (Singapore International Festival of Arts, 2014-2017), the National Day Parade 2024 and the planned 2026 event. She is a recipient of the JCCI Cultural Award (2008) and the Women’s Weekly Woman of our Time Award (2005).