Dear Readers,

It's nice to pause and think about the year's happenings and what lies ahead at this time of the year – not that we can't do it any other time – but the year-end atmosphere has a way of compelling us to sit down somewhere with pen and paper, as festive lights and Christmas songs fill our hearts with joy, gratitude, love, hope, or perhaps quietude, regret, bitterness, melancholy, or more possibly a flux of all those things.

It's been a refreshing year in Singapore, many things seem to be changing, or at least that's how it appears to be. In Drama Box's recent production IPS Prism, the public were invited to imagine Singapore in 10 years' time, particularly what kind of a place we want to see in 2022. Inspired by this, this issue of the e-Newsletter is themed 'Retrospect and Prospect', in which we attempt to survey the past and imagine the future of Singapore art/theatre scene with you. In Main Feature, we talk to artists, arts educator, arts administrator as well as audiences about how they envision the arts/theatre scene to be in 2022. In Guest Column, Nelson Chia, artistic director of the newly established mandarin theatre company Nine Years Theatre, writes on the 10 qualities an aspiring actor should possess. In Theatre ABC, we review the 10 happenings in Singapore art scene this year, and on a micro scale, we walk you through Drama Box's 2012 in Grapevine. Like in Forum Theatre, we pause and look back with understanding, and move forward with possibilities.

As we've come to the last issue of the e-Newsletter of the year, Yinghao and I too will sit down with our editorial team somewhere with pen and paper, to review the content, presentation and the reception of the newsletter. Meanwhile, we would love nothing more than to hear from you on what you think of this humble publication. Please share with us if you have any thoughts, comments, or simply what you like or dislike about this newsletter, either on our Facebook, or email us, or simply complete a survey here. Two lucky readers will win a copy of the book Drama Box and the Social Theatre of Singapore: Cultural Intervention and Artistic Autonomy, written by local playwright and scholar Ng How Wee (yes, we bribe now).

Throughout the year, we've received many words of encouragement from our readers. We are extremely thankful and have learnt so much from the process. We would like to thank all contributors, writers and designers, for supporting this publication. Last but not least, thank YOU, for reading, for these words would not have meaning without you.

Happy New Year,

Kate, Wang Fang
Co-Editor

Kate, Wang Fang is a philosophy undergraduate at NUS. Besides answering questions about what she can do with a philosophy degree, she is also actively involved in the performance, production, research and translation works of theatre and film projects.

Two copies of the book Drama Box and the Social Theatre of Singapore: Artistic Autonomy and Cultural Intervention (worth $24 each) to be given away! Share with us your feedback on our e-Newsletter either on our facebook, or email our editors, Kate & Eng Hao, at newsletter@dramabox.org. We will randomly pick two lucky readers and give them a copy of the book!