Huayi Dialogues Panel Discussion: No more Chinese Language Theatre?

Corrie Tan makes sense of art through intimate writing. She is a researcher, critic, dramaturg and facilitator from Singapore working at the intersection of care ethics, collaborative performance practices and new articulations of arts criticism in Southeast Asia. An arts critic for 15 years, she has written regularly about performance and culture for platforms such as The Guardian, ArtsEquator, Exeunt Magazine and The Straits Times, and is arts editor of the independent digital magazine, Jom. A wayfarer between academia and journalism, Corrie holds a Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies jointly awarded by King’s College London and the National University of Singapore. She is the director of the Asian Dramaturgs’ Network, and through her creative projects and collaborations with groups such as Centre 42, Drama Box and P7:1SMA, considers the ways in which contemporary archipelagic thinking might offer us new configurations of relationality and identity formation with one another.

Koh Huiling is a theatre practitioner who finds meaning in the process of community engagement and the participation of non-artists in art-making, evident in her works such as IgnorLAND of its Time (2014), IgnorLAND of its Loss (2016) and Chinatown Crossings (2018 & 2019).

Her desire to create alternative avenues for public dialogue led to the development of GoLi – The Moving Theatre, Singapore's first inflatable theatre that transforms spaces into vibrant places for arts and culture.

Huiling laid the foundation for Drama Box's work in youth engagement, and had developed a set of Drama-in-Education and Theatre-in-Education programmes for youths, teachers and adult-learners. Today, her focus is in community based practices.

Recognised for her contribution to community, youth and culture, Huiling was given in 2013 the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council of Singapore, and the Singapore Youth Award by the National Youth Council, and in 2015, Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World Award (Singapore) by the Junior Chamber International.

Huiling completed her Masters of Arts in Applied Drama (Distinction) from the University of Exeter (UK), with her research on sustainability of community based theatre companies.

Delvin joined the Esplanade in May 2009 and from day 1, he has been part of the programming team for Huayi — Chinese Festival of Arts, amid his other Programming scope at the Esplanade. In particular, he became the lead producer for the festival in 2017, a position he still holds currently. As lead producer, he conceptualises the entire festival together with his team. He has worked closely with almost all of the Singapore theatre companies, especially the Singapore Mandarin Theatre companies. He is extremely grateful to have numerous opportunities to seed projects with various Mandarin theatre companies and see them come to fruition on the stage. In addition, he has close contact with many established and emerging chinese artists across all genres from the region, and has also set up collaborative projects and built up good relations with various arts centres and festivals in the region.

A practice-researcher at heart, Ang delves into the essence of acting, seeking to uncover organic authenticity within an actor. Her artistic journey began in 1986 as an apprentice under the late Kuo Pao Kun at Practice Theatre Ensemble. In the 1990s, she served as the Artistic Director of Theatre OX, where the ensemble conducted extensive research on Chinese cultural sources while integrating taiji and meditation into their actor training methodologies. 

Ang has performed leading roles and toured internationally with the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards in Italy under Project The Bridge: developing theatre arts during her residency in 1994 and 1998 – 2006. In 2006, she founded Sourcing Within, an international platform dedicated to research, projects, and teaching in embodied practice. 

A recipient of theatre awards from Singapore’s National Arts Council (1999), Ang earned a BA with Distinction from the University of Hawaii-Manoa (1992) and a PhD in Drama through Practice as Research from the University of Kent (2017). Her directing credits include The Peculiar Tra La (Intercultural Theatre Institute), The Silly Little Girl and the Funny Old Tree (Young People’s Performing Arts Ensemble, 2018 / LASALLE College of the Arts, 2023), Antigone (LASALLE College of the Arts), and Offending the Audience (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, 2022). 

Her research has been published in scholarly journals and books focusing on intercultural theatre and performance anthropology. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at School of Theatre at the University of the Arts / Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

Having started as a performing artist in 1979, Jalyn Han is a veteran theatre practitioner with extensive knowledge and experience in the performing arts and theatre education scene in Singapore. Throughout these years, she has taken on many roles; from acting, directing and choreographing in many theatre, film, television and live productions, to teaching and educating students of all levels. Her passion and strength in gathering talents from various artistic fields has led her to helm InARTS Collective, an avenue that uses theatre to connect with people from all walks of life, especially youths-at-risk, the intellectually-disabled, and senior citizens. Jalyn’s notable works include performing the lead role of Emily in the Chinese monologue of Emily of Emerald Hill (1990) produced by The Theatre Practice, Grandmother in W!ld Rice’s Grandmother Tongue (2016, 2017 & 2021), curated and directing People’s Association’s Harmony Xtravaganza 2019 and Ministry of Education’s Exile or Pursuit (2021 & 2024), choreographing the national day theme song Reach Out for the Skies and The Theatre Practice’s musical If There Are Seasons 2007, and judging at Macao’s 1st Community Arts Project.

The Artistic Director of Emergency Stairs in Singapore, Xiaoyi is considered one of the most promising leaders at the forefront of the experimental theatre scene and cultural exchange network in Asia. He has been involved in over 80 theatre productions as director, playwright, and actor over the past two decades. Xiaoyi has remained steadfast in his pursuit of the development and transcendence of theatrical forms, while actively promoting cross-cultural and transnational dialogues. Outside of his creative endeavors, he is also a dynamic curator, educator, and cultural critic.

Major awards Xiaoyi has received include Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal (2010), the Young Artist Award (2016) by the National Arts Council of Singapore, Nanyang Outstanding Young Alumni Award (2022), Patron of Heritage and the Arts Award (2023) by Nanyang Technological University, Golden Point Award (2017, 2019, and 2023), Global Outstanding Young Leaders Award by Asia Week (Yazhou Zhoukan) (2024).

Platforms initiated and curated by Xiaoyi include Re-viewer, Singapore’s inaugural Chinese theatre critique platform (2014–present); Southernmost, an intercultural arts festival (2017 – 2019); No More Theatre , dedicated to fostering collaboration between digital technology and the arts (2018 – present); Emergency Academy , a global youth cultural leadership incubator (2020 – present); and The Peripheral Experiment, an independent arts festival (201 – present); Young Artists Incubation Platform Emergency Camp (2014 – present); among others. Presently, Xiaoyi serves as the resident artist in Linjiang New District in Jiangsu Province, China, while holding the position of Senior Research Fellow and International Exchange Advisor at NAFA, within the University of the Arts Singapore.