SPONSORS

REPORT
 Cover page photo:
a line could be crossed and you would slowly cease to be

CONTENTS by Koh Wan Ching & Andrew Sutherland (Australia | Singapore)

Photo credit: Rachel Lim Hue Li

Executive Summary [ Pg 3 ]

The Fringe in Numbers [ Pg 6 ]

Sponsors & Partners [ Pg 7]

Event Details [ Pg 8 ]

Ticketing Breakdown [ Pg 12 ]

Results of Audience Survey [ Pg 13 ]

Social Media Growth [ Pg 16 ]

Accessibility [ Pg 18 ]

Media Reviews [ Pg 27 ]

Publicity & Marketing [ Pg 32 ]

Fringe Team 2021 [ Pg 42 ]

The Necessary Stage [ Pg 43 ]

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2022: The Helpers [ Pg 44 ] i am not here by The Lost Post Initiative (India)
Photo credit: Aparna Nori
 against form, codes and norms.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Quiet Riot, the theme for the 17th edition of the M1 Singapore
Fringe Festival, remains relevant even as the festival was
ongoing, as seen in the #FixSchoolsNotStudents protest by
Singaporeans against transphobia in the education system. Five
Singaporeans stood with placards and rainbow flags outside the
Ministry of Education. 30 minutes later, three of them were
arrested.

This is a pertinent theme as we reflect on non-violent strategies

aimed at social transformation, not just in Singapore, but around
the world. This is reflected in the variety of performances
addressing how the envelope is pushed, how challenges against
the status quo are propositioned in cultural productions, mostly
dialogic and inviting audience members to push awareness to
action. Personal action can be so significant when all of us work
as a community, having compassion for marginalised and
minority groups, and standing in solidarity with causes that speak
out against their persecution—even if they may not affect us I, Frida by Ay, Caramba! Theatre (Canada | Ecuador)
directly. That inclusivity requires us to make sacrifices that count: Photo credit: Jean-Phillipe Deneault
sacrifices that will amount to some change so that less people
suffer discrimination, less people are invisible, and more are
accorded the importance of their humanity. While Fringe 2020 escaped the scourge of the COVID-19
pandemic, we had to confront its restrictions in 2021, and so
To celebrate the spectrum of the theme of Quiet Riot, the Fringe organising and curating this edition has been challenging and
Team curated works that reflected global movement upheaval, unique. We have had to approach it with hybrid programming in
resistance on personal and cultural fronts, as well the quiet riots mind.

Offstage 3.0 by Emergency Stairs (Singapore)
Photo credit: GuoLens
Due to prevailing travel restrictions, the international artists
whose works we were so looking forward to sharing with the
Singapore audience could not travel to Singapore. We therefore
negotiated for them to present their work virtually instead, by way
of videos on demand on SISTIC Live. Interestingly, because the
local schools are still unable to take their students on excursions
to the theatre, a number of educators opted to book tickets for
these videos on demand. Even in the midst of a raging pandemic,
it was heartening to note how much they valued arts exposure for
young minds.
With regards to in-theatre performances, we focused our
energies on local commissions. Yet due to safe management
measures, our theatre houses were reduced to about a mere
20% of their original capacity. To allow for more people to access
our shows, we made sure that all live performances were swiftly
followed up with their videos on demand. While there were a
number of disappointed Fringe fans who could not obtain tickets
for the live theatre shows, we were happy to see them turning to
the video on demand option, which we foresee may be a long-
lasting trend for theatre engagement for at least a few years to
come.
Fringe 2021: Quiet Riot, being the first festival in the arts and
cultural calendar, is the litmus test for audience members’
appetite for a hybrid approach. We are delighted to share that
the Fringe’s in-theatre performances enjoyed full houses for all
productions. In addition, we are glad to note that a total of 789
audience members opted to watch Fringe performances via
video on demand from the comfort of their home or the safety of
their schools.
Curating the Fringe during these uncertain times have provided
the Fringe Team opportunities to be innovative. For the first time,
the Fringe presented a webinar as part of our line-up. Quiet Riot:
Agitating For Change From Within featured young female
changemakers and activists who have persisted in their journeys
for social justice whilst working with or within institutions.
Our pivoting to a hybrid programming this year allowed us to
break new ground in terms of partnerships. We established a
robust partnership with Tuckys Photography, who is responsible
not only for our snazzy Fringe trailer, but all the videography and
post-production for the videos on demand for Fringe 2021.

