KEYNOTE PANEL 1

Expanding Accessibility in the Arts and Beyond
Examine how accessibility and inclusion take shape across varied programming formats and cultural contexts. Drawing on local and regional projects, festivals, and venue programming, speakers discuss their approaches to creating greater arts access for D/deaf and disabled individuals. Taking into account landscape gaps, societal attitudes, and resource constraints, this session offers new perspectives on expanding and strengthening accessibility within the arts, including how we could decomplicate the very idea of accessibility and inclusion.

Eddy Zee (Project Director, No Limits, Hong Kong Arts Festival), Siddhant Shah (Founder, Access For ALL), Yvonne Tham (CEO, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay). Moderated by: Cassandra Chiu (Executive Director, K9 Assistance, Social Advocate and Author)

Dr. Yeongmin Mun explores the landscape of arts and disability in Korea. Drawing on her dual perspective as both an academic and an artist with a disability, Dr. Mun shares insights from her research and personal journey in the field.

Yeongmin Mun (Assistant Professor, School of Social Welfare, Chung-Ang University)

What Access Looks Like to Me
This panel brings together professional artists with disabilities who reflect on how accessibility both drives and challenges their artistic careers. Drawing on diverse cultural contexts, they examine systemic barriers, spotlight innovations that foster inclusion, and underscore the essential role accessibility plays in shaping professional development. Their experiences highlight the importance of disability-led creative work and leadership, and the urgent need for greater equity in the creative sector.

Alice Hu (Founder, Accessivation Studio), Claire Teo (Actor and Artist-Educator), Sukri Budi Dharma (Artist, Founder and Chairman, Jogja Disability Arts). Moderated by: Clarissa Oon (Head, Communications and Content, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)

Session 1: Balancing Support and Autonomy: Collaborating with Artists with Intellectual Disabilities
Working with artists with intellectual disabilities often requires personalized approaches and dedicated support structures. This panel examines creative processes and productions within the context of specialized training, performance building, and leadership development. Panelists will share their own experiences in navigating the balance between providing essential support and fostering autonomy, as well as ensuring appropriate accommodations without sacrificing excellence. The conversation also explores the conditions and frameworks necessary for sustaining capability development and promoting deeper integration within the creative sector.

Grace Lee-Khoo (Applied Theatre Practitioner and Founder of Access Path Productions), Kavitha Krishnan (Co-founder and Artistic Director of Maya Dance Theatre (Diverse Abilities Dance Collective, DADC)), Samantha Scott-Blackhall (Artistic Director, Gateway Arts), Tan Beng Tian (Theatre Practitioner). Moderated by Alecia Neo (Artist, Co-founder of Brack, Unseen Art Initiatives and Ubah Rumah Residency)


Session 2: Platforms for Development and (Re)Presentation 
This panel delves into the creation of accessible platforms that foster capability building, enhance collaboration, and provide showcase opportunities for professional disabled artists. Speakers will explore the critical role these initiatives play in advancing advocacy and ensuring authentic representation while also driving systemic change within the cultural sector.

Angela Tan (Executive Director, ART:DIS), Dee Chia (Deputy Director, Audience Development, National Gallery Singapore), Nano Warsono (Visual Artist, Founder and Board Member, Jogja Disability Arts). Moderated by Dr. Michael Koon Boon Tan (Dean, Research & Knowledge Exchange, Research Division, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts)

Session 1: The Arts as a Catalyst for Connection
This panel explores accessibility through the arts as a means of connecting disabled and non-disabled communities, offering each a platform to connect with the other. It delves into whether bridging these communities is still necessary, examines the impact of fostering these connections for all involved, and discusses how arts and disability initiatives can challenge barriers, support empowerment of disabled communities, and drive societal change toward greater inclusivity.

Isabelle Lim (Photographer and Founder of issyshoots), Emily Ong (Senior Director, Employment & Lifelong Learning Group, SG Enable), Jeffrey Tan (Adjunct Senior Lecturer, NUS, Independent Producer), Dr. Rico Chan (Founder and CEO, Beyond Vision International). Moderated by: Victor Zhuang (Assistant Professor in Disability Communication, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University)


Session 2: Expanding Minds: Disability, Arts Education, and Shared Growth
This panel examines accessibility in learning through the arts, whether by connecting arts students and artists with disabled communities or through the contributions of artist educators with disabilities. It explores how various parties can grow through these interactions and how the arts can enhance learning and development for students with disabilities and the artists who work with them. The discussion also reflects on how we understand the very ideas of education and learning in the context of accessibility and inclusion.

