【The Âtre 】：看見黑衣人—— 正視劇場幕後工作群

The Âtre Issue 15 (August 2024) https://www.the-atre.com/

在新加坡，不乏為年輕藝術工作者提供演出的平台，如野米劇場的“Young and Wild”，如彭魔劇團的“Very Youthful Company”，如新加坡專業劇場的“The Young Company”，這些劇團主要為喜歡演戲，想要演戲，對舞台劇有興趣的年輕表演者提供表演訓練與上台演出的機會。雖說這類平台也讓學員們接觸後台運作，認識後台製作，但畢竟以表演為主，以訓練演員為重點。

對後台工作有興趣的藝術工作者，較難找到合適的平台學習並訓練。一般情況下，他們總得在劇場演出的實戰中向專業人士學習。這樣的學習效果較難有持續性（如果沒有接到戲，學習就中斷）；而且演出的緊張氛圍未必是最好的學習環境。

2022年，三位專業後台人員（劉淑娟、謝心儀與林丹鳳）發起了「幕後關係」（Backstage Affair），為對後台製作有興趣的人們提供培訓與工作的機會，這很有可能是新加坡首個為後台製作提供系統化培訓的專業機構。在訓練體系方面，「幕後關係」提供為期一年的學徒計畫，指導學徒學習舞臺監督與製作經理的工作。學徒除了有機會上大師班、通過工作坊學習，也會隨著專業人士進行實踐。除了培訓新人，「幕後關係」也為劇場生態提供各項幕後操作服務，如舞台監督、製作經理、後台人員，等等。

無獨有偶，在2021年，「幕後關係」的其中一成員林丹鳳與兩位電影界的藝術總監Junior Foong和Feng Kexin一起成立了「道具團」（The Props Collective），引領大家思考劇場與電影製作中所用到的大量道具與佈景在每一次的演出或拍攝結束以後，究竟是如何被處理的。

很多時候，在製作戲劇和電影過程中，道具和佈景都充當一次性用途，對環境所造成的污染與負擔是很大的。於是「道具團」強調資源回收，提供一處中央儲存空間，讓所有藝術團體可以共享資源，在做藝術的同時，也照顧環境。

「道具團」受到國家藝術理事會的補助金，持續兩年後，在2023年結束營業。「幕後關係」目前仍在運作：今年7月，為期一年的學徒計畫結束，從此新加坡劇場又多了幾位專業幕後人員了。幕後工作是劇場演中極其重要的一環，但甚少被重視，「幕後關係」提高劇場業界人士對幕後工作人員的意識，提升幕後操作專業化的形象，可謂讓一直默默無聞的後台人員賦權。

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The Âtre Issue 15 (August 2024) https://www.the-atre.com/

"Seeing the People in Black - Looking out for Backstage Crews”

Text/ Neo Hai Bin

In Singapore, there is no lack of platforms for young performers: the "Young and Wild" by Wild Rice Theatre, "Very Youthful Company" by Pangdemonium, "The Young Company" by Singapore Repertory Theatre. 

These platforms are mainly for young performers who like to act, to provide them with the opportunity to train, and then to perform on stage.

While these platforms also allow young performers to be exposed to backstage operations, they are, nonetheless, primarily performance-centred, focusing on growing and training young performers.

Those who are interested in backstage work are less likely to find a suitable platform to learn and train. Usually, they have to learn from professionals, and to learn on the job. Such learning is less likely to be sustainable (if they do not have any theatre show, learning is disrupted); the stressful environment of a production may not be the ideal learning environment, too.

In 2022, three backstage professionals (Carolene Ruth Liew, Lam Dan Fong and Evelyn Chia) launched "Backstage Affair" to provide training and job opportunities for people interested in backstage production. This is likely to be the first structured organization in Singapore to provide training for backstage production. "Backstage Affair" offers a one-year apprenticeship program for stage managers and production managers. In addition to participating in master classes and workshops, the apprentices also have the opportunity to work alongside professionals in a hands-on manner. Besides offering training programmes, "Backstage Affair" also provides a variety of backstage services, such as stage manager, production manager, backstage crew, etc.

Fittingly, in 2021, one of the members of Backstage Affairs, Lam Dan Fong, along with two film art directors, Junior Foong and Feng Kexin, founded The Props Collective. It was an effort to raise awareness of how props and sets used in theater and film productions are often made for single-use purposes, and disposed of at the end of each performance or shoot, leading to great wastage. The Props Collective emphasizes on the importance of recycling, providing a centralized storage space for all art groups to share with one another, so that they can take care of the environment whilst making art.

The Props Collective received a grant from the National Arts Council, and sustained for two years before it ceased operations in 2023. Backstage Affairs is still in operation: in July this year (2024), a one-year apprenticeship program organised by Backstage Affairs ended successfully, and Singapore Theatre gained a few more professional backstage crews. 

Backstage works is an extremely important but much under-appreciated component of the theatre scene-- the Backstage Affairs works to raise awareness on the importance of backstage crews, to enhance the professionalism of backstage operations, and to empower those who have been working silently behind the scenes.