Culture & Communication Centre


Introduction



The vision for the Centre for Culture and Communication (CCC) is to contribute to RP’s delivery of truly holistic education, and to enable students (and staff) to look at themselves, and at life, from a different angle.

CCC achieves this through its twin missions of integrating the arts into the curriculum of all diploma programmes and encouraging active participation in cultural activities by the campus community and the public, as well as spearheading efforts to equip graduates with communication skills to function effectively at the workplace.

Curricular Highlights

CCC continued to offer two core modules in the Foundation Year in AY06-07: Introduction to Communication Practice and Contemporary Issues in Culture & Aesthetics, as well as three electives: Theatre Appreciation, Art Appreciation, and Music Appreciation.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) approved CCC’s proposal to offer its first diploma programme for AY07-08 – the Diploma in Communication and Information Design (DCID) – in December 2006. The structure and curriculum for the DCID was carefully crafted with invaluable input from CCC academic staff who have extensive industry experience in print and broadcast journalism, public relations, and marketing communications.

The DCID aims to meet industry demands for a skilled workforce in Singapore’s evolving media and hospitality industries. It received strong support from members of academia and industry leaders, and earned commendation for the emphasis placed on effective communication and writing skills.
The DCID, which differentiates itself from the other diploma programmes with its strong emphasis on communication theories and practice, offers three specialisations – Journalism, PR & Marketing Communication, and Technical Communication. It aims to develop sound communication skills - good writing in particular - which is the hallmark of a competent communications graduate. In addition, the DCID will prepare graduates to be both skilled and strategic communicators, not only able to produce excellent work but also effectively contribute to a company’s business goals. Its emphasis on cross-cultural communication also prepares graduates for interaction and communication in a borderless global society. CCC will be accepting about 100 students into its DCID programme for AY07-08.

To boost the English language proficiency of RP students, CCC conducted a trial run of its online English Language programme – English Discoveries Online - for about 30 students in mid-February 2007. The programme, customised to each student’s learning needs, focuses on improving reading, writing, speaking, listening and grammar skills. The actual programme will be rolled out in April 2007 with an expected take-up rate of about 800.

The Republic Cultural Centre
Cultural Hub of the North

In an effort to raise the professional standards of TRCC, it was established as an independent administrative centre with Ganesh Kalyanam, previously Assistant Director (Capability Development) at CCC, at the helm as Director.

TRCC will complement CCC’s focus on curriculum-related initiatives by acting primarily as an arts venue and coordinating enrichment opportunities and other non-diploma programmes. The two synergistic roles will come together towards meeting the capability development needs of the arts and cultural community.

Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, TRCC is a top class performing arts and cultural centre poised to become the cultural hub of the North. To ensure that the momentum and vibrancy of our cultural and artistic spirit continue to flourish, many of the spaces in TRCC are used by both students and the public, serving as an important platform for the creative expression of our students and the community.

Through the efforts of TRCC, RP signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the National Arts Council (NAC), The A Cappella Society (TAS), Sri Warisan Som Said and the Technical Theatre Association of Singapore (TTAS). The MOUs spell out the specific areas in which RP will collaborate with these groups to nurture creative and culturally vibrant communities.

Create.Republic
Showcasing Cultural Vibrancy & Diversity @ RP

Create.Republic continued to run a full programme in AY06-07, offering a pulsating variety of cultural and arts activities on campus. With 23 interest groups (IG) under its wing, each with a special focus, students were spoilt for choice when it came to arts and culture.

Many of the IGs represented RP in national competitions during the year. Some of these were:

  • The Malay Cultural Group’s debate team reached the semi-finals of the Bahas 4PM, an annual debate competition organised by 4PM or Malay Youth Literary Association. Marianti bte Tugiman clinched the Best Speaker award in the quarter-finals.
  • The Malay Cultural Group’s dance troupe – RepFus3 – emerged champions in the Persada Juara Tari, a dance competition organised by Cairnhill CC Malay Activity Executive Committee (MAEC) and Perkumpulan Seni. The team won the Best Performance/Choreography and Overall Champion awards.
  • The Modern Dance IG represented RP in DanceWorks 2007, an anti-drug dance competition organised by the Central Narcotics Bureau. The students performed a highly charged and energetic dance aimed at spreading the anti-drug message, and walked away with the “best costume” prize.

