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On ‘justifying’ the role of the arts in society
There has been a lot of discussion generated on social media after the publication of survey results in Singapore’s ‘Straits Times’ that put ‘artist’ at the top of the list of non-essential professions to support and sustain in the aftermath of the pandemic.
At the height of the refugee crisis in Syria a few years ago, my team decided to deliver participatory theatre workshops to widowed women and orphaned children, trapped in underground bunkers, at the heart of the conflict, through Skype. This was long before the pandemic when arts organisations were forced to experiment with delivery of performance and artistic product through the internet alone. We had a genuine desire to connect with individuals and communities that had no access to any form of artistic expression and were particularly touched by the plight of those still trapped in Syria. At the time, there was a blockade on this part of the country and essential supplies were being prevented from getting through, meaning that it was highly unlikely that these individuals would survive, let alone thrive. My heart was heavy and full of doubt that asking them to take part in a theatre workshop was the right thing to do. How could we justify this kind of activity in the face of the death and near starvation of these individuals? But we understood the women were keen to be part of this, having been contacted…
