Headline Acts: Tomorrow's News | SIFA 2024 Edition

By Yanling, 15 February, 2024
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A publicity image with orange and pink gradient background, and details of the programme titled "Headline Acts: Tomorrow's News".
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Centre 42 is thrilled to present our next edition of Headline Acts at Singapore International Festival of Arts 2024 (SIFA2024). In line with the festival theme, which explores various futures – known, unknowable, imminent, and already-here – we are inviting playwrights to dream up their own headlines from the future, and write pieces in response to them! 

Headline Acts is a fun and informal reading series open to writers of all experience levels wishing to showcase plays or scenes. The only rule is, each work is a short (10-15 minutes) dramatic piece that responds to recent headlines.

We invite 3 writers to submit their ideas and responses through an Open Call process (see below for schedule and criteria). All selected writers will need to adhere to and submit their scripts for Arts Entertainment licencing as this edition of Headline Acts is intended as a public presentation.

Headline Acts: Tomorrow’s News will take place on the 3rd weekend of SIFA2024: 1 June after 10pm, Saturday.

 

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Black Box, Stamford Arts Centre
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Open Call Period: 23 February (12pm) - 14 March 2024 (12pm)

Submit your proposal via this online form.

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Open Call
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Submit your Headline Acts proposal via this form:

  • Share your headline from the future. It can be about anything. Maybe think about hilarious continuities, perverse predictions, utopias realised, dystopias thwarted, deep time punchlines, unexpected obituaries, and strange developments in the weather…
  • Provide a title and a short liner/synopsis about what your piece is about (it’s fine if this eventually changes!)
  • Your play or scenes are to be 15 minutes long at maximum, and should respond robustly to the headline you have dreamed up.
  • If selected, you agree to submit a completed draft script to us by 4 April 2024 to process the Arts Entertainment licence application with IMDA

Participants are expected to assemble their own creative team, rehearse and present their work independently. Centre 42 will provide a total fee of $2,000 per playwright, towards covering any associated costs, e.g. honoraria for readers, a director, etc. Centre 42 will also organise a script development period in which the playwright can receive dramaturgical support towards their draft script. 

Keep things simple, if you can! This is intended as a pared-down reading event, with very little time on the day for rehearsal. We cannot support elaborate, tech-heavy set-ups.

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Timeline:

23 February (12pm) - 14 March 2024 (12pm):

  • Application window is open for 3 weeks for writers to submit their ideas!

17 March 2024:

  • Selected writers will be notified
  • Briefing with writers will be conducted where necessary

18 March - 4 April 2024:

  • Buckle down and write your play!
  • Submission of playscript for AEL application on 4 April 2024

5 April - 30 April 2024:

  • Script Development consultations
  • Assembling and confirmation of creative teams for each play
  • Submission of final playscript for AEL application update (if any)

1 May - 16 May 2024:

  • Independent editing, redrafting (if any) and rehearsals

17 May - 1 Jun 2024

  • SIFA 2024 begins. 
  • Rehearsals & Bump-in week in the theatre. Space will be provided for rehearsals if needed.
  • Headline Acts takes place LIVE on 1 June (after 10pm) - ONE NIGHT ONLY!
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Will Centre 42 hire a director, actors, designers… etc for me? Must actors be off-book?
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No, Centre 42 will not be involved in hiring the creative team or performers for the work that you want to present. We will however be able to introduce you to suitable directors and/or performers should you feel you need assistance to get started.

Each participant will be given a fixed sum of money (SGD $2,000) to cover some costs, e.g. honoraria for collaborators. It’s worth bearing in mind that the spirit of this event is to keep the production light and no frills.

What matters is the writing! We welcome script-in-hand performances, though certainly if you’d rather perform off-book that’d be great.

You may wish to take a look at some of the event photos from our previous Headline Acts to get a feel of the 'fuss-free production vibes' that we have intended.

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Why does my script need to be submitted for Arts Entertainment licencing?
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As Headline Acts SIFA2024 edition is intended for a public audience, we will be required to apply for an Arts Entertainment licence (AEL) from the IMDA.

A successful application of the AEL is required to conduct any form of arts entertainment, which includes plays, music and dance performances, art exhibitions, variety shows and pop/rock concerts at a place accessible to the public. 

As such, we will require all participating writers to submit their playscripts to us by 4 April 2024, in order to begin the application process. Writers will also need to be ready to address any direct queries about the content in the playscript that may arise from the application process. The Centre 42 team will work closely with the writers to facilitate this process.

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What kind of dramaturgical support can I expect from Centre 42 during the script development phase?
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Our associates will be on hand to read and give written feedback and suggestions on your pieces if you need!

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