SDEA Connections 2022: Safeguarding of Children in the Arts

The arts deserves to be safe for everyone to take part in. Have we done enough to ensure this, especially for children? With more young ones participating and enjoying the arts and drama, what do we need to consider when working with children in rehearsal rooms, activity spaces, and other arts experiences - both in person and the digital space? How can we create positive change so that these spaces remain safe for creativity to thrive?

Join us at Connections 2022: Safeguarding of Children in the Arts and take part in discussions to make the arts safe for everyone to enjoy. These discussions will form the basis for further efforts into making structural changes in the arts.  

Connections 2022: Safeguarding of Children in the Arts 

Saturday 19 Mar 2022, 10:30am - 5pm

Connections 2022 is a one-day symposium featuring two Conversation Circles and a Panel Discussion. This is a hybrid event and participants can join in-person or online.  

In-person: Common Ground, Auditorium, 21 Bedok North Street 1, Singapore 469659

Online: Zoom 

You may register for the full event or only for the panel discussion at 2pm-3.30pm

Schedule

Panellist

Azhar Yusof  (Head of CoachSG, Sports Singapore)

Azhar Yusof is the Head of CoachSG at Sport Singapore. In his role at CoachSG, he leads the coaching education and development efforts across all sports. He also oversees the Safe Sport Taskforce that aims to safeguard sport and ensure that all participants may engage in sport in a positive and safe environment. 

Azhar has a diverse background; having been a national athlete, an international match official and a coach in multiple sports. A teacher by training, he headed the PE & CCA Department at Raffles Institution before joining the National Institute of Education (NIE) as a Senior Lecturer and Assistant Head (Teaching). 

Bernice Lee (Co-Director, Rolypoly Family/Derring-Do Dance)

Bernice is an artist, performer, writer, and dance practitioner. She co-directs Rolypoly Family/Derring-Do Dance (@rolypolyfamilysg) with Faye Lim - known for their signature Body Smarts Through Movement Arts programmes, teaching body safety, consent and boundaries. They advise and consult on safeguarding practices for children. Rolypoly Family is dedicated to honouring children’s creative genius, and caring about children’s perspectives. Moving and playing are central to their artmaking. 

Deborah Yang (Deaconess I/C for Safeguarding Team, Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church)

Deborah is a member of the Safeguarding Team at Zion Bishan Bible-Presbyterian Church. The team’s objectives are to foster a safe church culture and environment in order to prevent abuse and neglect, and to assist the church in responding to any instance of such harm.

As part of the team, Deborah has been involved in formulating safeguarding policies, as well as conducting training for church leaders and volunteers on abuse awareness, safe practices, and incident reporting. 

Charlene Rajendran (Moderator)

Charlene Rajendran is a theatre educator, dramaturg, and researcher at the National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is the Co-Director of Asian Dramaturgs’ Network (ADN) and the Lead Editor of ADN Re/View. As a practice-led academic, she publishes in varied spaces and works on interdisciplinary and community arts projects. 

About Connections

Connections is a non-partisan platform for connecting stakeholders in the arts and education sectors through open dialogues on current challenges, issues and developments with the aim to inspire change.

Through the various activities organised under Connections, SDEA has:

• Used applied drama activities to explore the gaps in inclusivity in education
• Actively promoted the use of drama as a pedagogy to complement existing teaching practices
• Initiated and facilitated dialogues with/between various stakeholders such as NAC, MOE (CPDD, ECDA and AEB (formerly CCAB)), NIE (VPA), WDA, teaching artists, educators and various professional theatre companies
• Conducted drama workshops in partnership with The Kennedy Center (US), CCAB and NAC