artist-scholar|educator, performance maker, theatre director, actor-movement trainer
Elizabeth de Roza is an artist working as a practitioner-researcher, educator, performance-maker, director, dramaturge and actor-movement trainer. She co-convenes the Embodied Research Working Group within the International Federation for Theatre Research and holds a PhD (Theatre and Performance) from Goldsmiths, University of London. She also serves as an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Embodied Research.
Elizabeth believes in collaboration, and all of her artistic works and pursuits are in constant flux and flow with other artistic disciplines (principally dance, media and fine arts). She is constantly negotiating the spaces between the Asian forms she is trained in and contemporary art practices. As a performance-maker, her process draws upon human capacities, faculties and cultures through social and cultural interaction and human understanding. She believes that this approach creates new possibilities for collaboration, critical thinking and imagining.
Elizabeth’s methodology in performance-making and actor-movement training comes from the foundation of traditional Asian theatrical training/performing methods, martial arts (kalaripayattu) and soft-fireworks, a contemporary, cross-cultural embodied technique in performance practice that she developed and established.
Her research interests focus on embodied experiences, thinking and practice through making, embodied cognition and cross-cultural performance at the intersections of both decolonial and feminist theories. She has presented her research and methodology at various international conferences, universities, theatre conservatories and led master workshops for theatre companies.
Elizabeth credits her formative years in creating inter/cross cultural performances to the late William Teo, Artistic Director and Founder of Asia-in-Theatre Research Centre (Singapore). Her encounters with Teo, inspired her to research, experiment with various Asian theatrical training/performing methods. She worked extensively under the late William Teo in 1996 till his passing in 2001.
She was an Associate Artist of The Substation (www.substation,org), from 2001 to 2011 and under the Associate Artist scheme, she was able to develop her artistic research on embodied memory and refine her approaches to inter/cross cultural performance making. This led her to create these cross cultural solo performances: Suria (2002), Innocence (2003) , Landscapes (2004) and Still Flight (2005), which was also presented at the various International Magdalena Theatre Festivals, 2005 Rhode Island USA (2005), Singapore (2006), Santa Clara, Cuba (2008); Transit – Odin, Denmark (2009 and 2016); Vertice Brasilia (2010).
In 1999 to 2003, with the continuous support of The Substation and the National Arts Council (Singapore) she was able to attend several performance workshops at the Centre of Performance Research in Aberystwyth led by international renowned artists such as Goat Island, La Pocha Rostra and several others. It was in 1999, that she first met Phillip Zarrilli and was introduced to his methodology of pre-performance training and to the South Indian Martial Arts, kalaripayattu. This encounter led to her continuous pursuit in the practice of kalaripayattu as a methodology of working with the body and as a tool for somatic expressions.
As a practising artist, Elizabeth's works range from site-specific social engagement to cross-cultural | disciplinary performances and to intense black-box physical performances. She has collaborated on many international performance projects with a focus on embodied cultural memories in conjunction with other disciplines and presented them at various prestigious contemporary theatre festivals in South America, Europe, UK, Asia. One such work was her collaboration with two Mexican Artists on a physical piece Re:Inventing Sita. This was supported by the Singapore International Foundation and the Cultural Embassy of Mexico and was presented in two festivals in Mexico, Cervantino International Festival and Caminos Teatrales 7 in 2011 and then here in Singapore. The work was mentioned in SIF inaugural launch of Diversities (www.sif.org/story_details).
She formed TheatreStrays (2008-2013) a physical/sensorial performance research (training) group creating intimate, sensorial, physical, inter-medial, non-linear performances in un-conventional spaces. The performance research group have presented 3 interactive site-specific performances in Singapore such as Lower Depths@65 Kerbau Road by Gorky, What the Dog Knows inspired by Inesco and Paper Boat. Paper Boat - which deals with memories was first premiered in Myanmar, performed in Brazil, in Singapore as part of The Esplanade's Studio Series, ArtScience Museum (Singapore), in Berlin (Germany) at Platoon Kunsthalle as part of Vernissage:Initimate Moments - as an Interdisciplinary Art Exchange in Intimate Moments produced by Belarmino&Partners.
