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Aisha Thomas is an author and educator. She says that until everyone feels included, people will always wonder if they belong.

Around the world, many people are pushing back against efforts to make sure everyone is treated fairly and included. Some leaders use strong words against these efforts. Even big companies and schools are less focused on being diverse now. Will this make it harder for people who are often ignored to be seen?

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) conducted a survey recently. People say they trust others from different races and religions more. Yet there is more unfair treatment happening. Another study by the International Journal of Sociology has the same results. They noted that Singapore media often shows ethnic minorities in negative ways. This can enforce the unfair views and treatment of others. Another IPS study showed that people prefer to interact with people of certain disabilities only. They tend to be OK with those with physical and sensory disabilities. But they are not comfortable with persons with cerebral palsy, or those with learning disabilities.

Given these changes, we need to talk about what representation really means and why it matters. It is needed to build the type of society Prime Minister Lawrence Wong wants to achieve. It is a society where people look after each other, rather than putting your needs first.

Bernice King is a lawyer and minister. She is also the daughter of Martin Luther King. She said that those who think representation doesn’t matter usually already see themselves represented.

What does representation mean? It is not just about showing minorities with the majority. Being seen does not equal being heard. That is too simplified. It’s also about making sure their feelings and ideas are valued equally.

When trying to give more visibility to minority groups, we have to ask: who should speak for them? Should only those from those groups speak? How can people who are not part of these groups be good allies?

Audre Lorde has said that you do not have to be someone to help them fight for their rights. People who are different can still fight for the same cause.

Real representation is a process. We want to build strong communities. It is one where everyone feels valued. When we listen to different voices, we learn and grow together. We can challenge our own negative ideas about others. Understanding each other and working together will create a friendly space where everyone feels valued.

For Fringe 2026, we want you to think about representation. How can we make our society kinder and include more people? This Fringe is different from past Fringes as it is now supported by our community. We have works that will make you think and discuss the theme of representation.

We have four exciting theatre shows:
1. A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical is a musical by Woody Avenue (Australia, Singapore and United Kingdom). It looks at love in the LGBTQIA+ community.
2. ART:DIS and The Necessary Stage’s present Invisible (Singapore). It explores disabilities that we don’t see.
3. Sofie Buligis (Singapore) is a rising theatre maker. She will present a work at the Fringe for the first time. Celup is her story about her mixed ethnic background, and whether she is “Malay enough”.
4. Taiwanese artist Wang Ping-Hsiang from k*hole karaoke (Taiwan & Germany) will share his personal story. It is about his experience as a queer military reservist who rejects violence. However, he knows that he may be called to fight in a war anytime.

Fringe 2026 will also host two panel discussions about representation—and the lack of it.
1. Is This Too Loud? Representation in Theatre. Our Fringe artists will share the importance of representation and challenges they face.
2. No Space for Art: Is the Fringe Dead? Many private art spaces have closed recently. What will happen to future creative work that does not make a lot of money?

Join us in January 2026 as we explore the many sides of representation and its importance today. There are many things to discuss. We hope to inspire you to think differently, confront prejudice, and support those whose voices have been ignored for too long. Together, we can create a society that values equality, fairness, and care for others.

Fringe Foreword

Until society represents everyone, the question will always be “Where do I belong? Do I belong?”

— Aisha Thomas, author and educator

Across the world, we have been witnessing a strident backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Fuelled by the rise of populism and politicians capitalising on its rhetoric, the culture war against “wokeness” has also expanded to the corporate boardrooms and educational institutions. A global fast-food giant has opted to “retir[e] setting aspirational representation goals”. Will this retaliation against DEI threaten the representation of marginalised voices?

Here in Singapore, a recent survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) reported that racial and religious stereotyping and prejudice has seen a sobering increase, despite Singapore residents’ indicating that they have more trust amongst different races and religions. A separate paper published by the International Journal of Sociology further reiterated this trend, specifically in how Singapore’s media has presented ethnic minorities in stereotypical ways, which may lead to the reinforcement of bias and social marginalisation. Similarly, a 2024 study by IPS concluded that there is a prevalence of stigma hierarchy towards people with disabilities. Singapore residents demonstrated a preference for interaction with persons with physical and sensory disabilities but are not as comfortable to do so with persons with cerebral palsy, developmental disabilities and learning disabilities.

Given these global and local shifts, it is timely for the Fringe to throw the spotlight on representation: what it means and entails, and why it is a crucial linchpin if we truly are to forge ahead to build—in the words of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong—a “we-first” society.

If you don’t think representation matters, you’re probably well represented.

— Bernice King, lawyer, minister and daughter of Martin Luther King

What constitutes representation? Is it simply about visibility of minorities, so that we can assert that they are given space alongside the majority? Being seen does not necessarily equate with feeling heard and validated. Representation means going beyond performative tokenism and superficiality. It must assert that the lived experiences, perspectives, and contributions of sidelined or marginalised communities are as equally valued as those who are already well represented.

