Asian Dramaturgs Network inaugural symposium

"Mapping Out, In & About" is the inaugural symposium of the newly-established Asian Dramaturgs' Network (ADN), held in Singapore on April 23 and 24. The symposium will feature the gathering of more than 15 Asian-based dramaturgs from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Korea, Philippines and Australia. The symposium's theme, "Mapping Out, In & About", refers to discussions that will shed light on – as well as challenge – dramaturgical thinking and practices in Asia. In a series of public talks, the ADN speakers will present different perspectives on dramaturgy, dramaturging and the dramaturg within performance-making. Some issues that will be explored during the symposium are:

Conceptualising dramaturgy in the region
Practical realities of dramaturgy - working through case studies
Work processes between performance-makers and dramaturgs in practice
Education and pedagogy in dramaturgy

The aim of these public talks is to raise the awareness and the profile of the field of dramaturgy in contemporary performance-making in Singapore. The Asian Dramaturgs' Network (ADN) was borne out of a need and curiosity – a need to connect with other dramaturgs in the region, a curiosity to search for like-minded individuals in dramaturgy. It also fulfils the need for dialogue and debate on dramaturgy, dramaturging and, for me most importantly, to engage with dramaturgs. In recent years, the role of dramaturgy in dance and theatre has grown increasingly important in Asia. Yet, this essential performance discipline is still very much in its infancy in the region. Asian dramaturgs form a small, disparate but burgeoning group. These artists play a pivotal role in the development of performance, but they often operate independently and in isolation. Their disparate geographical, artistic and intellectual positions and locations are never galvanised into a rich, diverse collective. The Asian Dramaturgs' Network (ADN) is a new collective formed with the intent of uniting the region's dramaturgical expertise and knowledge. At its inception, ADN has several objectives. The inaugural symposium will see a meeting of dramaturgs from all over Asia. They are neither representative of every single country in the region, nor do they exhaustively reflect the different disciplines in dramaturgy. However, it is a start. And it is with this start that we hope to gather even more intelligence and information about Asian dramaturgs and dramaturgy out there.