We also took the opportunity of Fringe 2021 to deepen the

festival’s commitment to accessibility. For the first time, we
collaborated with Equal Dreams, our Official Accessibility Partner,
to ensure that all aspects of the Fringe are as accessible as
possible—from our design of collaterals, to audio descriptions,
live captioning and Singapore Sign Language interpretation for
live experiences to cater to those with disabilities, to the
provision of wayfinding guides to and quiet spaces at our
venues, and closed captioning for all videos on demand.

These partnerships have provided invaluable learning
experiences for the Fringe Team in our bid to reach out to as
wide an audience base as possible, and to ensure theatre is an
experience that anyone and everyone should be entitled to and
can enjoy. We were delighted to have a number of visually
impaired audience members, and even a patron with a guide dog
join us at the theatre for the first time!
Enclosed in the report are all the key information and statistics
gathered by our team for this year’s Fringe.
Snow Whitening Revisited by New Cambodian Artists (Cambodia)
Photo credit: Anders Jiras
Thank you once again for attending our Fringe events, and most
importantly, your consistent and generous support, especially
during this pandemic. It shows your commitment to art and the
need to develop the Singaporean art scene. We welcome any
feedback you have and hope to continue working with you for
many more years to come.
We are also looking forward to the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival
2022: The Helpers for which applications are already coming in,
and will close on Friday 5 March 2021.

With warm regards,

The Fringe Team
 THE FRINGE IN NUMBERS

19 days 83 artists

6 countries 1,318 audience for free

and ticketed events

9 events 100% house

for in-venue shows

2 venues + $18,351 in
SISTIC Live + gross ticket sales
Zoom
 r/
SPONSORS & PARTNERS

Special thanks to our 16 Sponsors and Partners!

Repeat Sponsors: 10 New Sponsors: 6
Title Donor – M1 Limited Heinrich Böll Stiftung
Official Outdoor Media – JCDecaux Heckin Unicorn
Official Accessibility Partner – Equal Dreams Pasar Glamour
Arts Fund Goethe Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan
BinjaiTree Canadian Stage
Hong Leong Foundation SK Arts
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Epson
High Commission of Canada in Singapore
Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee

Photo credit: JCDecaux

Offstage 3.0 by Emergency Stairs (Singapore)

Photo credit: Emergency Stairs
 EVENT DETAILS
TITLE DATES NO. OF VENUE TOTAL TIX/ PERCENTAGE
SHOWS/ CAPACITY VISITORS HOUSE
DURATION
OF VIDEO ON
DEMAND
Everything is Connected: Talk and Workshop 27 December 2020 1 The Necessary N/A 8 N/A
on Devising by Koh Wan Ching Stage Black Box

Intimate Catastrophes: A Writing Workshop by 3 January 2021 1 Zoom N/A 11 N/A

Andrew Sutherland

a line could be crossed and you would slowly 20 – 23 January 2021 4 Esplanade 112 112 100%
cease to be by Koh Wan Ching & Andrew Theatre Studio
Sutherland (Australia | Singapore)
a line could be crossed and you would slowly 23 – 29 January 2021 7 days SISTIC Live N/A 59 N/A
cease to be by Koh Wan Ching & Andrew
Sutherland (Australia | Singapore)
Havoc Girls & Kamikaze Boys by Brian 21 – 24 January 2021 5 NAFA Studio 105 105 100%
Gothong Tan & Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Theatre
(Singapore)
Havoc Girls & Kamikaze Boys by Brian 24 – 30 January 2021 7 days SISTIC Live N/A 142 N/A
Gothong Tan & Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
(Singapore)
WAN BELANTARA: Enjet-Enjet Semut (KING OF 26 – 27 January 2021 2 Esplanade 70 70 100%
THE JUNGLE: As the Ants Go Marching In) by Theatre Studio
Saiful Amri & Anwar Hadi Ramli (Singapore)
TITLE DATES NO. OF VENUE TOTAL TIX/ PERCENTAGE
SHOWS/ CAPACITY VISITORS HOUSE
DURATION
OF VIDEO ON
DEMAND
WAN BELANTARA: Enjet-Enjet Semut (KING OF 29 January 2021 – 7 days SISTIC Live N/A 127 N/A
THE JUNGLE: As the Ants Go Marching In) by 4 February 2021
Saiful Amri & Anwar Hadi Ramli (Singapore)
Pandan by Rupa co.lab (Singapore) 29 – 31 January 2021 3 Esplanade 105 105 100%
Theatre Studio

