[ The School | The People | The Facilities | The Location ]
Programme Director: Ben Xiao |
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| Ben studied in Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College before deciding to pursue a career in the arts and education. Since his first foray into the performing arts, Ben has also ventured into acting and has played lead roles in both English and Mandarin theatre and on television.
Ben's proficiency in the arts and his inherent ability to impart knowledge gradually found him teaching his craft and developing enrichment curriculum for children and adults in many educational and corporate institutions. They include:
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Ben has also developed training curriculum and team-building for organizations such as:
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| He prides himself on being one of the few teachers who is a well-trained, accomplished artist himself. Practicing what he teaches in the classroom, Ben continues to perform and produce works in the arts. His recent projects include directing GREASE- The Musical at the Victoria Theatre and scripting/directing “The Impregnable Fortress” commissioned by the Singapore Tourist Board and the National Heritage Board.
“The Impregnable Fortress” was a script made possible through Ben's extensive research into the fall of Singapore for the Singapore Heritage Festival in 2004 and was re-staged as a highlight at the 60 th Commemorative Anniversary of the Liberation of Singapore organized by STB. He has also adapted, produced and directed “The Rainbow Reef” which raised $10 000 for the charity initiative - “Seeing is Believing”. Although a specialist in the performing arts, Ben also recognises the need for children to be continually exposed to academic enrichment to maximise their potential in school. He constantly fuses science and mathematical concepts, language and the humanities into the art he teaches and the curriculum he creates. This was best illustrated in the ACTive History Curriculum which he helped to create for Clementi Town Primary School. He led all the primary 5 students on a civic district historical adventure that was well received by both teachers and students. It was then that he had to conduct tours and interactive history workshops at Kent Ridge Park (Battle of Bukit Panjang), Labrador park, Fort Canning, Kranji Memorial and the Asian Civilisations Museum. Ben had also committed time in scripting school shows for the Asian Civilisation Museum for it's new location at Empress Place. In 2005, Ben was invited to speak at the annual Sports Seminar for Parents 2005, organized by the Singapore Sports Council. He worked with parents at the seminar to spread the message of the importance of keeping kids physically active through structured movement programmes. He also put up various showcases of dance performances with his team of kids. He is currently working with the Sports Council to bring motor-skill development programmes into the various pre-schools in Singapore. Ben believes that the youth are hope for a better age and that through creative education, they will instil in themselves a sense of identity, community and integrity. Ben is a founder and director of SAVASkool, leads his team in programme development, and facilitating outdoor learning, the humanities, motor-skill development and arts programmes. Ben teaches the following classes and fitness programmes:
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