January 18, 2023
NUS Arts Festival 2023 | Festival Director Jobina Tan
photo credit Arts House Ltd
The NUS Arts Festival (NAF) has been the highlight of NUS’ performing arts calendar since its inception in 1998. What sets NAF apart from other similar festivals is the close collaboration between NUS students, local and international arts practitioners, and academics, producing stunning performances that challenge audiences to think more deeply about the festival theme. While COVID-19 had made the past 2 editions particularly challenging, 2023 promises to be a full return to form with over 20 shows featuring dance, music, film, and more. But how does it all actually come together?
Jobina Tan, Section Head of the Centre For the Arts and this year’s Festival director shares her insights on how the lineup is chosen, how the theme comes about, and the importance of pushing the envelope for arts on campus.
What does the work of a Festival Director entail?
I am responsible for coming up with the direction of the Festival which includes developing the theme and leading a Festival team of CFA staff who produce various aspects such as programming, production, marketing and sponsorship. I also consult our Festival Academic Advisor Professor Audrey Yue in the ideation process and initiating collaborations with faculty and other NUS departments.
How did the theme “Spaces Between” come about? What was the inspiration, and why is it apt in the world we live today?
The idea of the theme was seeded when I was reading Peter Brook’s seminal book The Empty Space in 2021, and so when the time came to crystalize the theme in 2022, I had a chat with Mary (former Festival Director and Head of TDP) who spoke about thinking of themes as a trilogy. It thus all came together as the notion of Space seemed to fit well with Time (NAF 2021) and Light (NAF 2022) as universal concepts that impact everything we create.
The purpose of the Festival theme is to allow us to reflect on the times we live in through art – and so Spaces Between seems especially apt given how we are still adjusting to what a new normal means. Furthermore, art has always been a vehicle in which we discover ourselves and find a confluence between different states. Given a world we live in that can be constantly divided, I hope the theme demonstrates that we all have to play an active part to find more meeting points with each other, and negotiate those tensions no matter how difficult, to find areas of growth for both sides.
As an Arts Festival sited in the university, we also believe that arts is a fertile playground for interdisciplinary learning and CFA has played that role in being that vibrant space to connect hearts and minds. In this way, the theme is also a metaphor for CFA as it celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2023.
How are festival programmes selected?
A Festival Advisory panel reviews the programme proposals submitted and evaluates whether it is aligned to the theme, interesting for audiences and has a well-thought creation process that embraces interdisciplinary learning. And of course, not to forget that the budget must be within our perimeters.
What can audiences expect from NAF 2023 that they have never seen before in previous iterations of NAF?
There is a bumper crop of four collaborations between the student arts groups this year – a mammoth undertaking given that all productions are original works so the preparations become even more complex. Some of these pairings are particularly uncommon in the larger arts scene – such as Chinese Dance with an Indian Instrumental Ensemble, Chinese Drama with Chinese Orchestra, and Malay Dance with Dikir Barat.
The Closing show with Orchestra and Choir is also rare to see in the local scene. Besides these bigger scale collaboration shows, there are also more intimate encounters one can have such as a one-woman show in a secret location by Jo Tan and a display in 30 locations across campus of short poems by prominent literary figures who are alumni.
You’ve mentioned that NAF 2023 has one of the highest number of NUS alumni involvement. Why is it important to involve alumni artists in NAF programming, and how does this enhance experience of the student artists?
The alumni we have invited are respected artists and leaders in their own fields – and the intention is that they become inspiring examples for students to see that they could aspire to be like these creative individuals — pursuing passions, taking risks and overcoming obstacles along the way.
How long have you been involved in NAF? What is your favourite or most memorable moment?
I’ve started with the Festival in 2019 producing the Opening Show and it was only in 2021 that I was appointed Festival Director for NAF 2022. The most memorable moments so far has been seeing students faces glow with pride after a strong performance and receiving lovely handwritten thank you notes from them.
What would you like the audience to remember NAF 2023 for?
We have a bumper crop of 4 special collaborations shows where two arts groups of different art forms come together. So, I think this will be particularly unique for audiences to watch this year. Also, with this being the first Festival after three years where we no longer have any pandemic restrictions, my hope is that audiences will find their arts encounter special enough to want more as it’s important to restore interest to make time for the arts in our lives.
NUS Arts Festival runs from 10-26 Mar. Click here to find out what programmes are in store!