SMU-Centre 42 Series: Doing Diversity, Doing Democracy: An Action Plan for the Arts

Singapore's multiracial policy gives official recognition to the existence of four main races. This 'equal treatment' of each race, however, does not address the unequal resources and means of representation that each ethnic community possesses. Mechanisms that seem to ensure the platforming of ethnic minority voices  – such as the Group Representation Constituency scheme and the Elected Presidency – are sometimes criticised for their tendency to disenfranchise yet another minority: the political opposition. 

What are the ways in which the sphere of arts and culture can contribute to resisting majoritarianism – one often articulated as pragmatism? Is equal or proportional  representation a form of tokenism? If there is no female minority artist featured in the National Gallery Singapore, is that an issue with the community or with the institution? Is cross-cultural casting an interference into an artist's vision and the world represented in the work? Are race and gender the only frameworks for diversity?

Using case illustrations such as Erika Tan's work on Halimah Binte Abdullah, The Theatre Practice's Four Horse Road production, the literary anthology Who Are You My Country? and Access Path Productions' And Suddenly I Disappear, this session will address whether different notions of diversity exist and whether they can be reconciled. It asks 'what do we do?' as its starting point instead of its concluding note. 

The Arts and Culture Matters Series is a platform for robust, lively and collegiate discussion of the issues and challenges related to the arts and cultural landscape. Each discussion will collectively convene members of the arts and creative community including artists, scholars, students, and policy-makers, to explore timely topics that will nurture and advance understanding on the arts and culture, especially in and from the context of Singapore. This series is organised by the Arts and Culture Management Program, in the School of Social Sciences at the Singapore Management University. For 2018, the series is produced in partnership with Centre 42, a non-profit theatre development space.