This iteration of Connections features a diverse group of panelists from the arts education and career development sectors. Join us as we hear from emerging and senior arts educators along with training providers to better understand how arts educators can maximise the use of the newly published skills framework for arts educators.

The Skills Framework for Arts Education launched in September 2023, outlining career tracks and information on necessary skills for various roles in arts education.

What does this mean for arts educators like ourselves?  

Join a diverse group of panellists from the arts education and career development sectors in a panel discussion on navigating the Skills Framework. How do arts educators like ourselves utilise the Skills Framework to map out our career paths? How can this be translated into tangible actions? What gaps are there, and how can we navigate them?

Each panellist represents a different cross-section of stakeholders and will provide a range of perspectives to help us better understand how we can maximise the newly published Skills Framework for arts educators.  

In attending Connections 2024, you will: 

• Get a breakdown and insight on the Skills Framework for Arts Educators 
• Get information on courses and training opportunities from Institutes of Higher Learning 
• Better understand the funding and subsidy options available for certification courses 
• Network with other arts educators 

Join our discussion at Connections 2024.

Trajectories: Exploring The Skills Framework For Arts Educators

Panel Discussion Details:

Date: Saturday, 16th March 2024

Time: 9.30am to 11am

Venue: Lifelong Learning Institute, Event Hall 1-1 (11 Eunos Road 8 Singapore 408601)

Click here to sign up for connections

Panellists

Adrian Chiang, Panelist
President of the National Instructors and Coaches Association (NICA), and Founder of Band Academy Singapore (BAS)

Recognised for his musical sensitivity and energised sense of interpretation, Adrian Chiang is quickly making his mark among Singaporean conductors for his inspired performances and versatility. Adrian is Music Director of the Asian Cultural Symphony Orchestra since 2016 and additionally serves as the Conductor of numerous Orchestras and Wind Ensembles in Singapore, namely in educational institutes such as Singapore Management University, Singapore Polytechnic, Anderson-Serangoon Junior College, Eunoia Junior College, Victoria Junior College, Catholic High School, CHIJ Toa Payoh, Maris Stella High School, Naval Base Secondary School and Dazhong Primary School. He had previously led the Philharmonic Youth Winds for a decade, uplifting the group to become one of Singapore's more successful youth wind orchestras. His newest endeavours include founding Singapore’s 1st ever wind band academy, the Band Academy Singapore, and forming the premier wind ensemble, VENTUS.

A recipient of the distinguished National Arts Council and National University of Singapore scholarship, Adrian attained his Master of Music degree at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YSTCM, NUS) with a major in conducting. He had previously graduated with a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the National University of Singapore. Increasingly recognised for his committed advocacy of music education and his devotion to the art of conducting, he currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at the YSTCM (NUS), where he teaches music conducting to all music undergraduates.

Adrian has served as President of the National Instructors and Coaches Association (NICA) since 2019. NICA is an NTUC-affiliated association formed following an NTUC announcement to extend its reach to the freelancer community who are coaches or instructors in sports, outdoor adventures/learning, fitness, wellness, visual arts and performing arts. He had also previously served as the Band Directors’ Association (Singapore) president from 2017 to 2022.

Ives Tay, Panelist
Training & Development Consultant

Ives specialises in helping training providers with SSG OR, CA, CF and TPQA

Ives helps training providers with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) organisation registration (OR), WSQ course accreditation (CA), non-WSQ certifiable course funding (CF), quality assessment (TPQA) & compliance.

He is a key architect and influencer of the national Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) and Skills Framework (SFw) systems, having spent 7 years as Principal Manager of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency/WDA (now SSG) where he led quality teams in regulating Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) and their courses. He is highly regarded in the industry and continues to be consulted by many organisations.

Ives graduated with Master’s degrees in HRD and Training from the University of Leicester and is ACTA and DACE certified.

Kamini Ramachandran, Panelist
Professional Storyteller, and Art Educator

Kamini Ramachandran is a pioneer in the field of oral storytelling in Asia. Through her work in Moonshadow Stories she is known for promoting storytelling for adult audiences. She founded The Storytelling Centre Limited to advance the art of storytelling through the Young Storytellers Mentorship Programme. She is also creative producer of StoryFest Singapore and an organizing team member of Producers SG. 

She has developed and conducted storytelling training programmes for the National Heritage Board on museum-based learning for docents and educators, and has trained museum volunteer guides for the Founders Memorial.

She is also a committee member of the Singapore Drama Educators Association (2023-2025) and part of the special interest group focusing on arts advocacy for freelance practitioners where she worked on ‘The Arts Freelancers Playbook: Guide to Understanding Contracts’.

