ACTING LIVES; A TALE OF CREATIVE MOBILITIES IN THREE PARTS

Abstract

This thesis is interested in the mobilities and landscape experiences of theatre actors in Singapore. As part of its aim to be a ‘creative city’, Singapore established national strategies for the arts. However, these are largely top-down and cater to State objectives. This research focuses on the Singapore theatre landscape as experienced by theatre actors. Drawing on the concepts of 'mobilities' and 'landscape', it considers what constitutes the Singapore theatre landscape and actor mobilities; how the theatre landscape and actor mobilities affect artistic practices by actors; and how actors enact change upon the theatre landscape through their mobilities. This will be studied with reference to three geographic scales: within Singapore’s theatre spaces, between Singapore’s theatre spaces, and beyond Singapore’s theatre spaces. By focusing on actor mobilities and experiences, the study seeks to re-centre Singapore’s creative city and arts strategies to consider the ‘practitioner’ as well as the ‘landscape as practiced’.