Yet in our efforts to amplify minority voices, we are confronted with this crucial question: who should be provided the platform to represent them? Must marginalised, oppressed and underrepresented communities be the only ones who can speak up for themselves? How can we demonstrate effective, emphatic allyship and advocacy if we are not part of these groups?

You do not have to be me in order for us to fight alongside each other. I do not have to be you to recognise that our wars are the same.

— Audre Lorde, writer, professor and civil rights activist

Authentic representation needs to be recognised as an ongoing process and not an endpoint. As we endeavour to build more resilient societies in these fraught times, representation matters because it acknowledges that there is always room for growth in our communities to be more fair, equitable and inclusive. By amplifying underrepresented voices, we boost our collective strength through drawing and learning from myriad lived experiences, histories and insights. Some of these voices may compel us to challenge the status quo or our long-held beliefs and ideas. But it is through radical listening, collaboration and understanding that we can courageously forge ahead to create a positive environment where everyone feels seen, heard, and cherished.

For Fringe 2026, we invite you to grapple with the complexities of representation and how we can further entrench inclusivity and compassion in our society. As we re-present the Fringe—this time as a wholly ground-up initiative crowdfunded by our enthusiastic supporters—we seek to invigorate our programming, not only through thought-provoking local and international productions, but also by way of engaging in dialogue with fellow arts practitioners and audiences centred on the theme Represent.

We have four exciting works in theatres delving into different aspects of representation—from love within the LGBTQIA+ community in the riveting A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical by Woody Avenue (Australia, Singapore and United Kingdom), to hidden disabilities in our midst in ART:DIS and The Necessary Stage’s Invisible (Singapore). Up-and-coming theatre-maker Sofie Buligis (Singapore) makes her debut at the Fringe in Celup, which unpicks the multiplicity of her ethnic background as she ponders whether she is “Malay enough”. On the international front, we have Taiwanese theatre-maker Wang Ping-Hsiang presenting a monologue Retina Manoeuvre under the moniker of his arts collective k*hole karaoke (Taiwan & Germany). Through an excavation of his personal archives—from photos and documents to his music playlists declaring his adoration of an Alicia Keyes song—Wang takes us on a compelling journey of a queer military reservist trapped by his disavowal of violence, whilst situated in a tenuous geopolitical situation where war is undoubtedly a possibility in the near future.

Fringe 2026 is also delighted to present two panel discussions as part of our line-up, focused on different aspects of representation—and the lack of it. The first panel discussion Is This Too Loud? Representation in Theatre features our Fringe artists and their collective insights about the importance and challenges of representation from their personal and professional experiences. The second panel discussion, No Space for Art: Is the Fringe Dead? looks at the recent loss of several independent arts spaces and platforms and questions the future of innovative, experimental fringe art-making and support for edgy, intimate works that bucks the trend of commercial success.

This January 2026, embark on a journey with us at Fringe 2026 as we dive into the multifarious aspects of representation and its importance in our world today. As we contend with its complexities, we hope to inspire you, our audience, to explore new perspectives, confront our assumptions and biases, and discover new ways to articulate our support for those who may not share our privileged spaces and voices, but have been suppressed or ignored for too long. Let us uplift one another, and in doing so, truly build towards the “we-first” society—one that espouses the values of equality, equity and compassion.

Get Involved
The Fringe Team

PhotoS CREDITS
1. Retina Manoeuvre by Wang Ping-Hsiang (Taiwan & Germany), Photographed by Juha Hanse
2. A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical by Woody Avenue (Australia, Singapore and United Kingdom), Photographed by Crispian Chan
3. Celup by Sofie Buligis (Singapore), Photographed by Angela Kong (@ak_artventures)

Image Description:
1. A production photo of Retina Manoeuvre with a young East Asian man. He shouts triumphantly into a microphone held in his right hand, while his left hand raises a black computer keyboard in the air. He has light-tone skin and short dark straight hair. He is wearing black-framed spectacles and a red sweatshirt with blue jeans.
2. A publicity photo of A Lesbian Love Story: The Musical. Two young Asian women are hanging out in bed. They are dressed in colourful outfits, and the lavender background and pink bed with navy pillows add to the cheerful vibe. On the left is a woman lying on her front. She props herself up on her elbows on a pillow and pouts as she drapes a lilac blanket over her head. She has light-tone skin, dark hair and light makeup. She wears a bright pink shirt and pale blue jeans. On the right is a woman sitting in bed, partially leaning over the other woman and rolling her eyes. She has medium-tone skin, dark hair tied in two space buns, and bright blue eyeshadow and light pink lipstick. She wears a bright blue shirt with a white ringer tee underneath, and yellow pants.
3. A publicity photo of Celup with Sofie who has dropped her takeaway cup of milky tea. Sofie is a young Malay woman with dark hair in a pixie cut. She wears a red modern Kebaya-inspired top and brown pants, accessorised with a gold necklace and gold hoop earrings. She raises both hands in frustration while a flock of pigeons fly overhead. She is standing in a back alley. The sky is pale grey and the golden onion dome of a mosque gleams in the background.

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