Performing arts in a high-tech, post-pandemic world

THE Covid-19 pandemic forced the performing arts industry to explore new ways of artistic expression, with many artists turning to technology to overcome the challenges posed by closed borders and shuttered performance venues. While the pandemic caused immense disruption to the industry, it also opened up exciting opportunities for hybrid and digital workarounds and innovative practices that I believe are worth sustaining.

We must continue to pursue new avenues of artistic expression. We have learnt that cross-border collaborations can be achieved remotely, with artists in different parts of the world able to collaborate without having to travel to a central location. This new-found freedom of cross-border collaboration which improves accessibility should be further explored and developed in the post-pandemic world.

To build on the three pillars of Our SG Arts Plan (2023-2027), recently unveiled by the National Arts Council (NAC), we need to continue to explore technology which has the potential to enhance audience experiences rather than hinder them. Digital works can be quite prescriptive (compare a televised recording of a musical such as Hamilton to the live show) – as a viewer, someone else decides what you look at and what you enjoy, which is not the case during a live performance.