Dr Jennifer Wong Pui Cheng (Senior Lecturer, Visual & Performing Arts, National Institute of Education), Marvin Tang (Director and Producer, Superhero Me), Sabrina Mok (Senior Teacher, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School), Samantha Bounaparte (Programme Chair Diploma in Arts & Entertainment Production Management, Republic Polytechnic). Moderated by Dr. Wong Meng Ee (Associate Professor, National Institute of Education—Psychology and Child & Human Development)

Co-presented by Beyond Vision International and National Gallery Singapore
Venue: National Gallery Singapore – Rooftop Studios 1-4, Level 5, City Hall Wing
Fee: $50

Join us for an exciting workshop by Beyond Vision International and the National Gallery Singapore!

Dr. Rico Chan, founder and CEO of Beyond Vision International (BVI) will share their experience desiging tactile resources and workshops for international institutions, including the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Tai Kwun, M+, Asian Art Museum (San Francisco), and teamLab. Find out more about Rico and BVI here.

Participants will get an exclusive look at the creation of the HOLD (Hands-on Learning and Development) Collection, a set of tactile resources developed by BVI and National Gallery Singapore, inspired by the Gallery's artworks. Learn about the design process and how the Gallery’s Community & Access team developed an immersive programme for art engagement.

This hands-on workshop includes interactive activities and a 60-minute guided tour, offering a unique insight into inclusive design for vision-impaired audiences and more. Through the workshop, participants will deepen their understanding of inclusive design principles, enhancing their ability to create accessible and engaging experiences. 

Building Leadership Influence, Inclusive Cultures, and Impact for D/deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent Creatives in Singapore

Facilitated by: Sarah Pickthall, Dr Dawn-joy Leong, Alvan Yap
Read more: https://syncleadership.com/about/

Note:
This is only open to disabled artists, and by selection through an 'Expression of Interest' (EOI). Please fill in the attached form to be considered.

Deadline: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Offer of Acceptance: Thursday, 20 March 2025

Mandatory Attendance is required for:

1) ARTDIS x Sync - Masterclass 1 & 2
Wednesday, 26 March 2025
9.30am - 6.30pm
In-person
At Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)
Exact address, TBC

2) ARTDIS x Sync - Masterclass 3
Saturday, 26 April 2025
4.00pm - 8.00pm
Online through Zoom
Meeting link, TBC

EOI Form here.

OVERVIEW:

MASTERCLASS 1 & 2:
Focus: How to connect with your Leadership Drivers & Styles
Objective: To drive and change your world 

You will learn how to – 

• Construct and tell Leadership Stories centred on what drives and progresses you.
• Engage with your Leadership Drivers, and understand yourself and your story better.
• Explore Leadership Styles to act on those Drivers so you can be more authentic and make a greater impact to build your purpose and practice.
• Arrive at a Personal Manifesto for your own arts leadership. 

MASTERCLASS 3:
Focus: How to Influence and Instill Inclusive Cultures 
Objective: To build your allies, partners and supporters 

You will learn how to –

• Identify Different Considerations if you’re D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent working in arts and culture.
• Recognise the 6 traits of Inclusive Leadership and Adaptive Leadership theories and practices, and how to apply them.
• Develop your own way of Influencing that builds momentum and makes an impact – from small persuasive acts to big strategies for change, you can helm your path and push through, and learn from what has worked.

Facilitated by: Museum Roundtable
Venue: Children’s Museum Singapore
Fee: Free

Children’s Museum Singapore (CMSG) is the first museum in Singapore dedicated to children 12 years old and below. CMSG believes in sparking wonder and the power of play in a welcoming, immersive environment. The museum also advocates for children learning through working with experts in education and partners the community to ensure that the museum is accessible to all children.

This learning journey hopes to introduce participants to the various partnerships and accessibility programmes organised by the museum and spark conversations that museums, artists, and educators can look forward to for future collaboration. Participants will also receive firsthand experience in the museum spaces and activities through its sensory toolkits and learning aids.

Sharing by: Claire Teo, Benedict Tay
Experiential Session by: Joanna Ong, Su Paing Tun
Venue: ART:DIS at Bukit Merah, BlackBox
Fee: $20

Accessibility is more than an afterthought — it can be a catalyst for artistic innovation. Visually impaired artist-educator Claire Teo and installation designer Benedict Tay, the creatives behind Through the Looking Glass at Light to Night Festival 2025, share how accessibility informed their design choices, audience engagement, and creative vision.

