Nusantara Open Circle 2026

Founded in 2016, Main Tulis Group (MTG) is Singapore’s only collective that works on developing both English and Malay plays. The emphasis is on main (play) and tulis (write)—writing organically, without restrictions—while also being about playwriting as a craft. The group organises regular readings of works-in-progress known as Open Circle Sessions and is known for its dramatised readings showcase ETA: 9 MIN. MTG has worked with institutions such as Centre 42, Esplanade, Singapore Writers Festival and the National University of Singapore, organising readings, workshops and outreach events on writing.

Panas Panas Theatre is a multidisciplinary collective founded in 2019, made up of Arief Hamizan, Theyvapaalan S Jayaratnam, Ariff Kamil (Kuala Lumpur), Hana Nadira (Glasgow), and Ali Motamedi (Berlin). The collective’s projects mainly draw inspiration from political and feminist literature, with a focus on community readings and play development. They are currently housed in the Zhongshan Building in central Kuala Lumpur, where they run “Write Write Revolution”, a fortnightly writing space for all and sundry.

Indonesia Dramatic Reading Festival (IDRF) is a festival where scripts are read in Bahasa Indonesia as an effort to introduce the latest Indonesian scripts to the wider public. It can be said that IDRF is a festival for Indonesian playwrights—a place to meet, discuss and introduce their latest scripts. IDRF serves as a bridge between playwrights and directors or theatre groups. In its implementation, IDRF also presents translations of foreign plays as a comparison with participants’ plays. It is also intended to link Indonesian playwrights with writers from various countries with the hopes of creating a wider network.

​​Adriana Nordin Manan juggles eight professional roles: writer, translator, playwright, researcher, curator, dramaturg, educator, and entrepreneur. She is the founder and Artistic Director of Cocoon Creative Lab (CCL), working in cultural exchange through language, storytelling, and new works incubation to build bridges in a polyphonic world. ​​​​Adriana's debut play, ​Fault Lines​,​ ​received considerable accolades including Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Original Script, Best Director, and Best of 2023 at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards (2024). ​​​Adriana has a Masters in Politics from New York University. Born, raised and based in Kuala Lumpur, she speaks Malay, English, and Spanish.

Maudy Puteri Agusdina was born in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, and has loved writing since childhood. She is currently working as a freelance screenwriter for several streaming platform series, and occasionally acts in short films and stage performances. In 2023, she was selected to take part in the Kalam Puan program organised by Penastri. Her work, Badai di Satu Malam, has been staged multiple times by Teater Anala and Teater Parada. In 2024, she directed and wrote Absolusi for Pendek Fest. She also took on multiple roles as actor, director, and writer in the stage production Telisik Rapuh: Laura Hari Ini, performed at Teater Utan Kayu, Jakarta.

A large part of Norenshah’s life has been in dance, choreography, journalism, teaching English Literature at an international school, and raising her kids. But the arts has always been her passion, ever since she started ballet at the age of five. From dancing on stage, it felt almost natural for her practice to evolve into acting—and, somehow, into writing. But living the life of an artist is a difficult choice, as practical considerations often take over. Now that her children are grown, she can finally devote time to being creative. This marks her first attempt at writing a play, in a language which, although her mother tongue, still presents a challenge.