Pandan by Rupa co.lab (Singapore) 2 – 8 February 2021 7 days SISTIC Live N/A 26 N/A

Offstage 3.0 by Emergency Stairs (Singapore) 29 – 30 January 2021 2 NAFA Studio 52 52 100%
Theatre

Offstage 3.0 by Emergency Stairs (Singapore) 1 – 7 February 2021 7 days SISTIC Live N/A 66 N/A

i am not here by The Lost Post Initiative (India) 20 – 26 January 2021 7 days SISTIC Live N/A 79 N/A

Snow Whitening Revisited by New Cambodian 25 – 31 January 2021 7 days SISTIC Live N/A 69 N/A
Artists (Cambodia)

I, Frida by Ay, Caramba! Theatre (Canada | 25 – 31 January 2021 7 days SISTIC Live N/A 267 N/A
Ecuador)

Quiet Riot: Agitating For Change From Within 30 January 2021 1 Zoom N/A 85 N/A
“Enjoyed that it was accessible for persons with visual impairment
and that we could follow along with other sighted participants.”
—Audience feedback on audio described performance of
a line could be crossed and you would slowly cease to be
by Koh Wan Ching & Andrew Sutherland (Australia |Singapore)

Photo credit: Rachel Lim Hue Li

 TICKETING BREAKDOWN

Type of ticket issued Breakdown of ticket sales

Standard
School
Early Bird School Booking bookings
23%
Complimentary
Webinar
PWD Card Holder
Student
20% Artist Discount
Senior Citizen
NSF
Esplanade House Seat
Stay Home with the Fringe Package Regular
bookings
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 77%
 RESULTS OF AUDIENCE SURVEY

35 out of 1,318 audience members responded to the audience survey via Google Forms
(2.7% of total audience)

Audience nationalities Audience age groups Audience attending M1SFF

for the first time
Above 50

Expatriates &
Visitors 41 - 50
3%
31 - 40 No
40%
25 - 30
Yes
Singaporeans & PRs 19 - 24 60%
97%
Below 18

0 5 10 15
 What audiences thought Audience that would
about the performances recommend this work to
friends/family

Yes
Excellent 91%
54%
Good
40%

Poor
No
3% Satisfactory Unspecified
3%
3% 6%

Audience likely to attend Audience thoughts on

future M1SFF events ticket prices

Very likely Reasonable

Very 71%
66% reasonable
23%

Somewhat
likely
31%

Somewhat unlikely Slightly costly

3% 6%
Havoc Girls & Kamikaze Boys by Brian Gothong Tan & NAFA (Singapore)
Photo credit: Memphis West Pictures/Joe Nair
 SOCIAL MEDIA GROWTH

Instagram followers: 1,425 +20.7% growth

from Fringe 2020

Facebook followers: 5,108

+4.8% growth
from Fringe 2020

Twitter followers: 1,660

+13.6% growth
from Fringe 2020

Image credits: Flaticon.com

“Production side was well supported by the festival.
Dan Fong (Festival Production Coordinator) was
wonderful and extremely helpful in guiding artists who
were not trained in production work - to be able to
accomplish the basics when dealing with production. I
felt that she really went beyond what was required of
her to help ensure that the production ran smoothly.”
—Chng Xin Xuan, Co-Creator and Production Stage
Manager from Emergency Stairs (Singapore) who
presented Offstage 3.0

Photo credit: Emergency Stairs

 ACCESSIBILITY

The Fringe worked extensively with our Official Accessibility

Partner Equal Dreams to ensure that our festival would be as
accessible to as many persons as possible.

