What does being normal mean to you? What masks do you wear to fit into society? This workshop delves into the complex relationship between care, performance, normalcy and societal expectations through creative movement and collective conversations. Throughout history, artists with disabilities have challenged perceived social norms, using their art to redefine normalcy and highlight a diverse range of human experiences.Workshop participants will gain insights into how looking through the lens of disabled persons can help us to reimagine our worlds, negotiate space and foster a more inclusive culture. As participants observe conversations and body movements choreographed by the artists, they will also be led to reflect on and discuss self-identity and care in relation to kin and community.
This workshop is part of Care Index, an ongoing artistic research project that seeks to understand care through movement and collaborative practices.
Photo credit: Alecia Neo
Register: https://performingnormal-june.peatix.com/
Details
Date: Sat, 22 June 2024
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Venue: The Main Deck, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Keppel Road, #03-07
Note to participants
- This activity is suitable for participants aged 16 years old and above.
- Dress in comfortable clothes for ease of movement. No prior experience with movement is needed.
- Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) is available for deaf and hard-of-hearing persons.
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Accessibility Information
SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark is accessible to wheelchair users. An accessible washroom is available on the first floor.
About the Artists
Alecia Neo, Artist
Alecia Neo is an artist and cultural worker. Her collaborative practice unfolds primarily through installations, lens-based media, participatory workshops and programmes that examine modes of radical hospitality and care. Her recent exhibitions include Performing Care (2023), Between Earth and Sky, presented at the Anyang Public Art Project, South Korea (2023) Scores for Caregiving (2023), a participatory installation commissioned by ArtScience Museum, Power to the People (2022), a site-specific art installation presented at Karachi Biennial 2022 and ramah-tamah (2020), a dance film commissioned by the Asian Civilisations Museum.Care Index has been recently presented at The Esplanade: Theatres by the Bay, The Listening Biennial, Assembly for Permacircular Museums (ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe), New Season of Care (Asia-Art-Activism) and Presence of Mind (Gallery Lane Cove, NSW, Australia). She is the co-founder of Brack, an art collective and platform for socially engaged art and Ubah Rumah Residency on Nikoi Island, which focuses on ecological practices. Active since 2014, her ongoing collaborations with disabled artists currently manifests as an arts platform, Unseen Art Initiatives. Alecia was the recipient of the Young Artist Award in 2016, and the Singapore Youth Award in 2019.
Germaine Goh, ART:DIS Artist
Germaine is a talented and devoted dancer who has successfully completed the Artist-In-Training level programme, Very Special (VS) Dance, with ART:DIS in the year 2022. Throughout her training, Germaine has a profound understanding of various dance techniques, and creativity in her dance expression. Her dance vocabulary has significantly expanded over the years, and she has developed a diverse perspective on dance that goes beyond techniques, incorporating the body's possibilities and beauty. Dance has always been a medium through which Germaine could confidently express herself, and it has provided her with opportunities to develop relationships through movement with trainers and friends.She strives to cultivate more meaningful relationships with people through movement. Germaine's dance education also includes Crestar School of Dance from 2011 to 2021, Merit for Advanced Foundation Royal Academy of Dance in 2021 and a Distinction for Grade 8 Royal Academy of Dance in 2020. Germaine has performed in various programmes , including ART:DIS Theatre Production Welcome To My World: Chachambo: Taking Flight in 2023, , Singapore Writers Festival in 2022, Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation, Asia Pacific Autism Conference and Purple Parade.
Jaspreet Sekhon, ART:DIS Artist
Jaspreet is an actor, dancer and a passionate advocate for persons with intellectual disabilities. Jaspreet is a member of the Diverse Abilities Dance Collective (DADC), where she continuously refines her artistry through performing and teaching. She has collaborated with an Australian multi-disability group where she not only performs but also co-trains pre-schoolers in dance and movement. Jaspreet is an active member of the joint self-advocacy project 'Our Lives, Our Voices' by Down Syndrome Association (Singapore) and MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore). She spends her days doing advocacy work, including having discussions with organizations on inclusivity for people with Down Syndrome. Jaspreet is passionate about speaking up on issues that matter to her and has had the opportunity to make a keynote presentation at a United Nations event in New York in 2014 on 'Health and Wellbeing', which was a highlight for her. She presented at the “Having a Say” Conference 2018 in Australia, and at the “We Are Able” 2018 seminar organised by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) in Singapore where she shared about the importance ofempowerment. In 2022, Jaspreet received the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards (UBS Promise) 2022 for her advocacy work with the disabled community in Singapore. Jaspreet was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at birth, and her family faced difficulties navigating the world due to misinformation and a lack of research. However, Jaspreet's family persevered and gathered more knowledge to support her, eventually starting the Down Syndrome Association (Singapore). Jaspreet believes that education is the key to overcoming the limitations and barriers created in the community. She dreams of attending university as she is a firm believer in lifelong learning and wants to ensure that others realize their own abilities too. Jaspreet moves gracefully to her own rhythm, on stage or in real life, and it's a joy to witness her zest for life.
