Singapore Youth Arts Overseas Attachment Programme (YAOAP)
In 2016 the National Arts Council Singapore (NAC) and Asialink Arts have partnered to deliver the Singapore Youth Arts Overseas Attachment Programme (YAOAP) for the first time in Australia.
Through an open call, two successful Singaporean youth arts participants, Jasmine Choe and Safiah Sulaiman, were selected to participate in a three-month attachment programme with Melbourne’s The Push and Next Wave.
The Singapore Youth Arts Overseas Attachment Programme (YAOAP) is part of National Art Council’s on-going efforts to develop Singapore’s cultural landscape by identifying the need to look at next generation of arts leaders and Singapore’s youth arts community. The aim of the attachment is for Singaporean youth arts professionals to develop skills, knowledge and networks from their Australian counterparts. Through participation in the attachments hosted by participating youth-focused organisations in Victoria, participants will be able to learn from first-hand experience. Following their attachments, participants will return to Singapore to implement youth programs. It is anticipated that new Singaporean programs will reach out to marginalised communities and continue links with Australian host organisations.
Jasmine Choe
Jasmine Choe is an arts manager with an interest in marketing and organisational management for arts groups. With 10 years of experience in various professional roles in performing arts production, Jasmine’s desire is to support artists in ways less popular, albeit necessary, among people in the arts.
Jasmine was once part of the National Arts Council, pursuing her passion for the support of budding young people – matching them with professionals for mentorship and providing project management guidance. Beyond that, she is proud to continuously be working with the street art, music and theatre scenes in Singapore.
As part of the Youth Arts Overseas Attachment Programme, Jasmine worked with The Push on a number of projects including ‘Walk this Way’, ‘Squad’, and ‘Art of Fresh’, a hip hop workshop program developed for youths at The Mirabel Foundation, Ringwood.
Jasmine Choe was hosted by The Push from 22 February – 13 May 2016
Choe with The Push, Girls Rock! Melbourne and Martin Foley MP in front of the Palais Theatre St Kilda
Safiah Sulaiman
Passionate in working with art forms of all kinds and with different communities, Safiah Sulaiman’s areas of interest include youth arts education, critical discourse on socially engaged art, and exploring themes on cross cultural communication in relation to time-space and environment.
A former Education and Outreach Executive in The Necessary Stage (TNS), Safiah was also part of the organising committee for the annual M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. Most recently, she had assisted in the 10th anniversary of da:ns Festival, one of the key festivals in Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, as Festival Assistant (Arts Marketing).
Safiah was part of the curatorial team for Skammdegi Festival 2016 in Ólafsfjörður, North Iceland, under Listhús Artspace. Her latest curatorial project, i thought about you when i was here, collaborated with artists from UK, Brazil, Spain, and young people from Menntaskólinn á Tröllaskaga, Iceland.
As part of the Youth Arts Overseas Attachment Programme, Safiah worked for Next Wave Festival as curatorial assistant. She hopes her stint in Next Wave, with the guidance from the Artistic Director, would provide her with more insight and experience, as well as to further hone her skills in curating. www.safiahsulaiman.com
Safiah Sulaiman was hosted by Next Wave from 7 March – 27 May 2016
Left to right: Kenneth Kwok (Director Arts & Youth and Strategic Planning, National Arts Council Singapore), Safiah Sulaiman (YAOAP participant), Jau Chern Koh (Senior Manager, Arts and Youth Youth Arts, National Arts Council Singapore), Georgie Meagher (Artistic Director Next Wave) and Meg Hale (Producer Next Wave)
