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ISPA 2026 Singapore Congress - Schedule of Events
Same Same, And Different

Schedule of Events

All information is subject to change.

Last updated on March 6, 2026.

Scroll below to explore ISPA 2026 Singapore Congress programming!



Singapore
Scheduled Events
Times in Singapore Standard Time
(all times and program subject to change)

Anthony Field Academy (AFA) Day 1 & Pre-Congress

9:00am - 4:00pm

Anothony Field Academy Registration and Check-In

9:30am - 9:40am

Program Introduction

9:40am - 10:30am

AFA PROVOCATION: Why is Arts & Culture so critical to this transformation?

An invitation for art leaders to confront what true sustainability means and to position the arts as catalysts for urgent change.

10:30am - 11:30pm

AFA ROUNDTABLE 1: Looking after ourselves and each other: Human sustainability & Care

Sustainability is not only about resources or systems; it begins with how we live, work, and relate to one another. The way we make art — how we hold space, share labour, and build relationships — shapes the health of our ecosystem. In this conversation, we reflect on our daily practices, how we care for ourselves and our collaborators, and what it means to create environments where people can thrive. Holistic transformation starts with people.

11:30am - 12:00pm

AFA FLASH TALK: The Theatre Green Book in Asia Pacific

Five regions. Five speakers. Five minutes each.

Building on the momentum of the Theatre Green Book (first initiated by Renew Culture in the UK), arts leaders across Australia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore have begun adapting and advancing this movement within their own contexts.

This session offers a snapshot of what is happening across the region — the challenges, breakthroughs, and local adaptations. By sharing experiences across different cultural and production systems, we aim to spark ideas, encouragement, and practical pathways for artmakers at any stage of their sustainability journey.

12:00pm - 1:00pm

Lunch

1:00pm - 1:45pm

AFA BRING YOUR OWN MEETING (BYOM) SESSION 1

Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) is a participant-led format that creates space for shared inquiry, dialogue, and exchange. Rather than a traditional presentation, each session is shaped and hosted by participants who wish to convene conversations around ideas, questions, or practices connected to this year’s Academy theme of sustainability.

This format invites artists, producers, curators, and cultural practitioners to propose and facilitate their own conversations — creating space for collective thinking, peer learning, and the exploration of perspectives that may not always find room in formal panels.

AFA Drop-in, Drop Out Experiential | Artist-led Spaces

Designed as a flexible, drop-in, drop-out space, participants are invited to join the artists in their open workshop, for a tactile activity with no formal structure.

Dive into the creative process at your own pace, and engage with new materials and the artists.

1:45pm - 2:30pm

AFA BRING YOUR OWN MEETING (BYOM) SESSION 2

2:30pm - 3:30pm

AFA ROUNDTABLE 2: Building coalitions and alliances: Institutions / Festivals / Collectives

How can arts organisations, festivals, and collectives — spanning non-profit initiatives to commercially successful ventures — come together to drive sustainable practice?

3:30pm - 4:15pm

AFA BRING YOUR OWN MEETING (BYOM) SESSION 4

4:15pm - 5:00pm

AFA BRING YOUR OWN MEETING (BYOM) SESSION 5

9:00am - 5:00pm

ISPA Meetings (By Invitation)

9:30am - 5:00pm

ISPA Committee Meetings (by invitation only)

9:30 - 10:30 | Finance Committee
10:45 - 11:45 | Advancement Committee
12:00 - 1:00 | Nominating Meeting
1:15 - 2:15 | Program Committee
3:00 - 4:00 | Membership Committee
4:15 - 5:15 | Governance Committee

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Academy and Committee Lunch (by invitation only)

5:30pm - 8:00pm

Anthony Field Academy Reception (by invitation only)

Singapore
Scheduled Events
Times in Singapore Standard Time
(all times and program subject to change)

Anthony Field Academy (AFA) Day 2 & Congress Day 1

9:00am - 12:00pm

Anthony Field Academy Day 2

9:00am - 9:30am

Breakfast

Start your morning the Singaporean way — with kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and a fresh cup of tea or coffee – continuing conversations left from the night before.

9:30am - 10:30am

AFA ROUNDTABLE 3: Traditional Knowledge & Cosmologies

What can the arts learn from centuries of ecological and cultural wisdom? How can storytelling, ritual, and embodied practices help us rethink sustainability today? How do traditional knowledge and cosmologies inform contemporary artistic creation?

10:30am -11:30am

AFA ROUNDTABLE 4: Speculative Futures... Hyphenation

What if sustainability required us to think across boundaries rather than within them? This roundtable explores how artists who work across disciplines, forms, and ideas open new pathways for reimagining environmental and cultural futures.

11:30am - 12:15pm

AFA BRING YOUR OWN WRAP-UP

An opportunity to end off the gathering, hearing responses from the delegates themselves, in an informal setting.

