SDEA Spotlight: Fanny Kee

SDEA Spotlight is a series of short interviews with SDEA members that peel back the curtain behind their practice, their beliefs about arts and drama education and their influences.

Fanny Kee has served on the executive committee and sub-committees for many years. Fanny trained with Philippe Gaulier and is a mime artist, puppeteer and actor. She also works in schools as a Speech and Drama Teacher and a Drama Facilitator.

1. What are you working on at the moment? December is usually a quiet period when schools shut down. At the moment I am working on strengthening my leg muscles after months of non-activity from a tibia fracture and lesson planning for 2017.

2. What’s the direction of your work? Has it changed over the years? Direction? Refining my teaching method is always in my mind. Every year I question if I can be more productive, more engaging more focused. That is always a struggle for me. I used to do everything from directing, actor training, voice and speech training, helping with production... that's all in one production. Now I prefer to specialize. Actor training; Mime, voice and speech training, production training each will be a separate focus. I'm being practical. There is just not enough time to do everything. And if I try, it would be rather piece meal. So I sink my teeth into one specialization to give the students deeper understanding and experience in that subject. Focused and fuller. I was very serious about outcome. Now I try to get the outcome through the pleasure of experience.

3. What is a dream project that you hope to do? I would love to be in a film.

4. How did you start out doing what you do? It wasn't planned. My parents never encouraged it. I never had any idea what I wanted to do after school. It was a case of a NEED to act, fueled with passion, aided by luck at the right time and place and meeting the right people which developed into a career. I started as an actor and then learnt to teach Speech and Drama under Julia Gabriel and the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama. I've done TV, radio, theatre and anything in between. Now I wait for a film opportunity.....maybe a sword fighting one? I think I can make a great villain.

5. How do you kee**p your work fresh?** Quite often one falls back to the true and tested exercises and games but it can get stale. So I have made lists of all the exercises I'd ever done which I will delve into to remind me to keep things fresh. As a facilitator you give so much and I find that to keep my work fresh, I need to attend workshops. Be a student. There is always something more to learn. AND pray I get an acting role once a year. Acting enriches me. I feel dead when I am away from performing for too long.

6. What do you think makes a perfect drama educator? Is there such a thing? By whose standard? Being perfect means you have reach an end. But there is always more to learn and more opportunities to develop.

7. In one word, sum up your drama education journey. Fun! If I hadn't enjoyed it, I would not have been good for anyone. It does not negate hard work and challenges of course. There had been heart breaks and frustration. The wonderful aspect of drama is that this fun enriches. The elements of play. You must seek the pleasure in the experience. And in doing so, you enrich others with your work and through your work.

8. Why is drama important? Why should it be taught in schools? I was an extremely shy child which no one took notice of. My parents do not speak English and are traditional in that you speak only when spoken to. I'm the odd ball in the family. It was drama CCA in secondary school and eventually being in theatre which made me a more confident, expressive and articulate person.

I am the sum total of my experiences in drama and theatre. I am proof of the power and possibility of drama...of the arts really. It worked for me and it can work for my students. I have witnessed the change in my students.

'Taught' ? I think the word should be EXPERIENCED. Everyone should be given opportunities to experience drama and the theatre if possible. I must add that Literature played an important part of my development. Combine literature and drama and you have a winning formula for a more creative, thinking, articulate and caring individual.

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9. Who was the drama educator that has the most impact on you?** Philippe Gaulier....though not all his teaching methods are applicable to the Singapore schools. Will tell you more over wine and cheese. In Singapore, Noorlinah Mohamad, Jean Ng, Heng Leun, Tina Sergeant, Julia Gabriel just to mention a few. There are so many people who have shaped me.

As freelancers we often work in a bubble. I would dearly love to watch other facilitators work because I truly believe we can learn from each other. Everyone has his/her unique teaching style and discipline. We should share more. I benefited tremendously from being an assistant teacher at Julia Gabriel S&D when I had to assist in various classes and in the process was privileged to observe and learn from different teaching styles and methods even if the subject matter was the same. An invaluable experience like that cannot be taught through books.

10. What is your most memorable moment in the classroom/on stage? Just too many! Where do I begin?

11. Share a drama activity that you love to do. The 'HI' "HEY' . [Objectives: giving and receiving, eye contact, being present, voice, tone, pitch, etc] Part 1. Start in a circle. One says 'Hi' to the person on his left. Person receives with a 'Hey'. Then he turns to someone else on his left and say "Hi". That person receives and responds with 'Hey'. And it goes round until they are really giving and receiving with strong eye contact.

Part 2. Start in a circle. Do as above, but on your signal, circle breaks up BUT game still continues with no awkward pauses. One can pass to anyone be her near or far from you. On signal from you, people come back into a circle with no break in the game. Part 3. Replace 'Hi' 'Hey' with other text. Part 4. Can be done with action and attitude. 12. You were on the executive committee for a number of years. What was one positive takeaway you'd like to share from your experience?

SDEA is an extremely relevant organization for anyone in the drama community. If you are serious, you got to be in SDEA. English, chinese, malay, indian drama facilitators... there is power in numbers. When more drama facilitators and teachers teaching drama or like minded people join SDEA (regardless of the medium of instruction), the truth of just how many we really are, will show that drama is not just with the selected few for the selected few. We are relevant. Join and add your voice to the numbers to affect change.

As a freelancer, I often work alone or team teach with another facilitator. One's world can be very small and in drama, isolation for too long, is never productive or creative. I often doubt myself. Am I doing the right thing? How can I get better? Am I being treated fairly? Being in SDEA helped me find answers. SDEA hasn't got solutions to all our problems, but at least I know, I am not alone in the fight. What should we fight for? Importance and relevance of drama in schools and students development. Fairer pay. Timely payment. More understanding and collaboration with teachers. Affordable training for professional development. SDEA had broaden my drama community and experience through workshops, meetings, social net working and just simply talking to like minded individuals who share the same concerns, problems and joys. We are not alone. These are beyond monetary rewards. As visa says...its priceless.

I am very proud to have sat in the committee for a number of years, but am glad there are younger and more energetic people in the helm now.