Create.Republic IGs also did RP proud with their community outreach efforts. Highlights were:

  • Write IG received a trophy from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), acknowledging @Loud (RP’s very own student magazine) as an “official content partner” for the Youth.SG web portal. Having added Nanyang Polytechnic to its distribution list, @Loud is now being circulated to all the polytechnics.
  • The Student Ambassadors led an outreach programme (Vote Against Litter) as part of Clean and Green Week in October 2006, collecting almost 11,000 ‘votes’ from the public. The programme was also nominated for Best Enrichment Programme in the Singapore Education Awards 2006, organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
  • The Art Club was part of the official 2006 National Day Fringe Celebrations, and provided face and body painting services to members of the public at the National Stadium. They also provided the same services at the Red Cross’ 7th Asia Pacific Conference on their cultural night celebrations, and helped to raise funds for the Singapore Children’s Society through the Vivocity Social Enterprise initiative.
  • The Malay Cultural Group (Tarian) continued its outreach programme by participating in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA)’s Annual Staff Conference held at the University Cultural Centre (UCC).

Create.Republic IGs enthusiastically supported RP events, some of them being:

  • Drama IG performed “What a Day” – a piece also showcased at the Esplanade Theatre Studio - at the Poly Forum’s Opening Ceremony 2006.
  • At the RP Open House, held from 13 to 16 January 2007, the cultural IGs showcased the vibrant student life at RP by presenting cultural treats, from classical music by the Wind Symphony Ensemble to the lively performance by the Lion & Dragon Dance Troupe.
  • At the recent International PBL Symposium Gala Dinner in March 2007 held at the Legends, Fort Canning, dance groups like the Malay Cultural Group (Tarian), Indian Cultural Group, and Modern Dance wowed international delegates with their well-choreographed and spirited performances.

It was not all work and no play for Create.Republic. Create Fiesta – a three-day event aimed at displaying the diverse and vibrant cultural community at RP – saw the participation of all the IGs under the Create.Republic umbrella. The event ended on a high note with the Flame Awards 2006 where a total of 60 awards were conferred to students to recognise their commitment and service to their groups.

For AY07-08, the performing arts groups under Create.Republic will fall under the purview of TRCC.

Creative Engagement
Developing Our Students Holistically

Creative Engagement (CE) is an innovative programme delivered by CCC to contribute to the holistic development of RP students. Aimed at helping students improve their communicative abilities, appreciation of the arts, and preparation for responsible citizenship, CCC continued to offer a plethora of appealing and wide-ranging CE activities in the areas of effective communication, arts and culture and National Education (NE).

Some of the highlights of CCC’s CE programming for AY06-07 were:

