What is the relevance of arts archives today? How are they developed or sustained? Contact Zones: Why Bother With Arts Archives? is a panel discussion co-organised by Five Arts Centre, Arts and Culture Management Programme at Singapore Management University (SMU-ACM), and Centre 42. Join us on 11 December, 7.30pm - 9.30pm at Five Arts Centre, Kuala Lumpur to learn about the various endeavours to develop and sustain arts archives in Malaysia and Singapore - including this one!

Click below to find out more about the panel discussion, and check out some articles about arts archives and production histories of Malaysia and Singapore!

TALKS & CONFERENCESContact Zones: Why Bother With Arts Archives?

Arts archives do more than simply document what has passed. They also remind us how society has changed, and how our art worlds have evolved into what they are today. An arts archive can tell us more if we allow it to, and if we work to create archives in ways that are purpose-led and relevant. Yet arts archives are facing pressing challenges, including access, visibility, long-term storage and costs. There are also questions about ownership, agency, temporalities and representation. In light of th

Centre 42, Five Arts Centre

Start: 11 December 2023

FEATURESThe Taming of the Mess: One Year on the Archive

Over a year ago, the C42 Archive of Singapore Theatre was announced with the article “Bless this Mess: a vision for an archive on Singapore theatre”. We were frank about the frustrating and messy process of developing the Archive, but we powered through and finally publicly launched the Archive last year on 11 January 2022, alongside the reveal of a revamped C42 website. Since then, our efforts have been focused on growing this record of Singapore’s theatre history, all the while making information accessib

Published: 18 January 2023

ESSAYS & WRITINGSThe Act of Archival: Theatre Archives in Singapore

Archive as if the future depends on it. – Lisbet Tellefsen What is an archive? Different organisations would each define the word differently, with varying levels of specificity. Merriam-Webster defines an ‘archive’ quite simply as ‘a repository or collection, especially of information’. Archives come in many different shapes and forms, but all ultimately come down to collecting and storing material so it will not be lost. What kind of material can an archive contain? What makes

Adelyn Tan

Published: 18 January 2023

ESSAYS & WRITINGSCauseway Connections

From the birthright of cendol to maritime disputes, the relationship between Singapore and Malaysia can go from testy to downright tense. But our expulsion from the Federation in 1965 not only created two separate nations, it also gave rise to two English-language theatre scenes. Looking back on the history of Singapore theatre, the relationship between us and our northern neighbour plays a significant role, with works emerging from cross-Causeway competition and collaboration, as well as from the historica

Causeway Connections

Published: 11 January 2019

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The C42 Archive of Singapore Theatre

Features artefacts, texts and information contributed by over 30 theatre companies, collectives and individuals. Learn more about the people, productions and processes that make up our history.

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