Fringe to Fringe: Performing the Indo-Pacific

Credit – Flinders students at MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore, in January 2025.

Fringe to Fringe: Performing the Indo-Pacific

Program Location: Singapore

Program Dates: January to February 2027

Application Deadline: Friday, 24 July 2026 (5pm)

Places Available: Up to 12 New Colombo Plan (NCP) funded places

Singapore is a vibrant city state, inspired by and for the arts. Its unique postcolonial society, anchored on shared arts and culture, is powered by artistic talent, excellence and innovation. These advances have been built on a theatrical culture that prioritises social engagement and authentic representation, as exemplified by Singapore Fringe Festival’s commitment to responding to problems faced by communities. Making theatre in Singapore involves working with others to solve issues happening today. In this short-term mobility program, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the training and performance culture of Singapore and use this experience to inform your own performance back home in Adelaide.

In Week 1 of the program, you will participate in the Singapore Fringe Festival, a curated season of socially engaged performance programmed by the legendary theatre company The Necessary Stage. Productions in the Singapore Fringe are accompanied by q&as with the artists, through which you will develop a deeper understanding of the cultural context of Singapore. You will also participate in orientation exercises and visits to selected theatre companies and training institutions, balancing your appreciation of Singapore’s contested past with its artistic present.

In weeks 2 and 3 of the program, you will collaborate with students at LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore, including through training exchanges and other rehearsal room exercises. In particular, you will consider how students and trainers at LASALLE have responded to the decolonial imperative in performer training and compare that to your experiences in Australia. You will also work with contemporary Singaporean writing by writers like Joel Tan, Alfian Sa’at and Haresh Sharma. Then, in Week 4 of the program, you will continue rehearsals for your own production of a selected Singaporean text, informed by your immersion in the cultural context of Singapore, and presented in the Adelaide Fringe Festival upon your return.

Academic Information

Academic Eligibility and Overview
Area of Study	Drama
Degree type	Undergraduate (inc. Honours)
Eligibility	An actively enrolled Flinders student. Be deemed suitable to represent Flinders University overseas and be in good academic standing.
Language of instruction	English
Credit (Academic Recognition)	Access to a 4.5 unit of credit toward academic program. Able to enrol in DRAM3023 Production Laboratory: New Work Development. On successful completion of the study tour and all required assessment for the topic, students should be eligible to receive 4.5 units of credit.
GPA	5.0 or above

Financial Support

Travel Scholarships Available

The program is supported by the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan (NCP). For eligible students, the cost program can offset by:

AUD $4,500 Australian Government New Colombo Plan Grant
RA Simpson International Scholarship AUD $500 (subject to meeting eligibility requirements)
OS-HELP up to AUD $10,130 (conditions apply)

If you are an international student, permanent resident or do not meet the eligibility for an NCP Grant, you may still participate and be offered an RA Simpson Scholarship AUD $500 (conditions apply). If you are a post-graduate, commonwealth-supported student, you are eligible to apply for OS-HELP up to AUD $ 10,130 (conditions apply).

For more details on eligibility, see the ‘Finances’ section below.

Finances

Program Costs (Indicative)

The cost of this program is approximately AUD $5,000 which includes a non-refundable deposit of AUD $1,000 after committing to the program.

The cost will cover:

Return flights from Adelaide to Singapore
Accommodation on a shared room basis
Tickets to selected performances at the Singapore Fringe Festival

The cost will not include:

Transport while in Singapore, including airport transfers
Meals and other incidentals while in Singapore
Other organised trips, including group cultural experiences

*Note that these costs can be offset with a New Colombo Plan grant – as detailed below – if an applicant is successful in securing a grant.

Flinders University reserves the right to alter the program cost at any time due to currency fluctuations and/or fee changes made by its partners.

All students participating in this program will be covered by the university’s travel insurance. Please note, this cover is limited. It is advised that you read the Flinders University Travel and Insurance schedule of benefits before you go, know what is covered and what is not covered.

Insurance Registration required.

How to register your interest

Study Plan Query

Submit an Ask Flinders query to confirm whether you have room in your study plan to take topic DRAM3023 in NS1, 2027.

Please note that the selection process for the NCP-funded places will be based on a written application and an unofficial student transcript.

Expression of Interest

Once your study plan is confirmed, submit an Expression of Interest to chris.hay@flinders.edu.au by 5pm Friday 24 July 2026 on the application deadline. Include the following information:

First and last name
Student ID
Student email
GPA
Year level
Program name (degree)

EOI Submission

Write a 250-word EOI addressing the following questions:

Why do you want to apply for this program?
How will participating in this program benefit you and your study?
How do you think socially engaged performance practice will help to shape your career goals and artistic aspirations?

Further Information

For detailed information about this program, please contact Professor Chris Hay at chris.hay@flinders.edu.au

Student Testimonial

“What struck me most from my experiences was the generosity embedded in Singapore’s artistic landscape. Even within systems of restriction and censorship, there’s a radical commitment in both students and industry in cultivating shared vocabularies on cultural growth, where art becomes a space of learning, resistance, and generosity.”

Kiara Skene, 2025 NCP program participant