Building on these insights, Joanna Ong and Su Paing Tun will lead an experiential session on creative narration and captioning, exploring how accessibility elements can enhance artistic expressions. Join us in expanding creative possibilities, challenging conventions and reshaping inclusion — where accessibility drives new ways of experiencing and making art.

Experiential Session by: Regina Foo
Venue: ART:DIS at Bukit Merah, Multi-Purpose Hall
Fee: $20

Inspired by Inclusive Young Company’s show Meet Fred. This workshop explores puppetry as a powerful tool for expression, creativity, and inclusivity. Conducted by experienced theatre practitioner Regina Foo, this hands-on session highlights the use of puppetry as an engaging and effective tool for teaching and connecting with Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Puppetry offers a non-verbal, interactive, and imaginative way to communicate, making it beneficial for individuals with diverse learning needs. Through storytelling, role-playing, and movement-based activities, participants will learn how puppetry can support emotional expression, social interaction, and skill development for persons with disabilities.

Whether you are an educator, artist, caregiver, or simply a creative enthusiast, this workshop will equip you with skills to use puppetry as a means to foster inclusivity, enhance communication, and inspire creativity for all.

Sharing by: Shalom Lim
Experiential Session by: Jeremy Leong, Isaac Tan, Timothy Lee
Venue: ART:DIS at Bukit Merah, BlackBox
Fee: $20

Picture books are powerful tools for engaging and educating children on diverse themes. In this experiential workshop, Jeremy Leong from Zip Zap Zoom Collective, co-facilitated by Timothy Lee (a performer with Down Syndrome) and Isaac Tan (an autistic performer), shares his approach to adapting Callum’s Courage—an ART:DIS-published picture book by Shalom Lim—into a dramatic storytelling performance staged at Enabling Lives Festival 2024.

Through play and exploration, participants will discover practical techniques to make storytelling more interactive and inclusive. Bring your favourite picture book or choose one provided, and learn to transform stories into engaging, immersive experiences.

Sharing and Experiential Session by: Sky Shen and Esther Tan
Venue: ART:DIS at Bukit Merah, Multi-Purpose Hall
Fee: $20

How can we redefine access to the arts beyond infrastructure? Musician and songwriter Sky Shen, who has muscular dystrophy, and educator Esther Tan share their experiences navigating barriers and opportunities in inclusive arts education.

Through storytelling, case studies, and practical insights, they explore adaptive strategies and inclusive teaching approaches that empower individuals with diverse support needs. Sky’s work challenges conventional music education, demonstrating how storytelling, movement, and creative expression enable meaningful participation beyond traditional methods.

This session invites us to broaden our understanding of accessibility, fostering spaces where artistic talent thrives, regardless of physical, cognitive, or communicative abilities.

Venue: Singapore Art Museum
Fee: Free

Collaborating Artists: Alecia Neo, Claire Teo, Germaine Goh, Jaspreet Kaur Sekhon, Zhuo Zihao, Chong Li-Chuan

What’s the vibe? Is there a dress code? Who else is invited?

"The Usual Party" is a participatory performance that highlights how environments and systems can simultaneously include and exclude different individuals. It addresses the ways in which personal needs for safety and belonging can both clash and be met. Through mingling, party games, and an eclectic musical excursion led by two first-time party hosts, attendees are invited to reflect on what it means to truly listen to and see one another, beyond stereotypes and preconceived notions.

Performed by Germaine Goh and Jaspreet Kaur Sekhon, two neurodivergent artists, and co-conceptualised by a collective of interdisciplinary artists, this work draws from their lived experiences of disability. It explores the tension between self-reliance and community, confronting societal notions of normalcy and inclusion. As the performance unfolds, the party becomes a potential space for connection, vulnerability, and the courage to embrace authenticity.

Love music? Pick a song you'd enjoy listening to at our party! Your choice will be featured in our show:
https://forms.gle/N2FqNngrErP33RZj8

Performing Normal: The Usual Party is a culmination showcase of the ART:DIS Emerging Artist Residency Programme in partnership with Temasek Foundation and supported under the Dance Nucleus’ ARTEFACT Creation Residency from January to March 2025.

This programme is an extension of a series of performance workshops presented at the Singapore Art Museum. Performing Normal is part of Care Index, an ongoing artistic research project that seeks to understand care through movement, dialogue, and collaborative practices.

Register here: https://artdoseperformingnormaltheusualparty.peatix.com/