The Future of Theatre and The Arts in Singapore with Intercultural Theatre Institute

In an exclusive Q&A, ITI co-founder and Cultural Medallion recipient T. Sasitharan reflects on the institute’s 25-year journey and its unique intercultural approach to theatre training.

He shares how ITI continues to shape socially conscious artists while carrying forward Kuo Pao Kun’s enduring legacy

Photo Courtesy of ITI Singapore Facebook

Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) has been around for 25 years, what does ITI do and what’s next for ITI?

– The legacy of Kuo Pao Kun and T. Sasitharan, ITI is a dynamic training academy for contemporary theatre artists at various stages of their careers who seek to enrich and broaden their practice. ITI trains artists through a spectrum of contemporary and traditional Asian theatre techniques through a structured 3-year diploma programme, studying under internationally recognised master teachers of invaluable heritage art forms like Noh, Jingju, Wayang Wong and Kutiyattam.

Courtesy of Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI)

Being the cofounder of ITI, how has T. Sasitharan’s experience in working with like-minded faculty and inspired students impacted the school’s direction?

– The trust, consistency and rigour of training, and the respect accorded to teachers as professional artists has been instrumental as a means to maintaining standards of teaching and performance. This in turn sets a high bar for students to follow and is a constant source of inspiration for them.

ITI was founded on the vision of the late Kuo Pao Kun, who believed in the power of theatre to bridge cultures and provoke thought. How does ITI continue to keep his spirit and ideals alive, and what does his legacy mean for Singapore’s theatrical scene?

– Theatre is more than just staging a production. Towards the end of his life, Kuo Pao Kun co-founded ITI (then called the Theatre Training and Research Programme) with T. Sasitharan, with the dream that it would be a home for artists looking to expand on the possibilities of theatre. Since then, ITI has admitted students from diverse backgrounds and nationalities every year, each of whom with different perspectives on theatre, what it means to them, and what it could be.

Why is ITI an institution that young readers should take a closer look at, and what makes its approach to theatre education particularly relevant or inspiring in today’s world?

– At ITI, a blend of contemporary and traditional theatre training is enriched by a humanities-based curriculum to provide a holistic arts education. A typical day starts at 8am with Taiji and can run till 10pm, offering physically, mentally, and artistically demanding training for those seeking purpose-driven theatre.

In their final year, students undertake the Individual Project (FYIP), where they write, direct, and perform original works shaped by their own journeys, marking a defining moment for many in finding their artistic voice. If you’d like to experience these performances, please email admin@iti.edu.sg to find out more!

Singapore is a country deeply rooted with different traditional cultures, what does ITI do to preserve these traditions for the generations to come?

– ITI opens pathways of exchange, allowing ideas, knowledge, and the history of traditional cultures to be integrated into contemporary practice. Rather than looking at traditions through the lens of precarity, we demonstrate their value through our curriculum’s design and teach young artists to recognise the wealth that these performance cultures have to offer.

How does ITI assess its students without using grades or marks, and in what ways does this evaluation method contribute to their growth as performers and theatre practitioners?

– Students at ITI are assessed based on their performance, commitment and discipline. Instead of receiving grades, they are given detailed, personalised feedback from faculty on their presentations, achievements and consistency throughout the semester. This holistic method of assessment, both verbal and written, enables students to grow into mature, self-motivated artist-practitioners who take responsibility for their learning, work ethic and artistic development.

For the graduating students’ final-year productions, how does ITI decide on the topics and formats of these performances? Or how has the selection/curation been done?

– Every year, our graduating students perform in two public-facing productions at major venues in Singapore: the Drama Centre Black Box and The Esplanade. Our Head of Acting, Koh Wan Ching, selects a guest director and decides on the play based on the director’s input and the cast available. Earlier this year, the graduating cohort worked with Singapore theatre veteran Jean Ng on Joel Tan’s No Particular Order, and in November, they will be performing in Othello under the direction of renowned Taiwanese director Tang Shu-wing.

No Particular Order production photo – pictured (L-R) Aditi Venkateshwaran, Kunal Dara, Sanat Mehta, Surendran Ananthan – Photo by Wesley Loh. Courtesy of Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI)

With online virality becoming a new tool for talent searches, why is formal training in a specialised institute still important for theatre practitioners today? What does a structured and intensive course offer that experiential learning might not?