Claire Teo, ART:DIS Artist
Claire Teo is an artist and performer, and also the first visuallyimpaired graduate of LASALLE College of the Arts’ Diploma in Performance. She recently completed a two-year industry mentorship programme called Beyond Dis:play, supported by ART:DIS Singapore and mentored by Peter Sau. With the mentorship, she aimed to enhance her skills and achieve more artistic breakthroughs. One of her most significant achievements was playing the lead role, songstress, and playwright in Singapore's first inclusively written and performed musical, Welcome To My World 2023: Cha Cham Bo! Taking Flight. The musical, staged at the Victoria Theatre in August 2023, featured 90 performers, including disabled, seniors and non-disabled artists.In recognition of her contribution to the community, Claire was awarded the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards (UBS Promise) in 2022. She teaches drama and mentors students at special needs and mainstream schools, senior citizen activity centers, and performing arts colleges such as LASALLE College of the Arts and Singapore Raffles Music College. Claire also holds a Diploma in Counselling Psychology (Distinction) and currently works as the Programmes Executive at Methodist Welfare Services, where she develops and runs arts for wellness programmes for the Girls’ Residence and FAM@FSC clients. She brings her knowledge of trauma-informed care to facilitate a safe space forself-discovery and empowerment.In 2020, Claire received the Philip Yeo Innovation Associates Grant to support her first inclusive arts project as Lead Artist of UNSEEN: INSIDE OUT (Supported by Unseen Art Initiatives). She directed, wrote, and co-facilitated workshops for 12 visually-impaired participants to create the immersive, multi-sensory, and accessible installation titled Move For?ward, in collaboration with other artists The installation was a key feature of the Light to Night Festival 2022 at National Gallery Singapore. Claire began her artistic journey with ART:DIS Singapore, where she honed her craft and grew as an actor, singer, scriptwriter, director, access consultant, and disability arts advocate. The organization has collaborated with her on several projects, including The Arts & Disability Forum 2020, SingaporeHeritageFest 2021, British Council’s Diversity Showcase 2021, Scheherazade’s Sea: A Continuing Journey 2021, FACE TOGETHER: Welcome To My World 2022, Woman Flower: A Beyond Dis:play production 2022, and Arts and Disability Forum 2023.
Zhuo Zihao, Movement Consultant
The Young Artist Award (Dance) 2012 recipient is a highly accomplished dance artist, boasts over 23 years of industry experience. Zihao graduated from the LaSalle-SIA College for the Arts with a Diploma in Dance (2002) and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in Dance (2008) from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. His journey began with Odyssey Dance Theatre (2000 - 2004). As a founding member of The Human Expression held an Associate Artist position after transitioning into an Independent Dance Artist upon (T.H.E) Dance Company, he contributed from 2008 to 2016 and has since leaving T.H.E in 2016. His Site-Specific work “Being”, with Dance In Situ (DIS), earned recognition as one of the “Best of The Year” pieces by Straits Time Life! in the same year. Notably, Zihao’s iconic creations include “Felt. Sense” (2013), a collaboration with Bani Haykal’s sound composition that explored the sensation of trauma through a blend of 3D video projection and live performers. Beyond the stage, Zihao actively engages in digital media and social work. In 2020, he produced 10 dance episodes for the National Arts Council’s “From the Living Room” Facebook series. In 2021, he embarked on the “C.R.A.M - The Prologue” research and development project, delving into his performance philosophy and principles with support from Raw Moves. Most recently, Zihao starred in the collaborative dance film “Half”, commissioned by the Esplanade Theatre by the Bay for the Huayi Festival 2022. The film, conceptualized and directed by award-winning Royston Tan, features music by Chong Li-Chuan and cochoreography by Yarra Ileto and Zihao himself. In summary, Zhuo Zihao remains a visionary dance artist, consistently pushing boundaries within the industry.
About SAM Art Dose
Take some time out and join us on a journey to connect, explore, and reflect alongside artists and newfound friends. SAM Art Dose integrates art into the larger conversations about how to live better with your wellbeing as its primary focus. This edition is presented in collaboration with ART:DIS.
For more information, visit our website: https://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/