Kaplan in Singapore and Singapore Repertory Theatre Raises the Curtain on Enhancing Creativity and Soft Skills in Students through the Arts

As the Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Official Learning Partner, the partnership aims to strengthen the personal development and employability of students through the arts

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 14 June 2021 – Through a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between Kaplan, one of the world’s largest and most diverse
education providers and Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), one of the region’s
leading theatre producers, this one-year partnership benefits students at
Kaplan in Singapore through activities that can enhance their learning
experience and prepare them for employability, interacting with SRT’s theatre
veterans who provide real-world learning opportunities. Kaplan is also the
Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Official Learning Partner.

Integrating the arts in education allows
students to gain a range of proficiencies and sharpen their ability to engage
in the creative process, such as using imagination, critical thinking, and
physical and mental skills to generate unique creations. With this partnership,
both parties provide opportunities to learn and develop soft skills essential
to creativity and innovation, which enhance personal development and
employability for potential and current students.

Mr Joe Keen Poon, President for Kaplan in
Singapore, said: “As our world faces an unprecedented pace of change, our
economies are becoming increasingly knowledge-based and reliant on innovation.
To stay ahead, the workforce of the future needs to be creative, innovative,
adaptable and have advanced communication and social skills. These are just
what the arts industry thrives on. Both SRT and Kaplan share the same vision on
the importance of lifelong learning and professional development, so we are
pleased to work with them to hone these soft skills and offer industry-relevant
learning opportunities to our students.”

Charlotte Nors, Managing
Director for SRT, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Kaplan. The
possibilities of the arts and the educational sector working together to foster
a more holistic and creative approach to lifelong learning are endless. If
anything, the past year has shown us that creativity in how business is
approached is vital, and the arts can and must play a bigger role in those
learning journeys for students and post-graduates.”

Leveraging on SRT’s leadership and expertise in
the performing arts industry, directors, actors and visiting artists share
their experiences and insights over customised workshops and masterclasses,
with topics ranging from public speaking to the job functions available in the
theatre-making process and event management.

The
first MasterClass series held in March 2021 allowed students to meet and learn
directly from subject experts on the “behind the business” of theatre-making.
The bespoke learning experience included talks by key SRT management, as well
as a backstage tour. Students from Kaplan learned about the skill sets required
on and off stage, from marketing to finance and production design. The session concluded
with a live theatre performance, The Sound Inside, a gripping drama where two lonely people find each other to discover
more meaning in life – except things do not appear as they seem. 

On the Kaplan
Industry Project (KIP) partnering with SRT, students were exposed
to experiential learning with SRT’s subject expert through “Events Management
and Audience Development”, which challenged them to develop and execute an
online event on “Loneliness”, a key theme of The Sound Inside. The KIP
was conducted at SRT’s theatre, where students interacted and collaborated with
one another to formalise their event proposals that culminated into a
discussion panel on “Loneliness”. Through this real-world and hands-on learning
opportunity, students not only enhanced their interpersonal and creative
skills, they also learnt the importance of tact and empathy while working on a delicate
theme.  

Students can look forward to more upcoming
workshops and projects with SRT, and gain insights to opportunities in the arts
amidst the COVID-19 situation and the post-pandemic world. Click here to watch Charlotte
“In Conversation: Embracing Challenges in the New World of Arts.”