Small Talk – Arts for Young Audiences 

Premieres on 11 Oct, Sun, 3pm 

Panellists

Ainul Farhana, My First Skool Educator
Nazreen Osman, MOE Educator
Revati, Ilham Childcare Curriculum Planner

In this panel, audiences will hear from three panellists who have extensive experience in working with children. They will share their practical experience and some helpful tips for adults who intend to provide support to children through challenging times. 

Small Talk – Arts for Young Audiences

Small Talk is a two-part dialogue session engaging with members of the community who engage with Arts for young audiences. As part of our efforts in developing and creating work for children aged 2 – 6, and as part of our ongoing efforts with PLAYlab and PLAYlab+, these dialogue sessions aim to provide insight into the current practices of making creative works for children. Within theatre, dance and music, these sessions also hope to introduce better pedagogical practices into a process-oriented approach.  

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, practices have shifted. Artists and audiences alike have been forced to reshape and reflect on how work is made and how audiences receive and consume the arts. Whether shifting to a digital space, or working within the parameters of safety, diversity has been key to the eco-system. These differences contribute to the vibrancy of the industry and is worth discussing even more so today, with these shifting paradigms.  

Topic

Diversity is an umbrella term that covers the acknowledgement and the inclusion of perspectives and representation of all people in their differences not limited to; race, religion, abilities, socio-economic backgrounds, and gender. 

Arts pedagogy centred on diversity employs various strategies that guide children through thinking about difference. In engaging with children through performances, how do educators and parents/caregivers provide support for children in their understanding of diversity and through these challenging times? 
 
Some leading questions that will be discussed are:  

1. How can the arts equip children with the skills and mechanisms to cope with the pandemic? 
2. How can the arts help to provide an avenue for expressions for children in these times?  
3. How can adult caregivers support children with diverse needs in the home? 
4. How can this support continue to strengthen the child’s abilities to develop healthy coping mechanisms when it comes to difficult emotions?

This session consists of a Q&A session at the end of the panel introduction. 

Panellist Bios 
 

About Ainul Farhana 

Ainul Farhana has been working with young children for close to 15 years since she graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Merit). She began her career as a teacher and continued to grow in her profession as she assumed leadership roles over the years. In 2010, she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College and in 2017 she completed her Master of Education in Drama at NIE and was nominated as one of the finalists for the ECDA Promising Early Childhood Leader Award. Ainul is now an Executive Principal with My First Skool and continues to be involved in programmes and presentations related to drama and the arts for young children. 

About Nazreen Osman 

Nazreen has great passion for using drama as pedagogy and in children's theatre. Her participation as a research activist in 2007 has led her into implementing drama as pedagogy in English Language lessons. 

She has published a drama publication featuring her work, ACTtitude in 2012 and a compilation of Community Theatre scripts in 2018. With the support of her school leaders, Community Theatre was born in Tampines Primary 2012. The aim of Community Theatre is to raise awareness on social issues. Nazreen directed for Community Theatre. The plays were devised and written by teacher actors and students. The themes range from filial piety to saving the environment. Nazreen's advocacy for drama education for over a decade has culminated in drama being a Learning for Life Programme (LLP) in Tampines Primary. Nazreen has received National Day Awards; The Efficiency Medal in 2011 and The Commendation Medal in 2018. Nazreen has teaching experience of 20 years. She is currently the Lead Teacher in English Language in Tampines Primary School. 

About Revati 

Revati is a curriculum specialist at Ilham Child Care Pte Ltd. She has been working for Ilham Child Care for the past five years. She has been assessing, evaluating and reporting on how effectively the curriculum meets the students’ needs. Revati is a passionate pre-school educator and is able to positively engage stakeholders in the holistic development of the child. She aims to foster holistic learning and development for the children and be involved in implementing effective teaching strategies that might help fellow teachers in planning and adapting to differentiated learning in classrooms. She continues to play a key role in developing of the Early Childhood curriculum and ensuring that the programme is successfully carried out at the centres.