Cultivating Arts Writing Ecosystems: Criticality and Creativity amidst Necessity
By Adriana Nordin Manan (995 words, 3-minute read) Personal narratives on professional pathways to becoming arts writers in four Asian countries were the departure point for the rich discussion at “Critical Writing Training: Models, Methods and Pitfalls,” a panel session…
Saya Takut Untuk Mengkritik Sehinggalah Saya Berjumpa Sekumpulan Pengkritik: Refleksi Terhadap AAMR
Oleh Sukhbir Cheema dan diterjemah oleh Fasyali Fadzly Bila anda mendengar perkataan “pengkritik”, apakah yang anda bayangkan? Saya sering membayangkan orang yang pakai cermin mata; ulat buku, sangat serius, dan payah untuk puaskan hatinya. Daripada pandangan saya dulu, pengkritik adalah…
Master Conversations: Multimedia Design with Shimpei Yamada and Bilqis Hijjas
Japanese video designer Shimpei Yamada shares about his practice in multimedia and video design and installation, for both theatre and dance, alongside KL-based critic-facilitator Bilqis Hijjas. This session took place on 8 June 2021 as part of the Asian Arts…
I Was Afraid Of Critiquing Until I Met A Bunch Of Critics: Reflections on AAMR 2021
By Sukhbir Cheema When you hear the word “critic”, what image do you conjure? I used to imagine a bespectacled person; bookish, extremely serious, and tough to please. From my point of view back then, critics were people you would…
Master Conversations: Set Design with Tuxqs Rutaquio and Katrina Stuart Santiago
Manila-based set designer Tuxqs Rutaquio shares about his practice and process in set design alongside theatre critic Katrina Stuart Santiago. This session took place on 1 June 2021 as part of the Asian Arts Media Roundtable at SIFA 2021. The…
Podcast 90: Critics Live: The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage at SIFA 2021
Singapore critics Clarissa Oon, Lee Shu Yu, Nabilah Said and Naeem Kapadia discuss The Year of No Return by The Necessary Stage, presented at Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA). The performance took place from 21-22 May 2021 at…
Podcast 88: Critics Live: The Journey by Scott Silven at SIFA 2021
Critics Ben Valentine (US), Kathy Rowland (SG), Michael HB Raditya (ID), Sharmilla Ganesan (MY) chat about The Journey by UK-based illusionist and mentalist, Scott Silven. The performance took place from 18-30 May 2021 as part of the Singapore International Festival…
Master Conversations: Lighting Design with Lim Woan Wen and Daniel Teo
Singapore lighting designer Lim Woan Wen shares about her practice and process, and chats with critic Daniel Teo about the impact of lighting in a performance, and whether critics should be expected to write more about lighting design in a…
Master Conversations: Costume Design with Catherine Kodicek and Lyn Gardner
Costume designer and supervisor Catherine Kodicek shares about her practice and process, and issues around costume awareness and advocacy within the UK theatre context, alongside UK theatre critic Lyn Gardner. This session took place on 25 May 2021 as part…
ArtsEquator, Deadline Now
by Kathy Rowland ArtsEquator sometimes feels like a mythical creature. Looking back over the past 4 years, it takes the shape of a unicorn, a joyful improbability. With Covid-19, it can weigh like an albatross, cash flow statements instead of…
Burning Questions: Can Critics Criticise during a Pandemic?
As the work of artists evolve with the restrictions of COVID-19, do critics also need to reassess how they look at performance? Four critics, Loo Zihan, Teo Xiao Ting, Jocelyn Chng and Germaine Cheng discuss their responses as more and…
Coronalogues, pandemic spectatorship (and the critic)
By Nabilah Said and Corrie Tan (5,950 words, 20-minute read) Spoiler Alert: This text contains spoilers for The Coronologues: Silver Linings by The Singapore Repertory Theatre and Long Distance Affair by Juggerknot Theatre Company and PopUP Theatrics. To view this…
Mayfly Docus: “Die Tomorrow” and “14 Apples” at SIFA’s “Singular Screens”
By Dan Koh (1,715 words, 15-minute read) At this year’s Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), the two films from Southeast Asia are documentaries, or hybrid-documentaries—just like last year’s three, curiously. Despite the glaring gaps that remain in the funding,…
Theatre Reviews: Last Word or the Start of a Conversation
On Sunday, 28 January, 3pm, ArtsEquator held its first public forum, “Theatre Reviews: Last Word or the Start of a Conversation”, featuring British theatre critic Lyn Gardner, M1 Singapore Fringe Festival director Sean Tobin, ArtsEquator’s guest editor Corrie Tan, and…
Podcast 33: Interview with Lyn Gardner
Duration: 19 mins Corrie Tan caught up with award-winning British theatre critic Lyn Gardner when she was in Singapore last month from 24 to 28 January, before they both appeared on ArtsEquator’s public panel discussion on Theatre Reviews: Last Word…
Citizens’ Reviews 2018: Open Call
Calling all aspiring theatre critics! If you enjoy writing about theatre performances and are looking for sharpen your reviewers’ voice, then our Citizens’ Reviews programme might just be for you. This 12-month programme aims to provide up-and-coming theatre critics with…
Kata Terkesat Dilempar Estragon: Kritik!
Oleh Ridhwan Saidi (860 patah kata, 8-minit bacaan) I Ia bermula dengan saya tiba lambat ke Meeting of Writers/Critics/Reviewers in Performing Arts di Cafe White Sands, DPAC, Damansara. Di sekeliling meja sudah ada 13 orang membincangkan tentang perbezaan di antara ulasan…
Call for Applications
Deadline extended to 20th June 2017. If you have any questions or need more information, email us: Contact(at)artsequator.com
You Must Like Chocolate: An Essay on Taste
By Lee Weng Choy (1130 words, 17-minute read) Do you like chocolate? I like chocolate. Who doesn’t like chocolate? Although, come to think of it, I do know of some people who don’t like chocolate — at least, I remember…
Histories, Practices and Interventions: A Reader in Singapore Contemporary Art
Marcus Yee of RightAfters reviews a collection of Singapore art writing, Histories, Practices and Interventions: A Reader in Singapore Contemporary Art edited by Jeffrey Say and Seng Yu Jin.