Nora Neo-Crothers, Panelist
Founder of inwardBOUND

Nora Neo-Crothers, founder of inwardBOUND, holds a First Class Honours degree in Drama and Performance from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her work focuses on utilizing drama for community engagement and education.

At inwardBOUND, Nora has developed an inclusive range of drama programs, serving a diverse age group from 6 to 86 years old. These programs focus on enabling expression and advocacy through theatre. She has been integral in establishing the re:ACT festival, promoting collaboration between young people and nonprofit organisations, with a focus on using the arts to tackle social issues. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Nora also pioneered the IDEA platform, blending various art forms to ensure continuous artistic involvement and educational opportunities.

Leading a social enterprise, Nora is committed to using drama for community empowerment and creative transformation. inwardBOUND actively confronts social challenges like mental wellness, xenophobia, and community integration. The organization's diverse range of workshops, programs, and performances has engaged over 100,000 students and has been instrumental in producing youth theatre that has garnered 68 Distinction Awards at the Singapore Youth Festival.

Nora's contributions to drama and education have earned her multiple Outstanding Contribution Awards and recognition as the 1st runner-up for the Woman of Asia - Rising Star Award (RBS - Coutts and Financial Times).

Raiya Basalamah, Panelist
Drama Educator, and Playwright

Raiya is a drama educator of 3 years and a writer/playwright. For 6 years, she studied Theatre at School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA) and subsequently, she moved to Melbourne, Australia to study Acting for 3 years at Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). During her time as a student, Raiya developed an eagerness to work with young people in the arts, especially after volunteering her time to guide children from an after-school care centre in their Year End Concert. She realised after the experience how fulfilling it was to witness the children’s growth in their confidence, and to build a connection with them that taught both the children and herself what it means to lead one another with empathy and compassion.

Shortly after graduating from VCA, Raiya began working as a freelance drama educator for various companies, beginning with the same company that organised her first drama workshop at 8 years old. From 2021 onwards, she has engaged with young people of a wide range of age groups, including babies. She has also performed in shows catered for young people, as well as facilitated them through post-show workshops, rehearsals for showcases, and more. In 2023, she helped Serangoon Secondary School’s Drama Club earn their first Distinction for their Arts Presentation, and in that same year, she graduated from SDEA’s ETLA ‘09 course as a Tina Sergeant Professional Development Initiative (TSPDI) recipient. As of now, Raiya hopes to continue building her deepest passion for empowering the young through drama, and work towards being an educator at arts institutions. As a writer/playwright, she is also keen to develop her craft as an Artist-in-Residence with Gateway Arts this year.

Regina Chua, Moderator
Theatre Arts Educator and Practitioner and Vice-President of SDEA(2023-2025 term)

Regina is a passionate theatre arts practitioner-educator who believes in the transformative power of Dramatic Arts, as it holds the key to unlocking confidence and creativity from within the individual, whatever their age.

Having graduated from LASALLE, College of the Arts in 2006 with a Diploma in Theatre Arts, her desire to nurture the artistic expression of others pushed her to seek pedagogical excellence. Her commitment to understanding the diverse learning needs of individuals across different age groups has seen her obtaining a Specialist Diploma in Arts Education from NIE-NTU in 2016, a Certificate in Teaching Arts in Early Childhood Environment from SEED Institute in 2018 and an Advance Certificate in Learning and Performance 2.0 (ACLP 2.0) from Institute of Adult Learning (IAL), SUSS in 2023. An experienced arts educator, she has conducted over 1000 workshops for learners spanning the ages of four to sixty-four, across over 200 institutions from pre-schools to institutes of higher learning, mainstream to special education, government to corporate entities, both locally and internationally. She is always interested in making learning as accessible and fun as possible.

Regina is a proud member of Singapore Drama Educator Association (SDEA) and is currently serving as its vice-president for the 2023-2025 term.

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About Connections:

Connections is a non-partisan platform for connecting stakeholders in the education sector through open dialogues on current challenges, issues and developments with the aim to inspire change.

Through the various activities organised under Connections, SDEA has:

• Used applied drama activities to explore the gaps in inclusivity in education
• Actively promoted the use of drama as a pedagogy to complement existing teaching practices
• Initiated and facilitated dialogues with/between various stakeholders such as NAC, MOE (CPDD, ECDA and AEB (formerly CCAB)), NIE (VPA), WDA, teaching artists, educators and various professional theatre companies
• Conducted drama workshops in partnership with The Kennedy Center (US), CCAB and NAC