School of Creative
Industries
Xyn Foo
Xyn (心) is an independent arts and cultural worker, best known as a circus producer and director.
Throughout Xyn's journey, she has spearheaded numerous initiatives, including the successful orchestration of practitioner-led circus festivals, the design and implementation of intensive circus training programmes, mentoring aspiring circus artists, fostering thriving circus interest groups.
Xyn has produced two community puppetry festivals, coorganised a series of thought-provoking film screenings under Film for Action Singapore and is currently co-producing the circus programmes at Esplanade Flipside Festival.
With an MA in Arts and Cultural Leadership from LASALLE College of the Arts, she aims to contribute further to the Singapore circus community, address the scarcity of circus literature, and formulate a comprehensive circus policy.
Xyn also advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals of biodiversity conservation, environmental sustainability, mental wellness and youth empowerment.
Work
Research interests
Xyn researches the intersection of circus arts with cultural, social and historical contexts, exploring its role as a performing art, a social practice and a vehicle for community impact.
This includes the study of cross-cultural symbols, historical evolution, social structures within circus life and its connections to colonialism, entertainment routes, environmental practices and the cultural significance of street performances.
Thesis abstract
The landscape of circus in Singapore: From traditional circus in post war era to contemporary circus in present day.
The Singapore circus was long thought to be dead. This study aims to trace the evolution of the circus in Singapore from the post-war period to the present by focusing on the development during the period of 1980s to 1990s.
This study also intends to fill the research gap about Singapore's circus history, provide insight into the current state of contemporary circus as a revitalised art form and highlight the practices and challenges faced in the present landscape.
Building on the existing but limited documentation, audio history archivals on Singapore circus history and interviews with the past and current local circus practitioners, the study argues that Singapore circus is alive and thriving. The study concludes that the artification of circus is occurring and that change in knowledge transmission has facilitated the survival of circus in Singapore.