Synopsis:

In 2019, the Compulsory Education Act will be extended to include children with moderate to severe special needs. How ready are we? How can we better prepare and support educators, parents, students, and other stakeholders? Join us for a panel discussion as we explore current and future challenges, through the lens of accessibility, inclusivity, and mindset changes.

The panel will be moderated by Michael Cheng, Applied Drama Practitioner.

Panelists:

- Cassandra Chiu, Psychotherapist, Advocate, and Author,
- Barbara D' Cotta, Specialised Teacher for Students with Hearing Loss, and
- Esther Kwan and Vice Principal of Grace Orchard School.

Organised by the Singapore Drama Educators Association in partnership with The Finger Players.

About SDEA Connections
'Connections' is a non-partisan platform for connecting stakeholders in the education sector through open dialogues on current challenges, issues and developments with the aim to inspire change.

Through the various activities organised under 'Connections', SDEA has:

- Actively promoted the use of drama as a pedagogy to complement existing teaching practices
- Initiated and facilitated dialogues with/between various stakeholders such as NAC, MOE (CPDD, ECDA and AEB (formerly CCAB)), NIE (VPA), WDA, teaching artists, educators and various professional theatre companies
- Conducted drama workshops in partnership with The Kennedy Center (US), CCAB and NAC

In Connections 2019: The (R)Evolution of Inclusivity in Education, SDEA is working with The Finger Players as advocacy partners in conjunction with their latest production Not in my Lifetime?

About Singapore Drama Educators Association (SDEA)
Established in 2002 as a not-for-profit organisation by a group of artists and drama educators, SDEA's mission is to advance the profession of the drama/theatre educator and advocate for the practice and value of drama and theatre in performance, education and community.

SDEA is run by a volunteer committee comprising 9 members elected on a 2-year cycle supported by a secretariat at Goodman Arts Centre.

Singapore Drama Educators Association is a recipient of the National Arts Council's Major Grant for the period of 1st April 2016 to 31 March 2019.

About The Finger Players
The Finger Players is one of Singapore's leading theatre companies. Touted as the "hottest local theatre group" and "the company to watch" by the press and media, the company's unique brand of puppet theatre has won awards in Singapore and recognition around the world. To date, the company has taken its productions to Austria, Australia, China, France, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Kenya, Macau, Myanmar, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and, Turkey, making it one of Singapore's most prolific international touring companies.

The Finger Players seeks to fuse traditional and contemporary puppetry with other disciplines to create a theatre which empowers the mind and soul.