Shona Benson

MA Arts and Cultural Leadership

Shona is an international theatre director, dramaturg, actor and writer whose work bridges artistic creation, leadership and cultural inquiry. She is passionate about how the arts can innovate and redefine their role in society, particularly through dramaturgical thinking that deepens intercultural understanding and connects artists, audiences and communities in meaningful ways.

Guided by curiosity about human connection, Shona seeks to facilitate work that challenges convention, sparks dialogue and nurtures cultural growth. Having lived and worked across Asia, Africa and Europe, she brings third culture thinking and a global perspective to local contexts, championing collaboration and creativity as tools for societal change.

Her recent research and practice have centred on Singapore’s performing arts landscape, exploring how dramaturgy can inform organisational leadership, audience engagement and the evolving role of theatre in contemporary society.

https://shonabenson.com

shobenson@gmail.com

Thesis abstract

A National Theatre in the Making. Plurality, Power and Possibility in Singapore's Theatre Ecology

This study examines the notion of a national theatre in Singapore not as a physical building but as a conceptual model rooted in the country’s unique history, multicultural identity and longstanding ambition to be recognised as a “Global City for the Arts.”

Prompted by the controversial rebranding of the Singapore Repertory Theatre in 2024, and framed by the power, plurality and possibility, the research addresses core questions about 'Singapore theatre', what is means to its community, and how a national theatre might support both theatre practitioners and support the city-state’s global arts aspirations.

This is an anthropological study framed by Actor-Network Theory and a dramaturgical lens. It draws from qualitative data collected from long form open interviews with 14 distinguished theatre practitioners and arts leaders and secondary data compiled from a range of sources.

Key findings reveal that the Singapore Theatre carries significant symbolic weight, galvanising informal networks across diverse theatre companies and languages. Rather than endorsing a single state-run entity, the study proposes a decentralised, networked national theatre model to support the theatre practitioners within Singapore’s diverse cultural landscape.

This thesis seeks to contribute to arts leadership and cultural policy discourse by exploring the concept of a national theatres embedded within and across existing theatre networks.

School of Creative
Industries

Shona Benson

Work

Thesis abstract

Work experience