The participants and facilitators of “Rethinking Practice and the Practitioner: Pandemic Purpose”.
We got the participants of Rethinking Practice and the Practitioner: Pandemic Purpose to ask each other questions about their experiences on the nine-week online course. (Or about anything under the sun, really.)
Because of Pandemic Purpose‘s focus on questioning and reflection, as well as the turn-taking format of most of the course’s activities, we had each participant answer a question, then leave a question for the next participant to answer.
What was your most memorable moment in the nine sessions of Pandemic Purpose?
Being asked by Charlene to take a 45-minute walk in an unfamiliar place of our choosing, and writing a letter to a fellow participant about it for one of our assignments. I ended up trekking for two hours along the North Eastern Riverine Loop in Punggol. It reminded me that growth does not always involve tackling everything we encounter in life head-on, and that we can also learn new things about ourselves even when we slow down or take a pause.
How do you feel about going through these nine weeks together without ever meeting in person?
– Ke Weiliang
My heart finds it nice that a sense of community could nevertheless be forged. My head finds it strange that said community was encoded in the same bits and bytes that can also engender division. I am currently wondering what an online equivalent of a group hug, a collective embrace, can be.
One data point I find most hidden on Zoom is the other person’s height. I am 167cm. How tall are you?
– Jevon Chandra
Ya really! It’s quite funny how we only see each others’ upper torso? And an occasional limb here and there. I’m 155cm, 156cm on some days. Still trying to figure out my true height though maybe I’m 155.5cm? Who knows. On Zoom we are all the same height… is it…
What kind of foods have you eaten during session, on/off screen over the course of nine weeks?
– Teo Xiao Ting
Tea, coffee, noodles, chips, and a chewy sesame bun from Four Leaves. Once, a brownie. I’m a salt and vinegar fan but unfortunately no salt and vinegar chips were consumed during Pandemic Purpose.
What was your favourite non-human companion over the 9 weeks?
– ants chua
this 9 weeks i find hard to just isolate “9 weeks in Pandemic Purpose” coz so much shifting and work was happening around me beyond?? i wanna say my friend who drove me around the car that helped me find a spot to sit and meet when wed afternoon comes. but also gud tea? bought? cheap? readily? anywhere in taiwan? then what everyone was wearing each time coz it reminded me that people change CLothes is real peoples that theyre not just pixels on a screen constant and the zoom chat function i used a lot gg 100 wordS alrd
How do you prepare for/decompress after class?
– art naming
In terms of preparation, I’m a sucker for digital note-taking so I’ll download the articles into GoodNotes on my iPad. I mainly highlight key points or points that stood out to me and make some personal notes beside it. Before class, I’ll look through my notes again so I can consolidate my thoughts (although they still go off-tangent). Either I just sit in front of my fish tank for a good 30 mins and watch my fishes swim or I just go on YouTube and mindlessly browse random videos.
What is the most random thought you’ve had over the course of nine weeks?
– Su Paing Tun
It’s a challenge to recollect my thoughts over the course of nine weeks. That’s a while, and thoughts are constantly meandering. How to remember? Most random, ah? I would say I would often think about ways to gather and communicate, but without technology. Would there be a way we can organise and gather, then do something together, telepathically? Haha, it’s not that random, but it comes to mind often.
What have you newly discovered about yourself after these nine weeks?
– Chloe Chotrani
I learnt how jumpy my thought processing is! My brain has great disrespect for timelines and details, preferring to linger on phrases and key moments. It makes storytelling hilariously confusing, but it is also why I obsessively note-take so as to combat my wilful brain.
The nine weeks felt like getting off from a long bus ride at an idyllic rest stop. I would be unexpectedly attacked by wild Pokémon while wandering through the tall grass. I found myself overwhelmed at times and escaping to Nurse Joy for some TLC, but also discovered new Pokémon to add to my Pokédex!
Was there a conversation/idea/thought/question from these nine weeks that stayed with you?
– Edlyn Ng
The conversation that stuck with me the most was the one I has with Shu Yu when we had a nice casual chat/interview for the #humansofC42 instagram feature. I found myself talking about things that I really only realised during the conversation which ranged from how great things can be sprung out from silly ideas, the inclusivity and diversity that art and artists can potentiate, eating habits and privilege. I felt a sense of new excitement for future possibilities after our conversation which I am very grateful for.
What do you want to say to the other participants in Pandemic Purpose?
– Aishah Alattas
Thank you for the time and space together.
What is one movie you must recommend to everyone here?
– Liew Jiayi
I will absolutely recommend Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series! Not a movie but you can’t go wrong with this one. If it’s a movie.. Maybe HER.
What would you have been doing on those Wednesdays between 3-5pm, if you weren’t on Zoom with us?
– Shaw En Chew
Probably writing, but also procrastinating on writing; taking naps and binging serials on YouTube. But now have to start looking for work 
– Rajkumar Thiagaras
Published on 31 Aug 2020
Rethinking Practice and the Practitioner: Pandemic Purpose was an online course that took place from 17 Jun to 12 Aug 2020. Over nine weekly sessions, 14 young performing arts practitioners worked with facilitators Charlene Rajendran, Corrie Tan and Gua Khee Chong to hone critical skills as well as reflect on their practices in a post-COVID-19 world. The course was developed with support from the Asian Dramaturgs’ Network, and commissioned by National Arts Council Singapore. For more information, click here.
