The Intercultural Theatre Institute, formerly known as Theatre Training & Research Programme, is a specialised, independent actor-training school in Singapore that offers a three-year full-time programme that trains actors through contemporary approaches and classical Asian theatre training. It is currently under the aegis of Singapore's Committee for Private Education. Founded by dramatist Kuo Pao Kun and current director, T. Sasitharan in 2000, the school takes in a maximum of 12 students every year from all over the world. The institute is currently located at Emily Hill, near The Istana within the city limits of Singapore.
History
TTRP was founded in 2000 by the internationally known director, playwright and father of contemporary theatre in Singapore, Kuo Pao Kun, and T. Sasitharan. It started operations as a division of arts charity Practice Performing Arts Centre Ltd, with seed funding from the Lee Foundation and Sim Wong Hoo. It was located at the Creative Technology building in International Business Park and was later awarded a grant from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts for the years 2001 to 2003. In 2003, the pioneering cohort of students graduate. In 2008, TTRP moved to 11 Upper Wilkie Road as an anchor tenant and co-founded Emily Hill Enterprise Ltd, together with four other artists and organisations. As part of its research work, TTRP also organised the inaugural Asian Intercultural Conference with the theme “Theatre Today: Seeking New Paradigms”. The same year, TTRP suspended teaching and training activity. In 2011, TTRP relaunched with a new name, Intercultural Theatre Institute. In 2015, ITI was named a recipient of the National Arts Council Major Grant award.
Approach and objectives
ITI's acting programme is characterised by its performer-centred, practice-oriented training that emphasises intercultural work and original creation. It immerses students in classical theatre forms from Asia — such as Beijing Opera, Kutiyattam, Noh Theatre and Wayang Wong — and juxtaposes these intense interactions with Stanislavskian and post-Stanislavskian actor training techniques. The process of skills acquisition and recombination takes place in a plural, intercultural environment with a variety of languages, multiple cultures and a broad, inclusive theatrical palette. Its aim is to train professional actors and performers capable of working in a variety of contemporary theatre genres and forms as well as the creation of original, critically aware and socially engaging works.
