Nominations for Committee 2021-2023

At the upcoming Annual General Meeting on 4th August 2021, a new committee for 2021 - 2023 will be voted in. Read more about them here.

Below are the current nominees, the position they are running for, and a statement on why they want to be part of the committee for the next 2 years.

Nominees

Rosemary McGowan, President Nominee

I’ve done it before! I have been President for the 2019-2021 committee and I found the learning curve quite steep but I managed it.

Now I feel I understand the role of the President more and I have some ideas about how to tighten up the association so that we aren’t as swamped with various activities etc as we have been in the past.

I believe in SDEA and it’s mission and vision and in the importance of the association and in the next two years, I want to, with the help of the committee, expand SDEA’s reach both internationally and locally to younger freelancers and drama educators in a more holistic way.

Aishwariyah Shanmuganathan, Vice-President Nominee

I am Aishwariyah Shanmuganathan also known as Asha Nathan. I am more of a doer than a talker and the work that I have done over the last 2 years will speak for itself.

2 years ago, as an elected committee member, I took on the mammoth task of advocating for the value and practice of drama and theatre in performance, education and community. My sole intention was to give back to the industry that has given me so much in the last 15 years of being a drama educator and Practitioner .

Apart from managing all CET projects, such as the ETLA drama pedagogy programme and the Level Up! Fest, I stepped up to advocate for fair hiring practices of self employed and freelance arts educators during last year's COVID-19 circuit breaker. I took the chance to engage with the community and find out what needs to be done. I now lead an interest group that is working on a playbook of ideal terms and conditions specifically for arts educators.

It has been quite a ride with lots of learning and growing. I am grateful for the experience and I am looking forward to serving the community for the next 2 years by carrying out my duties as a Vice President to the best of my ability.

Rashmi Koslaphirom, Committee Member Nominee

My name is Rashmi, and I'm a full time speech and drama teacher. I have over a decade's worth of experience in the education industry. I believe that the arts are vital to a person's holistic upbringing and drama education should be recognised for the skill that it imparts, especially on children. Strong drama educators should equip themselves with additional skills and continue to demand fair pay. Lastly, we should begin looking at how to make drama education a sustainable and financially stable career choice.

Tabitha Surita, Committee Member Nominee

My 4 years of experience as Assistant Manager of The Storytelling Centre Ltd has allowed me to appreciate the mission of non-profit arts organisations and their vital role within the larger arts ecosystem, especially in nurturing emerging artists and providing support for creative endeavours.

Through StoryFest’s annual programming, I have experience in festival management and am able to contribute to SDEA’s events planning. My familiarity with NAC’s various grants allows me to contribute insights and constructive feedback for funded projects.

I am keen to grow my personal capabilities in arts administration and am willing to learn from other ExCo members.

Jeremy Leong, Committee Member Nominee

I feel that I am suited for the selected role because I strongly believe in SDEA's vision and mission, and want to take on a more active role in continuing on the good work that SDEA has already done, and also contribute back to the association and wider community.

If elected, my areas of focus would be to:

  • Intentionally forge deeper relationships with our own members
  • Raise the awareness of SDEA amongst younger and future practitioners
  • Represent freelancers at a committee level
  • Further promote the importance of Professional Development to freelance practitioners
  • Support the secretariat and newly elected committee

Nomination Process

Nominations are still open, and you are invited to run for committee positions, and make your mark on the drama education landscape in Singapore.

  1. Download and fill in the form here

    You can either:

    • Nominate another member whom you think should be a committee member (with expressed consent)
    • Nominate yourself and stand for election
  2. Return the completed form via email to office@sdea.org.sg before the AGM. 

The nominee will need to get the support of 2 backing SDEA members, as stated on the form.

Nominees will be announced on our website before the AGM, and nominees will be required to give a short 5-minute speech at the AGM prior to voting.

Terms of Reference

If you are thinking about running for committee or would like more information on the roles and responsibilities of each committee member, you can download the terms of reference for Office Bearers here and for Committees here

For more information on the AGM such as FAQs and the agenda, click here.

Register for the AGM here.