12:15pm - 12:30pm

AFA Closing

9:00am - 11:00am

ISPA Board Meeting (by invitation only)

12:00pm - 5:00pm

Registration/Check-In

1:30pm - 2:45pm

Congress Day 1

2:45pm - 4:15pm

Session 1 | What Endures, What Transforms: Art Across Cultures and Generations

Southeast Asia is home to a rich tapestry of traditions that embody centuries of cultural memory, spiritual practices, and community identity.

How have these traditions endured through the different generations and what role do they play in artmaking? What does it mean to push boundaries in works relating to traditions, and how is this done respectfully?

This panel explores how artmakers in Southeast Asia and the world honour their traditions along with their influence over contemporary practices and navigate intercultural collaborations.

4:15pm - 5:30pm

Congress Day 1

7:00pm - 9:00pm

Opening Reception

Singapore
Scheduled Events
Times in Standard Singapore Time
(all times and program subject to change)

Congress Day 2


9:30am - 12:30pm

Registration/Check-in (coffee service)

10:30am - 12:30pm

Congress Day 2

10:45am - 12:15pm

Session 2 | Viewer, Participant, Co-Creator: Capturing the Evolving Audience

Audiences today are constantly shifting – in age, values, expectations and the ways they experience art.

As artists and art organisations navigate changing cultural and technological landscapes, how do we keep our finger on who our audiences are – and who they could become? How do we reach those who have never felt the arts were meant for them?

From intimate encounters to mass digital reach, from traditional spectators to co-creators: this long table conversation invites everyone to reflect on what it means to build connection and relevance today.

Together, we’ll explore how artmakers continue to find their people and how audiences, in turn, shape the art we make.

Speakers and Moderator*

Paul Tan

Paul Tan*
Chief Executive Officer
Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS)
Singapore
View Bio

12:15pm - 12:30pm

Congress Day 2

12:30pm - 5:30pm

Lunch and Arts Precincts Visits

5:30pm - 11:30pm

ISPA Out on the Town

7:30pm

Cocktail Klatch

Singapore
Scheduled Events
Times in Singapore Standard Time
(all times and program subject to change)

Congress Day 3

9:00am - 4:00pm

Registration/Check-in (coffee service)

10:00am - 12:00pm

Pitch New Works

Host

Gaurav Kripalani

Gaurav Kripalani
Artistic Director
Singapore Repertory Theatre
Singapore
View Bio

12:00pm - 2:15pm

ProEx/Lunch

2:15pm - 2:30pm

Congress Day 3

2:30pm - 5:30pm

Session 3 | Beyond Boundaries: Arts in an Interconnected Age

What becomes possible when artists create in dialogue with other sectors? How can the arts shape — not simply respond to — the ways other sectors define value, innovation, and human experience?

This panel explores how cross-sector collaboration is expanding the frontiers of human-centred design. Through real-world examples, speakers will examine how partnerships across disciplines generate new modes of practice, new forms of impact, and more resilient creative ecosystems.

Speakers and Moderator

Pooja Nansi

Pooja Nansi*
Poet | Performer | Educator
Singapore
View Bio

4:00pm

ISPA Out on the Town

7:00pm

Cocktail Klatch

Singapore
Scheduled Events
Times in Standard Singapore Time
(all times and program subject to change)

Congress Day 4


9:00am - 4:00pm

Registration/Check-in

10:00am - 11:30am

Kopi Klatch

Pull up a chair and join us for Kopi Klatch — an intimate, informal conversation with up to 10 fellow delegates, inspired by Singapore’s beloved kopi culture (kopi simply means coffee in Malay!).

Hosted by delegates from across Southeast Asia, each conversation offers a candid glimpse into their local arts landscapes, traditions, and evolving ecosystems. Expect thoughtful exchanges, fresh perspectives, and open conversations about shared experiences and emerging opportunities in the region.

Whether you are seeking new collaborators, deeper regional understanding, or simply meaningful dialogue over a cup of kopi, this is a welcoming space to connect, reflect, and spark new possibilities together.

11:30am - 1:00pm

Lunch

1:00pm - 1:40pm

Congress Day 4

1:40pm - 3:00pm

Session 4 | The Art of Regeneration: Leadership in Times of Change

What does it take to keep the arts alive, relevant and future-ready?

This panel brings together leaders from different backgrounds and generations to explore how diverse experiences and evolving values can shape resilient art organisations.

We discuss the exchange of wisdom and innovation, how to make space for new voices, and where collaboration across generations can steer leadership.

Speakers and Moderator*

Kok Heng Leun

Kok Heng Leun*
Founder, Artist
Drama Box (Singapore)
Singapore
View Bio

3:00pm - 4:30pm

Congress Day 4

4:30pm - 7:00pm

Closing Reception

7:00pm

End of Congress

Questions?

Find your answer

FAQ

Contact Magda Mazurek

mmazurek[at]ispa[dot]org