WRITINGS

A special issue of Journal of Theatre, Dance and Performance Training on “intercultural acting and actor/performer training” (Vol.7, Issue 3) was guest edited by faculty member Phillip Zarrilli, ITI Director T. Sasitharan and academic board member Anuradha Kapur. Paris-based alum, Giorgia Ciampi, also contributed a first-hand view of the actor training at ITI.

Director, T. Sasitharan penned an essay for Singathology: 50 New Works, a collection of original Singapore literature written by celebrated Singaporean writers

This book proposes that the highest expression of ethics is an aesthetic. It suggests that the quintessential performance of any field of practice is an art that captures an ethic beyond any literal statement of values. This is to advocate for a shift in emphasis, away from current juridical approaches to ethics (ethical codes or regulation), toward ethics as an aesthetic practice—away from ethics as a minimal requirement, toward ethics as an aspiration.

This edited book not only makes a much-needed contribution to research in arts education but also provides a strong grounding of evidential support for Singapore arts education, in contrast to the current state of affairs in arts education in many parts of the world where severe cuts in funding, lackluster support for the arts and imperialist agendas are pervasive. The case of and for Singapore – presented in this edited book through rich descriptions of the dedicated, contextualized practices of arts educators, artists and researchers – offers readers many valuable lessons and reflections on the continued survival and advancement of arts education.