07 May 2025

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Singapore: The theme of ‘Sculpting an Environment’ underpinned the events of the third day. The day began with a workshop exploring improvisation through movement and sound in response to environmental stimuli. At East Coast Park, participants moved from studio to sand, investigating their relationship with different environments during their art-making process. To end this physically demanding day, the participants were brought to Kampong Glam to soak in the lively atmosphere and exchange cultural experiences with one another.

Manila: The third day of the student exchange workshops in UPD focused on expanding the participants’ understanding of rhythm, voice, and cultural identity in performance. Through sessions that encourage experimentation with sound and speech, students explored how rhythm and rhetoric can become powerful tools for communication and connection. The workshops also emphasized the importance of honoring cultural heritage and challenging stereotypes through embodied practice. By engaging both physically and collaboratively, the participants deepened their awareness of performance as a means of transformation; both for the artist and the audience.

LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore

Awakening the Sensorial Network: An Environmental Embodiment

Tides & Movement

Arab Street Experience

University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD)

Tanaw, Tunog at Tindig ng Tambalan

Rhetoric and the Power of the Sea

Carnatic Rhythm Workshops

LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore

Awakening the Sensorial Network: An Environmental Embodiment

Movement, Sound, and Environmental Urgency

Stimulated by striking images and poems about the effects of global warming and its impact on the environment and its inhabitants, the participants engaged in improvisations in Dr Leela Alaniz’ workshop. The use of percussion instruments built from re-appropriated everyday items, such as rice grains in plastic bottles, highlighted the incorporation of sustainable theatre-making practices. Must movement and sound always complement? What happens when they are in contrast? Something primal was unleashed, which resonated with the direness of our climate crisis. A final group soundscape and reflection reminded participants to embrace discomfort, trust their instincts and find creative authenticity by engaging with their imagination and the world around them.

Tides & Movement

Exploring Space and Sensation

Arriving at the sandy beaches of East Coast Park - a reclaimed space due to land scarcity in Singapore - Fairul Zahid led the participants in a site-specific workshop, exploring how natural surfaces influence movement possibilities. Focusing on kinesthetic awareness and our emotional attachment to certain spaces, the participants began by collecting and mimicking objects they found in their surroundings before learning a specific movement sequence. This choreography was then performed across various terrains, such as grass, sand and sea, with participants reflecting upon the different bodily sensations. The workshop encouraged the participants to be more attuned to how we move. How does being in this space and embodying aspects from the site allow us to rethink our relationship with the environment?

LASALLE students chatting with Professor Lionel Wee

Professor Lionel Wee, National University of Singapore, shared his observations of the workshop and its relationship to posthumanism.

(Click on the Image to hear the full interview)

Arab Street Experience

A Night of Cultural Discovery

As dusk fell over Kampong Glam, the roads came alive with the gathering of participants and facilitators prepared to uncover the cultural layers of Singapore’s vibrant heritage district. As they strolled through the historic lanes of Arab Street and Muscat Street, the participants marvelled at the various landmarks and sampled some local culinary delights. The experience was not only a deep dive into Singapore’s rich multicultural history, but also a celebration of the participants’ cultures. The conversations between them brought fresh perspectives on how the arts manifest across different countries and cultural environments, facilitating potential future exchanges.

University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD)

Tanaw, Tunog at Tindig ng Tambalan

Honouring Heritage Through Performance

To close the day, students gathered at the Magdangal Area for Tanaw, Tunog at Tindig ng Tambalan, an interactive performance led by Miel Dullano. Centered on the faith healing rituals of the mananambals in Siquijor, the event aimed to debunk the common misrepresentations of these healers as evil figures in popular media.

Audiences took part by helping prepare herbal concoctions used in the performance, deepening their understanding of the practice. Rooted in indigenous knowledge systems and the sustainable use of local medicinal plants, the session highlighted how traditional practices are closely tied to environmental stewardship. It served not only as a powerful way to correct stereotypes and celebrate authentic cultural traditions, but also as a reminder of how performance can illuminate the deep interdependence between cultural heritage and ecological care.

Rhetoric and the Power of the Sea

Finding Voice and Connection

In Rhetoric and the Power of the Sea, facilitator Matthew Grey led participants through exercises that explored the deep connection between voice, body, and community.

Beginning with a grounding activity where participants lay intertwined and created evolving sounds, the workshop emphasized how voice can unite individuals into one resonant body. Later, students practiced persuasive speaking and delivered speeches in different settings, testing their ability to engage listeners. The session highlighted how physical presence, breath, and desire fuel powerful communication and how rhetoric can transcend language to inspire collective change—such as encouraging communities to take concrete steps toward reducing plastic use, protecting marine ecosystems, or demanding policy action on climate change.

Carnatic Rhythm Workshops

Finding Rhythm in Collaboration

Led by Dr. Darren Moore, the Carnatic Rhythm Workshop introduced students to the intricate rhythms of South Indian music. Through exploring different time signatures, speeds, and beat patterns, students learned to create synchronized and successive beats as a group.

As the session progressed, initial hesitations gave way to bold improvisation, with participants building on each other’s energy. Beyond technique, the workshop emphasized feeling and listening as key tools in rhythm-making—a reminder that attentive listening is also essential in responding to environmental issues. Just as music requires sensitivity to subtle shifts in rhythm and tone, addressing ecological challenges demands that we attune ourselves to the rhythms of nature, the signals of imbalance, and the voices of affected communities.