Singaporean playwright Haresh Sharma’s NUS course allegedly cancelled abruptly without reason

SINGAPORE: Haresh Sharma, a veteran Singaporean playwright, took to Instagram to express his frustration and disappointment after being unexpectedly informed that his appointment to teach a playwriting course at the National University of Singapore (NUS) was not approved.

In an Instagram post on Monday (12 August), Mr Sharma, resident playwright at The Necessary Stage (TNS), revealed that he was informed last week that NUS did not approve his appointment, allegedly without providing a reason.

Mr Sharma, known for his socially-conscious plays, has been teaching regularly at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) for the past few years.

He was told that “the university’s decision is unrelated to issues of qualifications, experience or teaching abilities.”

“Then what? Is this how the university treats local artists? What about all the work I’ve done in preparation for my course? ” Mr Sharma questioned.

He also apologized to the students who were looking forward to his course, acknowledging the unnecessary stress caused by the last-minute cancellation, especially at the start of the term.

Despite receiving the Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Award in 2022 from NUS’s FASS, Mr Sharma questioned how the university can honour him with the award but not allow him to teach.

He sarcastically asked when it would be appropriate to return the award.

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A post shared by Haresh Sharma (@haresh_sharma_)

Solidarity to Mr Sharma

Many expressed solidarity with Mr. Sharma in response to his Instagram post.  Playwright Alfian Sa’at commented that the school’s decision was awful, criticizing the way they stated what the reasons were not while refusing to disclose the real reason.

Others have called for greater transparency and an explanation regarding the university’s decision to reject a lecturer’s course appointment.

Some Suspect Broader Trend to Discourage Critical Thinking and Creative Expression

A comment suggested that the decision to reject his course might be due to it being seen as too radical for the establishment, potentially under pressure to cut the course.

While others questioned whether these actions are part of a broader trend to discourage critical thinking and creative expression in favour of producing conformist students.

Mr Sharma Calls for Fair Treatment of Part-Time Artists

In an update, Mr Sharma further shared that some artist have reached out to him, sharing similar experiences.

Mr Sharma said two artists mentioned that they were also supposed to teach this semester but were dropped without a clear reason.

Sharma emphasized the importance of educational institutions treating part-time artists justly and responsibly, as many are freelancers who rely heavily on the income from teaching.

“Last minute cancellations deny them the opportunity to find other jobs, resulting in a painful loss of income,” Mr Sharma asserted.

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A post shared by Haresh Sharma (@haresh_sharma_)

Mr Sharma graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Language and English Literature in 1990.

He has written over 120 plays, which have been staged in more than 20 cities worldwide. In recognition of his contributions to the arts, he was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2015.

His play Off Centre was the first Singaporean play to be selected by the Ministry of Education as a literature text for students taking the N and O levels.

In 2011, Mr Sharma became the first non-American to receive the prestigious Goldberg Master Playwright Award from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

In 2014, he was honored with the Southeast Asian Writers Award (Singapore), which recognizes and celebrates literary excellence in the ASEAN region.

Mr Sharma views playwriting as a liberating experience. His works often address both Singaporean and global issues, exploring social themes such as mental illness, AIDS, inter-racial relations, and the education system in Singapore.