Past Performances (Local and International)
November 2019: Cassettes 100 - Presented as part of National Gallery’s exhibition ‘Suddenly Turning Visible: Art and Architecture in Southeast Asia (1969–1989)’. The Singapore premiere was held at the Padang Atrium - Choreographer
November 2018: Mishima’s 5 Modern Noh Plays - In collaboration with Diploma in Dance and School of Contemporary Music, featuring Level 2 students from the BA(Hons) Acting Programme in collaboration with Diploma in Technical and Production Management and Diploma in Audio Production - Creative Cube, LASALLE College Of The Arts - Director
May 2018/August 2019: Landscapes of Memories - Presented as part of LASALLE College Of The Arts’ inaugural embodied research symposium and as part of Teatro dell Radici’s,
(Lugano, Switzerland) 30th International Masters’ series laboratory - Auteur
June 2016: Landscaping a personal myth - Presented as part of Faculty Performing Arts Performance Lab series May 2016 and part of Transit 8 Festival, Beauty as a weapon - Theatre, Women, Conflict, Odin Teatre (Denmark) - Director
April 2016: I, Emily – A devised performance in collaboration with BA(Hons) Acting Programme - Creative Cube, LASALLE College Of The Arts - Director
June 2015: Project Ram – A devised performance in collaboration with BA(Hons) Acting Level 1 + 2 + 3 students - Creative Cube, LASALLE College Of The Arts - Director
June 2014: other/s – a country directing country project – Upstairs theatre, Paradise Factory – Planet Theatre Connections Festivity, New York - Director
April 2014: other/s – a country directing country project – Esplanade Studio series: RAW at the Esplanade studio
December 2013 : Paper Boat - a movement piece – A New Direction International Performing Arts festival. Sri Lanka - Performer and Collaborator
November 2013: Country Directing Country – a cross-cultural exchange between Singapore and NYC – at the LA MAMA experimental theatre (NYC) - Director
June 2013: Paper Boat- Vernissage: Intimate Moments – An interdisciplinary Art Exchange Project Platoon Kunsthalle – Berlin (Germany) - Performer and Collaborator
May 2013: Relooking at Regina – cross disciplined work – part installation, part dance. The Substation. Singapore. (Performer and Collaborator)
Nov 2012: Reinventing Sita – TheatreStrays(Singapore) and Treatro Kaipatos(Mexico). Sculpture Square. Singapore. Director and Performer.
April 2012 : Paper Boat – performance installation – ArtScience Museum.Singapore. Performer
August 2011: Paper Boat – performance installation – TheatreStrays. Esplanade Theatre Studios. Singapore. Performer and Collaborator
July 2011: Reinventing SITA – a cross-cultural performance between Mexico and Singapore, supported by the Mexican Cultural Government and Singapore International Foundation. Cervatino International Festival, Guanajuato, Mexico. Performer and Collaborator
February 2011: What the Dog Knows. Interactive theatre performance. The Substation, Singapore.Devised with TheatreStrays & Shelly Quick
November 2010: Untitled – Performance with Noor Effendy Ibrahim, Graey Festival – Singapore. The Substation. Performer and Collaborator
June 2010: Lower Depths-61 Kerbau Road – Singapore. Little India. Director
September 2009: Performance exchange & dialogue with Pro Radopi (Bulgaria) – as part of The Substation’s Septfest
August 2009: Curry Devil – Odin teatre, Denmark. Self-written, multi-media performance in collaboration with Alvin Tan- as Transit VI International theatre festival
July 2009: The Karang Guni Man imagines Utopia – a performance lecture Performance Studies International 15 at Zagreb, Croatia
September 2008: Curry Devil – The Substation, Singapore. Self-written, multi-media performance in collaboration with Alvin Tan. A commissioned work for The Substation’s SeptFest.
August 2008: Un-written – Real Presence, Belgrade, Serbia. Site-specific performance installation with visual artist Laura Soon.
January 2008: Still Flight (v.3) – Magdalena Sin Fronteras II, Santa Clara, Cuba. Self-devised monologue & work demonstration.
July 2006: Palettes of Desire – Crossroads International Festival of Women in Contemporary Theatre, Singapore. Conceptualised and directed a devised physical theatre piece.
August 2005: Still Flight – Magdalena USA – International Festival of Women in Contemporary Theatre, Rhode Island, USA. Performer, director and designer.
February 2005: How to Peace – M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. The Glass Gallery, The Arts House. Singapore. Performer & Collaborator.
December 2004: Still Flight (v.1) – The Substation, Singapore. Performer, director and designer.
July 2004: 3 Men Meet 3 Women – The Substation, Singapore. Actor. Script by Verena Tay, directed by Sonny Lim. A Substation production.
December 2003: Vertigo – The Substation, Singapore. Conceptualized, performed and directed a multi-media performance.
July 2003: The Royal Hunt of the Sun – The Substation Garden, Singapore. Movement director. Script by Peter Schaffer. A World-in-theatre production
January 2002: Innocence – The Substation, Singapore. Conceptualized, performed, designed and directed a multi-media performance.
September 2001: Maya – The Substation, Singapore. Directed, designed and performed a collaborative movement piece.
May 2001: Suria – The Substation, Singapore. First solo movement performance, directed & performed.
2000, October: Under the Last Dust, Victoria Theatre, Singapore. The Necessary Stage - Actor
2000, December: Sita, The Substation Garden, Singapore- Directed, designed and performed a site-specific theatre production. Script by Sonny Lim. An Asia-in-Theatre Research Centre production
1999, December: History will teach us nothing, The Substation, Singapore. conceptualized, designed and co-directed a multi-media performance. Asia-in-Theatre Research Centre. (Singapore)
1999, October: Exodus, Gay World Stadium, Singapore. Actor. Directed by Jean Ng. TheNecessary Stage.
1999, October: L’Expression Corporelle. Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre. Conceptualised, designed and performed first solo movement piece. Asia-in-Theatre Research Centre
1999, September: If they should come in the night, Berlin Ghost Festival at Tacheles Arts Centre, Berlin and at Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre, Singapore. Designer (Sound & Video). Script by Sonny Lim, directed by the late William Teo.Asia-in-Theatre Research Centre
1998, August: The Gateless Gate, Jahangar University, Bangladesh and The Substation, Singapore. Researcher & actors’ trainer
1998, July: The Elusive Songbird, The Substation, Singapore- Director. Asia-in-Theatre Research Centre’s platform for new directors : Nouvelle Scenes
1997, November: The Sunflower, Drama Centre and Fort Canning Park, Singapore. Actor. Directed by William Teo. Asia-in-Theatre Research Centre
Community Engagement Projects:
2012 – 2103 Singapore Portraits – New Immigrants and New Citizens. (Producer / Director) touring the various heartlands in Singapore.
Arts Education Projects:
2003 Kranji Secondary School. Singapore (Drama instructor/Director)
2003 - 1997 Unity Secondary School, Singapore(Creative drama program - facilitator)
Dazhong Primary School, Singapore. Facilitator.
Upper Serangoon Secondary School, Singapore. Facilitator
Anderson Junior College, Singapore. Arts Enrichment program
Rulang PrimarySchool, Singapore. Drama Workshop Facilitator
East View Secondary School. Singapore. Development through Drama
Programme - Facilitator
Down’s Syndrome Association, Singapore. Drama Skills Facilitator
2002 Burnley Youth Theatre, Lancashire, UK. Artist-in-Residence.
Conducted theatre workshops to over 600 young people all over North Lancashire incorporating Asian theatre training methods using traditional masks and Kalaripayattu.
1999 to 2001 Zing! Theatre (Australia/ Singapore)
A Physical Theatre project touring schools and communities.
1997 – 1999 Alliance Franchise, Bangladesh. Theatre-Making Workshop Facilitator.
Jahangar University, Bangladesh. Theatre-Making Workshop Facilitator
Chiang Mai University, Thailand. Performance Training Workshop on Asian
Theatre - Facilitator