  • CCC invited award-winning filmmaker Sherman Ong to conduct a five-day workshop for students entitled “Using Photography to Tell A Story”. The workshop taught students to appreciate the visual mode of communication and equipped them with skills on writing descriptively as they worked with storyboards and creating new meanings and ideas through the juxtaposition of images.
  • CCC organised “Revota – An Arts Management Programme” where 30 RP students had the opportunity to discover more about the production aspects of a dance performance.
  • CCC held a Visiting Artist Programme and CE activity - “Travel Documentary – the Culture of Taiwan’s ‘Orchid Island’ Through the Lens”, where producer Melvyn Goh was invited to share his experiences filming Taiwan’s Orchid Island.
  • Local filmmakers Royston Tan, Woo Yen Yen and Colin Goh were invited to share their filmmaking experiences and the business of filmmaking in Singapore.
  • CCC organised “Music Essentials – A Song Writing Workshop” where award-winning song writers Eric Huang and Xiao Han shared their experiences on pop song writing and working in the pop industry. The event attracted an overwhelming 400 students.
  • CCC invited Channel News Asia Primetime Morning news anchor and journalist Suzanne Jung to conduct a four-day Journalism Workshop for RP students. The hands-on and interactive workshop gave students an inside look at journalism, news writing and reporting. A second run of the workshop was conducted in September 2006.
  • On 28 July 2006, Power 98 DJs shared with some 400 students their views on radio presentation, production of commercials and radio programming during a lunchtime CE talk.
  • CCC’s Head (Language Programmes) Nor Saheer conducted a Proposal Writing CE Workshop and a series of technical communication workshops to help students hone their writing skills.
  • CCC launched the Story, Book & Pen series of Creative Writing and Publishing Workshops to promote writing as an art form as well as to support and nurture students in developing their writing abilities.
  • CCC organised a lunchtime CE talk on the basics of podcasting, featuring one of Singapore’s most celebrated podcasters Lee Kin Mun (also known as “Mr Brown”).
  • CCC conducted an Introductory CE Workshop to Speech Skills – a three-day hands-on workshop which introduced students to basic skills in emceeing, presentation techniques and content preparation.

National Education
Inculcating Citizenship Values

AY06-07 saw the launch of CCC’s NE and current affairs discussion series Straight Talk. The Straight Talk series aims to provide a platform for RP students to engage policy makers and leaders in open discussions on issues ranging from terrorism and volunteerism, to young people’s place in the Singapore society. The series built on the learning journeys organised by CCC’s NE Team to offer our students not just theory but the opportunity to experience citizenship first-hand.

CCC also continued its efforts to instil NE in an interactive way through a host of fun activities, such as:

  • CCC organised a learning journey to the Old Ford Motor Factory Museum where the British surrendered to the Japanese forces in Singapore. The visit provided our students with an insight into the heroic struggles of Singapore’s forefathers and the tragedy and drama of their lives during the Japanese Occupation.
  • The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) was invited to conduct a seminar entitled “Repositioning Singapore and ASEAN to Ride the Waves of Challenges and Opportunities from China and India”. Students learnt about the ways small countries like Singapore can ride the growth of the new economic environment, and what they as young Singaporeans must do to reposition themselves for the economic challenges ahead.
  • A learning journey was conducted to Reflections at Bukit Chandu, where students learnt know more about the gallantry and sacrifice of men of the 1st and 2nd Battalion Malay Regiment who defended the western sector of Singapore in February 1942.
  • As part of the Straight Talk series, students had the opportunity to discuss political and societal issues with Ellen Lee (MP for Sembawang GRC, Woodlands Division), Sylvia Lim (NCMP and Worker’s Party Chairman) and three prominent local journalists.
  • Some 30 RP students participated in a focus group discussion on NE with MP Ellen Lee. The sharing session is part of MOE’s move to relook how NE is conducted in schools and tertiary institutions.
     Students received the rare opportunity of hearing a first-hand account of the dangers and difficulties faced during the Holocaust at a lunchtime sharing session by Holocaust survivor Mirek Sheffer.

CCC will continue to ensure that citizenship education goes hand in hand with academic development and offer NE in a way that is meaningful and relevant to RP students.

Staff Achievements
The People Who Make It All Happen

CCC’s team of committed staff, whose eclectic backgrounds ranging from English Language teaching to architecture, law, radio, broadcast and journalism, continues to provide fresh insights and perspectives.

Key staff achievements in AY06-07 were:

  • CCC’s Director Dr Gan Su-lin (also Director, School of Technology for the Arts) was honoured for her contributions as a member of the North West CDC when she received The Public Service Medal. Dr. Gan is an active member of the grassroots organisation.
  • CCC’s Head (Theatre Arts) Serene Chen successfully starred in “Singapore Dreaming” - an award-winning film which chronicles the life of a Singapore family and offers a dark and poignant look at family issues and relationships.