Sat, 17 March 2012, After Solat Maghrib | English

Level 5, Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah

Statement; Keelat Theatre Ensemble

Gene Sha Rudyn

theatre, ensemble

Fees: 1 dirham

Abstract

Knowledge begets understanding and, consequently, certainty. These may be gained by obtaining information, witnessing and, most convincingly of all, experiencing.

But just how much knowledge is there for one to learn? Is there a minimum that one should know?

Humanity's never-ending quest for The Truth continues with a look at a portion of a chapter from Holy Scripture.

programme

A Caravan has a stopover and sits around a campfire. A communal space is thus built for the casual exchange of thoughts and advice.

Alongside a performance, there is a marketplace for trade and exchange in the tradition of the Free Market of Medina, the City of the Prophet.

At the end of the night, the Caravan prepares to move on.

Entry by pre-registration to
our online form
or
e-mail Full Name, Identity Card or Passport Number, and contact number to [email protected]
and
payment of 1 Dirham ($12) upon entry

Dress : modest




Presenter

STATEMENT honors the immense artistic potential of the region presenting artists whose works will be exhibited and concentrate on two defined groups: conceptual and contemporary. A social art gathering that emphasize on cross-disciplinary thinking where attendees could be juxtaposed and invited to interact, bringing forth contradictions, gaps, unclarity overlaps and affinities.


Ensemble

Established in 2008, Keelat Theatre Ensemble aims to explore Islamic perspectives of common issues and common perspectives of Islamic issues; contemporarise traditional Islamic theatre practises and traditionalise contemporary Islamic theatre practises; bridge differences of ethnicity, spirituality, intellectual capacity and economic status; enhance international and intercultural understanding; by staging theatre productions with professional efficiency and artistic integrity for the contemporary audience at large.

Keelat Theatre Ensemble broke new ground with the mosque premiere of “AL-IKHLAS (SINCERITY) – a monologue in seven acts re-introducing God” in 2009 at Masjid Jamek Queenstown. It has since toured mosques around Singapore and in 2011 had its international theatrical premiere at MAP@Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Keelat Theatre Ensemble also has under its wings Halilintar Project – interactive theatre for youth, Pelangi Project – participatory theatre for children, Awan Project – education and training, and Taufan Project – international touring season.

Performer

Gene Sha Rudyn, born in Singapore in 1968, is a multi-faceted director, writer, designer, educator, performer and award-winning actor with over 25 years of professional experience. He had major roles in many critically acclaimed theatre productions in Singapore, took a monologue on tour to the heartlands of six states in Malaysia, another to seven mosques in Singapore, and graced the theatre stages of international arts festivals in Singapore, Hobart, Budapest, Wellington, Perth, and Yokohama.

He also played the role of actor-facilitator in theatre-based professional development programmes for multi-national companies, as well as designed Theatre-In-Education, Drama-In-Education, Arts Exposure and Library Outreach programmes in Malay and English for well-established theatre companies in Singapore.

Gene Sha Rudyn was Associate Director of Teater Ekamatra (1998-2000), Director-In-Residence of Education & Theatre Consultants (2001), Co-Artistic Director of Naga Pass-Ra (2002-2003), and is Founding Artistic Director and Ensemble Leader of Keelat Theatre Ensemble (2008-present).

Venue

In the 1920s, Sayyid Abdur Rahman bin Junied bin Umar bin Ali Aljunied, grandson of founder of Waqaf Aljunied, Sayyid Umar bin Ali Aljunied, decided to build a madrasah after the British stopped the use of the Waqaf Aljunied land as a burial plot and in 1927, Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah opened its doors to the first batch of ten students. Today, almost a century on, its enrolment has increased a hundred-fold to more than a thousand students.

A special course to groom religious leaders was introduced in 1936 and two years later, afternoon religious classes were introduced for students attending government schools in the morning. In 1941, the madrasah went through its first rebuilding project to add more classrooms. With the outbreak of World War II, many students and teachers returned to their various homelands and the name of the madrasah was changed to Darul 'Ulum Addiniyah Aljunaidiyah. It returned to its original name when peace was restored in 1945. The 1960s saw new subjects being introduced into the curriculum, including English, Malay, Mathematics, Science, Geography and History.

Arabic is the lingua franca of Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah and, over the years, it has distinguished itself as the only religious institution in the country whose students' mastery of the Arabic language is second to none. Its reputation as the premier madrasah of Islamic learning in Singapore is known throughout Southeast Asia. Its tradition of academic excellence has produced graduates who have earned recognition by such esteemed institutions as Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.

The illustrious list of distinguished alumni includes Minister for Religious Affairs in Brunei Darussalam, Pehin Dato Seri Utama Dr Haji Mohamad Zain Haji Serudin; former Mufti of Singapore, Syed Isa Mohamed Semait; current Mufti of Singapore, Dr Fatris Bakaram; prolific religious leader, the late Ustaz Ahmad Sonhaji; ninety percent of Sarawak Islamic Council's staff, alongside a number of lecturers in universities around the region.

Even after the demolition of the original two-storey building on the Victoria Street site to make way for the current five-storey one, the goal of Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah remains to develop thinking Muslim scholars who have the flexibility to adapt to the changes in the modern world without compromising Islamic values.

Level 5, Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah