Coming never : using subversion to communicate theatrical resistance to censorship

• Main Author: Halim, Christy Stephanie
• Other Authors: Ng Ee Ching Candice
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: DRNTU::Visual arts and music::General
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/78028
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Censorship of theatre in Singapore takes many forms - be it licenses not issued, dialogues cut, funding withdrawn, or unnecessary advisories required. While such acts are necessary in maintaining intercommunal stability, constant privileging of a dominantly conservative public over minority voices expressed in theatre proves problematic in the long run. More than just leading to homogenous theatre content that merely entertains, the heavy policing of alternative views leads to a Singapore that is not politically mature enough to hold robust debates and differing opinions. Resistance to censorship is thus necessary. However, resistance to censorship does not equal resistance to the censoring government body (IMDA – Information and Media Development Authority), as IMDA in most cases acts merely as a ‘middleman’ in the interest of Singaporean citizens or occasionally certain groups of people who voices their grievances. Hence, censorship in theatre is primarily consequential towards citizens airing their objections. Its frequency demonstrates that the Singaporean public could potentially be unready for certain taboo contents and its censorship isn’t purely due to government intervention. As a response to this, this project Coming Never aims to ask and measure Singapore’s readiness towards taboo subjects in theatre. It also aims to document the history of resistance to censorship by local theatre practitioners in order to archive theatrical resistance that has been happening historically within Singapore. Coming Never consist of a website that contains a survey and a documentation of past censored theatre pieces in Singapore; and four posters that function as entry points for audiences to engage with the project.