RESTRICTIONS ON ART PERFORMANCES

Mr Simon S C Tay asked the Minister for Information and the Arts whether performances of particular art forms, such as Forum Theatre, face additional restrictions or any ban and, if so, what are the reasons.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: The Government has not banned any art forms in Singapore. To stage public performances, artists have to apply for a licence from the Public Entertainment Licensing Unit (PELU).

Forum Theatre and Performance Art are relatively new art forms that have no prepared script but rely on spontaneity and improvisation with the performers drawing inspiration from audience participation. They pose greater risks to public order and decency. The performances may be exploited to agitate the audience on volatile social issues, or to propagate the beliefs and messages of deviant social or religious groups, or as a means of subversion. To regulate scriptless public performances, PELU requires a licence application for such performances to be accompanied by a synopsis of the performance.

The National Arts Council (NAC) is monitoring the practice of Performance Art and Forum Theatre in Singapore and abroad to assess their impact and development. The NAC has withheld public funding for these art forms since January 1994, arising from a performance by Fifth Passage in which an actor trimmed his pubic hair and another induced himself to vomit into a rubbish bin.