– There are no shortcuts to training in a conservatory like ITI. You cannot learn an art form that dates back hundreds of years through social media. Some art forms take an entire lifetime to master and still, there is more to refine. That is why we often use the term ‘artist-practitioner’.

The talent pool online is enormous and inspiring in its own right; the idea that any individual can be a creator is a beautiful thought, but it takes a different calibre of practice and intention to be an artist.

With students and teachers from all around the world at ITI, how does this diversity ultimately influence the work that the students end up creating?

– The diversity of ITI’s students and teachers fosters a rich intercultural environment where both thrive. Teachers adapt their methods to guide growth, while students develop their artistic voices by reshaping ideas through the lens of one another’s perspectives. The result is a piece of work that takes on new dimensions, far beyond what they had when they arrived at ITI.

Tell us more about some of the public workshops ITI holds. Why do you think it is important to provide such accessible training and what can participants hope to learn from them?

– Each year, ITI hosts public workshops and an Open Studio, our open house for prospective students. Open to performers from diverse backgrounds, these events offer opportunities to engage with visiting artists, alumni, students, and faculty.

In celebration of ITI’s 25th Anniversary this year, we held the ITI25 Workshop Series: ‘Being, Becoming, Sustaining’ – three workshops by Andy Ng Wai-shek, Yazid Jalil and Koh Wan Ching. In early August, ITI alum Giorgia Ciampi Tsolaki will be visiting and teaching a movement workshop at ITI.

How can people not directly involved with ITI but interested in the arts scene support or contribute to the institute’s mission? What does such support go towards?

– We will be delighted to see more people attend ITI productions, workshops, sharing sessions, and other events! We also welcome donations via giving.sg or iti.give.asia. In honour of ITI25 this year, we are running the Building Communities: 250 for ITI25 campaign, inviting people to contribute any amount (but preferably $25!) to support ITI and sustain the work we do.

Do you have any advice for any aspiring artists or theatre-makers stepping into the industry, or potential new students thinking about joining ITI?

– Theatre is an exacting art; probably the most difficult art form to get consistently “right”. It makes the highest demands on discipline, craft and knowledge, while at the same time requiring a deep commitment to sharing and collaboration. Students must be willing to live a life of dedication to artistic excellence and have an openness and willingness to listen to other perspectives and compromise.

In a time of growing political polarisation and social change across the region, what role do you think theatre, and specifically a school like ITI, plays in shaping discourse and cultivating empathy in Singapore’s evolving socio-political landscape?

– Theatre has the potential to expand our thinking about the kind of reality we want to make for the future. It helps us build and expand the idea of “possible worlds” which include greater diversity, justice, equality and equity. It enables and sharpens moral reasoning and critical thinking; challenges the status quo and interrogates so-called “absolutes” in society.

Theatre cannot directly change the world, but it can change people and people can change the world. If we stop believing in the possibility of people changing the world, it is the end of history and hope.

ITI has hosted four editions of the Asian Intercultural Conference (AIC) since 2008. What significance does the conference hold for a theatre school like ITI? Are there plans for the next one? How have these conferences impacted the communities outside of theatre?

– Asian Intercultural Conference (AIC) is another major contribution that ITI makes to the local and regional arts community. It is an opportunity for the arts community, specifically artists, theatre-makers, cultural workers and policy-shapers, academics, students, and anyone interested in intercultural art-making processes, to come together and discuss strategies and hopes for the future of theatre. We are delighted to announce that the next edition will take place from 25 to 28 November 2026 at the Esplanade Annexe Studio.

Where can interested readers find out more about ITI and some of ITI’s upcoming events?

– The best way to find out about ITI’s events is to follow us on social media or visit our
website to sign up for our mailing list!

In a time marked by social fragmentation and cultural flux, ITI stands firm in its belief that theatre can be a powerful force for empathy, dialogue, and change.

Whether through its performances, workshops, or conferences, the institute invites all who believe in the arts to join its journey—towards a more inclusive, reflective, and imaginative future for theatre in Singapore and beyond.

Interview conducted by SW Strategies.