Theatre For Youth and Community
The Theatre for Youth branch was set up in 1992 and renamed Theatre For Youth and Community (TFYC) in 2001. TFYC's principal interest is in theatre work with and for young people and different communities in Singapore. This includes presenting short plays during school assemblies, interactive Theatre-In-Education programmes, workshops, and process-based drama programmes that focus on personal development. Since 1992, TFYC has performed to more than 800,000 students, piloted drama programmes for school curriculum, and worked with numerous non-governmental organisations and voluntary welfare organisations. It was also responsible for the successful Marine Parade Theatre Festival (2000), FamFest (2001), The Necessary Community Festival (2001), M1 Youth Connection (1997–2003) and M1 Theatre Connect (2004).
As part of its External Project, the Theatre for Youth branch of the company, in collaboration with Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay and the National Arts Council Singapore presented Let Me Go! in September 2007, an interactive production geared towards students, which gave students a chance to help the protagonist, Kheng, through role-play of the characters with the actors, to discover ways to work through her frustrations, which might also be their own. The production provided students with a fun, lively and refreshing experience of interactive theatre, where they can share their predicaments and build self-esteem. It also included other educational components such as a talk on the creative process of putting together a performance to provide students with a deeper understanding of theatre and playwriting; a discussion session with Alvin Tan, Artistic Director and Haresh Sharma, Resident Playwright of The Necessary Stage, and a backstage tour to show students the different processes that go on behind each production.
In September 2008, The Necessary Stage collaborated once again with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and the National Arts Council as part of the Feed Your Imagination, an arts-education programme, to present Off Centre, which also included both performance and interaction with the students.
Starting in 2008, The Necessary Stage has been working with senior citizens in a 3-year Drama Programme geared towards training the participants in various aspects of theatre-making and arts administration, with the final aim of them setting up an independent theatre company.
Read more about this topic: The Necessary Stage
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