This started from the festival collaterals to ensure that the

information is accessible, to provision of way-finding and venue
information, to access at the performances and the post-event
feedback collation.

This has been an invaluable learning experience for the Fringe

team and we are looking forward to continue improving on the
Fringe experience for as many audiences as possible.

Print collaterals were reviewed for legibility and the

QR code is provided for more accessible versions of
the information. Plain English versions of key information is available
on the Fringe website.
 All videos posted on our social media platforms are captioned,
including trailers, artist promotional videos and the artist Q&As.

All images on our website and social media

platforms have alt text and image descriptions
available.
Way-finding guides were created to show a step-by-
step guide for travelling from a nearby MRT station to
each theatre. These were made available on the Fringe
website.

Mobility and escort assistance was also available upon

request, and Equal Dreams provided this service for
audiences with visual impairment from Esplanade MRT
station to the theatre.
Site recces were done with K9 Assistance for each venue to
Equal Dreams also briefed theatre staff on the best ensure that they were assistant dog-friendly and to determine
ways to guide visually impaired audiences to their the best routes to access the theatres.
seats.
Open captions were available for the majority of the in-venue
performances, and closed captions were available as an option for
all videos on demand.

Audio description by Tan Beng Tian for two performances of a

line could be crossed and you would slowly cease to be,
including a pre-event activity via Zoom.

“Enjoyed that it was accessible for persons with visual impairment and that we could
follow along with other sighted participants.”
—Audience feedback for audio described performance of a line could be crossed and you
would slowly cease to be by Koh Wan Ching & Andrew Sutherland (Australia | Singapore)
Live captioning and Singapore Sign Language interpretation A quiet space for sensory breaks was set-up directly outside each
services were available for the webinar Quiet Riot: Agitating theatre. Patrons were informed about the availability of this space in
For Change From Within. the pre-event email.

“The captioning and sign language are quite helpful for me to understand.
Reading the captioning window from Ai Media is easier for me to read back and
understand better where I could see all transcripts.”
—Audience feedback for Quiet Riot: Agitating For Change From Within
 Audience feedback on accessible * For all questions related to
accessibility in the feedback forms,
website and social media posts respondents may choose more than one
answer.
Found beneficial

Aware of

Unspecified

0 5 10 15 20 25

Audience feedback on Audience feedback on captioning

audio description at the
performance
Found beneficial

Found beneficial

Aware of
Aware of

Unspecified Unspecified

0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20 25
 Audience feedback on Sign
Language Interpretation

Found beneficial

Aware of

Unspecified

0 5 10 15

Audience feedback on Audience feedback on

wayfinding guides info deck for patrons with
assistance dogs
Found beneficial
Found beneficial

Aware of
Aware of

Unspecified Unspecified

0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
 Audience feedback on
quiet space at venue

Unspecified

Aware of

Found beneficial

0 5 10 15 20

Audience feedback on Audience feedback on

mobility and escort assistance Plain English information on
website
Unspecified
Unspecified

Aware of
Aware of

Found beneficial Found beneficial

0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
“It’s definitely a great platform for artists to try out work that may not
get much support. Due to the themes of Pandan, it would have been
a great financial struggle for the team to stage it independently. The
concept of the Fringe itself also primed our audience for a play that’s
experimental and thought-provoking in nature.”
—Artist feedback from Rupa co.lab (Singapore),
who presented Pandan

Photo credit: Back Alley Media

 MEDIA REVIEWS

a line could be crossed and you would slowly

Havoc Girls & Kamikaze Boys by
cease to be by Koh Wan Ching & Andrew
Brian Gothong Tan &
Sutherland (Australia | Singapore)
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore)

Photo credit: Rachel Lim Hue Li Photo credit: Brian Gothong Tan

“Directed with a steady hand by Koh Wan Ching, the production “Ultimately, the message of the play is an empowering one —
feels less hectic and flows more smoothly than this quick reminding us all of the power that we have to enact change in
summary suggests.” society and encouraging us to use it.”
—The Straits Times Life —ArtJamOnline
i am not here by The Lost Post Initiative (India) I, Frida by Ay, Caramba! Theatre
Photo credit: Aparna Nori (Canada | Ecuador)

