Our Space in Time is a digital exhibition about a community theatre group and its relationship with different types and forms of space over its decade-long run. The exhibition draws on artefacts and memories from the group’s history, capturing snapshots of youthful enthusiasm and spirit of a generation of theatre practitioners.
Yellow Chair Productions ran most of its programmes out of rooms and studios in Tampines Central Community Club and later, through partnerships with different organisations, were able to include other types of community spaces. Sometimes, the group found itself rehearsing in unconventional spaces, all in the spirit of making things happen. This was also where about 300 youths dabbled with drama on a weekly basis every weekend, amongst whom many were looking for opportunities to learn and develop their theatrical skills. From functioning like a drama club outside of school to various initiatives where the young and emerging were able to find their footing, Yellow Chair Productions served to create and hold space for a generation of talents.
- The Yellow Chair Productions Digital Exhibition
- Follow their Facebook to find out more about Yellow Chair Productions and see some photos from their past productions
Artist Statement
“In the middle of 2020, as I was still trying to come to terms with the effects of the pandemic, I started thinking about what it would mean to capture the history of Yellow Chair Productions, a community theatre group I had co-founded in 2005 and served as its Artistic Director till 2016. While the group is no longer in operation, would it be possible to preserve its memories before they are lost to time?
A few days after I had made a commitment to pursue this, Yanling from Centre 42 reached out, sharing about a new initiative of theirs, the Archival Residency. The residency would be an opportunity for theatre practitioners to dive into the archives of theatre groups that are no longer around. This came with the invitation to be its first resident and to open up the Yellow Chair archive. Feeling like the universe had listened in and responded, I immediately said yes.
But the thing is this, there is no Yellow Chair archive to begin with. Well, we have different artefacts of course, but they are not all available in a single place. They lie in different Facebook accounts, some made private, some lie in different people’s hard drives, some long buried in storage. We did not do a great job of collecting and archiving because when we were starting out, we did not think of the part Yellow Chair would play in the theatre landscape of Singapore. Thus, a daunting task laid ahead.
In the last few months, I realised that it would not be possible to build an archive within the residency period. It is a mammoth task and one that is a project in its own right that will require time, space, resources and a whole lot of care. So, drawing on artefacts that I have been able to collect and with the support of friends who have helped shape some thoughts, I am excited to present the digital exhibition, Our Space in Time. Drawing on existing artefacts and with new materials like interviews, videos and text, the exhibition will focus on Yellow Chair Productions’ relationship with physical and intangible spaces.
The exhibition will provide some insight into how Yellow Chair was born out of a grounds up initiative by a group of friends that just wanted to do drama with a bunch of other like-minded youths. One will be able to see how the group then grew into a space for hobbyists and enthusiasts and how it eventually evolved into a space for those who had aspirations of moving towards working in theatre professionally. It will also shed light on the various initiatives and programmes that were created that provided emerging artists a platform to develop their ideas or simply, to be seen on stage. And for the many who were a part of the journey, one will also be able to learn more about their personal experiences with the group.
With the cancellation of a slew of projects in the last year, I’ve undergone some a process of introspection on a personal level but also in relation to my practice. While we find new ways of sensemaking in the arts in the times that we are in, the process of looking inward has been a revelation and has also spurred new attempts at bringing to the fore a slice of history that has only been spoken about in whispers. While we aspire to keep up with the times, perhaps, there are learning lessons to be had from that which we have done before and possibly forgotten.”
— Shai
Project Lead, Our Space in Time
Former Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Yellow Chair Productions
Development Process & Milestones
15 & 22 July 2021: Roundtable Discussions
Closed door conversations with past members of Yellow Chair Productions
1 & 8 August 2021: Yellow Chair Production Play Readings
Closed door readings of Tainted Flower (2006) by Mohamad Shaifulbahri and You Think I Thought, Who Confirm? (2013) by Dominic Nah. The plays will be recorded and made available for public viewing on the digital exhibition.
August 2021: Launch of the Our Space in Time: A Digital Exhibition
Yellow Chair Productions (2005 – 2016)
Yellow Chair Productions (YCP) was a community theatre group based in Tampines Central Community Club. Founded in 2005, YCP aspires to challenge societal perspectives and bring greater self-awareness to the individual with hopes of creating an empathetic and harmonious community.
YCP prides itself in the diversity of its team, comprising of a passionate group of individuals from various walks of life who are geared towards delivering to the community – honest and socially relevant works. Through these works, YCP hopes to establish a relationship with its audience as such that no individual feels peripheral to its society.
Beyond the work that it generates, YCP is also a bridge for amateur actors and other members of the field in their venture towards becoming a professional. An opportunity base of sorts, YCP has an open and inclusive nature that provides these aspiring individuals with experiential learning and exposure to the theatre industry.
YCP offers various programmes including:
- Main Season,
- Open House Series,
- The Playground and
- Community Interest Programmes
Source: Yellow Chair Productions Facebook
Mohamad Shaifulbahri
Project Lead, Former Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Yellow Chair Productions
Shai is a creative producer and arts educator from Singapore. He is Joint Artistic Director of Bhumi Collective and Organising Member of Producers SG. He holds an MA in Creative Producing from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and a recipient of the Goh Chok Tong Youth Promise Award (Distinction). https://www.theshai.com/
Christine Hee
Project Manager
Passionate in research and exploring archival initiatives of various artforms in Singapore and beyond, Christine aims to seize all opportunities to immerse herself in the arts as a supporter, and eventually decided to deeply dive into the field of arts management in 2019 after been trained in International Logistics and Business Management. With a strong-rooted belief in lifelong learning, Christine sees herself dedicating her free time to researches and project ventures in Arts Archival Development and Vietnamese Art History, to supplement her existing experiences in Projects, Events, and Exhibition Management.
Kimberlyn Sugianto
Digital Exhibition Designer
She is a passionate designer from Indonesia. Currently, she is pursuing her education at Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore. Interested in UI/UX and branding, she is eager to learn about new things in these areas. She is keen on the topic of sustainable design and craft and tries to incorporate these into her works as well.
OUR SPACE IN TIME was developed in residence under Centre 42’s Archival Residency from March 2021 to August 2021.
The Archival Residency is an artefact-centred process that focuses on collecting, organizing and making sense of Singapore Theatre history. Artists are invited to form an archival collection of their own body work or somebody else’s, both active and defunct and to work with existing memorabilia or amass material anew. Find out more here.