Photo credit: Jean-Phillipe Denault

“As a dance theatre production that refuses to cower in silence
nor insignificance, it is in fighting fit form to spar with a legion of
demons taunting women in writing.” “…rich in its realism, funny in its relatability, and will ultimately
—Fivelines break you in small unexpected ways.”
—BakchormeeBoy
Offstage 3.0 by Emergency Stairs (Singapore) Pandan by Rupa co.lab (Singapore)

Photo credit: GuoLens Photo credit: Back Alley Media

“Unpacking the absurdity of the arts scene, and the need to keep “Pandan offers critical food for thought, addressing crucial
pushing at our invisible walls.” questions about faith, community and forgiveness in the Muslim
—BakchormeeBoy community.”
—The Straits Times Life
Snow Whitening Revisited by New Cambodian
Artists (NCA) (Cambodia)
Photo credit: Anders Jiras
“Presented digitally as part of this year’s M1 Singapore Fringe
Festival, the piece masterfully explores the festival theme of
“Quiet Riot” in its depiction of the artists’ real-world struggles
against misogyny and in redefining their artistry in the climate of
a pandemic.”
—ArtsEquator
WAN BELANTARA: Enjet-Enjet Semut by Saiful
Amri & Anwar Hadi Ramli (Singapore)
Photo credit: Anwar Hadi Ramli
“WAN BELANTARA’s atmospheric storytelling and strong
ensemble work leads us to reflect on the corruption and rot that
runs rampant not just in the animal kingdom, but even our own
society.”
—BakchormeeBoy
 WAN BELANTARA: Enjet-Enjet Semut
by Saiful Amri & Anwar Hadi Ramli (Singapore)
Photo credit: @stillmograph
 PUBLICITY & MARKETING
COLLATERAL | AVENUE DESCRIPTION

ONLINE

E-programme Leaflets for all As part of our COVID-19 safety management measures and in line with our continued efforts to reduce paper usage,
productions patrons were emailed a e-copy of the programme leaflet prior to the performance, and they could also scan a QR
code at the venue to access an e-copy on their phone.

The e-programme leaflets were also available in a screen-reader friendly version for wider accessibility.
Festival website A dedicated Festival website was created at singaporefringe.com. The website is mobile-enabled and customised
for desktop, tablet and mobile-phone viewing.

In addition to the Userway accessibility widget added to the website, the Fringe team worked closely with our Official
Accessibility Partner Equal Dreams and designers Bureau to ensure that the website is designed for maximum
access, including design factors, information available in Plain English option, use of alt text and video descriptions.
Festival Facebook page The dedicated Facebook page and individual event pages were frequently updated with mentions, listings, previews,
rehearsal photos and reviews.

Festival Instagram account The dedicated Instagram account was actively posting behind the scenes photos and connecting with artists,
audience members and industry partners.

Festival Twitter account The dedicated Twitter account was actively posting news updates and connecting with artists, audience members
and industry partners.
Electronic Direct Mailers 12 EDMs were sent to a total mailing list of 10,000 (comprising databases of local and international partners of The
(EDMs) Necessary Stage, schools, and The Necessary Stage's volunteers. This included targeted EDMs to secondary and
tertiary-level theatre educators.
Esplanade – Theatres on the The Festival’s events were included on Esplanade's website (www.esplanade.com) from November 2020 – January
Bay 2021.

Relevant Fringe works were also included in Electronic Direct Mailers sent to selected demographics of Esplanade's
mailing list, as well as included as posts on Facebook and Instagram.
Nanyang Academy of Fine NAFA supported marketing of Havoc Girls & Kamikaze Boys via their Facebook, Instagram and Telegram platforms.
Arts (NAFA)
The work was also listed on the NAFA website.
SISTIC EDMs were sent to SISTIC’s selected database to advertise the Fringe, along with Facebook and Instagram shout
outs and advertising on the main website (www.sistic.com.sg) via Homepage wallpaper, New Release and Highlights
icons, and Rotational and Result Page banners.

The festival was also advertised via the SISTIC Buzz Subheaders, mobile app carousel banner and customised
event pages.
Online collaterals - Festival Website Online collaterals – Festival e—programme leaflet
Online collaterals – Esplanade website Online collaterals – NAFA Facebook page
 DESCRIPTION
COLLATERAL | AVENUE

OUTDOOR AND ON-SITE

M1 stores An official Fringe trailer featuring all works at the festival was played at selected M1 stores.

The Festival was advertised via floor stickers and posters displayed via the Giant Concourse poster, Foyerboards,
Esplanade – Theatres on the
Tunnel and bus stop from December 2020 onwards. The Festival events at Esplanade were included in the giant
Bay
calendar boards and the Fringe trailer ran on the plasma screens around the centre.

JCDecaux bus shelters Six 6-sheet and 50 shelter light posters were displayed at bus shelters around the island from 9 December 2020 to 2
islandwide February 2021.

12 street banners were displayed along Stamford Road and Queen Street from 30 December 2020 to 26 January
Civic District
2021.

6 A2-sized posters and digital posters advertising Havoc Girls & Kamikaze Boys and Offstage 3.0 were displayed
NAFA
around campus.
Onsite Collaterals – Esplanade – Tunnel poster Onsite Collaterals – Esplanade – Bus stop poster
Onsite Collaterals – Esplanade – Giant Concourse poster Onsite Collaterals – Esplanade – Lower Concourse
poster
Onsite collaterals – NAFA - Posters
Outdoor collaterals – JCDecaux –6 Sheet and Bus Shelter Posters
Outdoor collaterals – Civic District –Street Banners
2021 FRINGE TEAM

Artistic Director Alvin Tan

Executive Producer Melissa Lim

Festival Manager Jezamine Tan

Project Managers Natasha Fathin Jupri

Nicole Lim

Production Coordinators Keira Lee

Lam Dan Fong

Lighting Coordinator Tai Zi Feng

Production Intern Nurul Faezah

Front of House Intern Tiffany Tan

 THE NECESSARY STAGE TEAM
The Necessary Stage
Artistic Director Alvin Tan

Resident Playwright Haresh Sharma

General Manager Melissa Lim

Festival Manager Jezamine Tan

Project Managers Natasha Fathin Jupri

Nicole Lim

Accounts Assistant Choo Kok Cheng

Accountant Two Point Pte Ltd

Board of Directors Kenneth Paul Tan
Alvin Tan
Andy Yeo
Christopher Tan
Haresh Sharma
Sunder Iyer
Jian Yang
Vincent Lim
 M1 SINGAPORE FRINGE FESTIVAL 2022: THE HELPERS

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news,
my mother would say to me,
‘Look for the helpers. You will
always find people who are helping.’”

—Fred Rogers

A global pandemic. The economy in free fall. Polarised politics. Law enforcers using brutality on peaceful protesters.

2020 has been a year fraught with upheaval and uncertainty—even one of abject despair and heartbreak for some amongst us
who have lost who and what we love. We have had to unlearn routines we took for granted, adjust to new—distanced—modes of
communing with others, and search for new anchors for our unmoored existences.

2020 has left us bereft, in a rage and desperate for aid—and for justice. But it has also been a year where many amongst us
decided to rise up, fuelling our rage with love and duty. 2020 has been a year where we offered help generously: through
families and friends, participation in grassroots organisations, mutual aid initiatives, impromptu emergency relief.

For Fringe 2022, we invite you to consider how, in spite of these despairing times, our collective universe of obligation can
expand in defiance, to offer optimism, hope and healing. How can we propel a politics of care—one that focuses on compassion
and the wellbeing of all, be they kin, community, citizens and our environment?

The Helpers.

12-23 January 2022.

Get involved.
 278 Marine Parade Road
#B1-02 Marine Parade Community Building
Singapore 449282

CONTACT US AT
Tel: (65) 6440 8115
Fax: (65) 6400 9002
Email: admin@necessary.org | info@singaporefringe.com
Website: necessary.org | tnsarchives.com | singaporefringe.com