An art collective has taken advantage of the popularity of so-called escape rooms by tooling their own creative experience to match the kinds of things participants might be asked to do. Escape rooms are so-named because they require of participants to take part in exercises, actions, and puzzles to try to unlock and leave a room within the allotted time. What the LGB Society of Mind is doing reflects just how popular such entertainment is right now by asking for participation by more than one hundred people at the same time.
I Am LGB, the name of the experience, starts out by closely mirroring public school practices in Singapore and the broader Southeastern Asian region. In many public school experiences, students are asked to conform to expectations, achievements, and social norms, and are rewarded for doing so. Members of the art collective organize participants into large groups, encouraging them to do such activities as dance. Even if people are not accomplished dancers, they begin to find comfort in the fact that everyone in their group is dancing, and conform in that way. Throughout the experience, participants’ decisions affect the outcome. If someone conforms too enthusiastically, for example, then they might lose out on access to viewing a challenging piece of art that might not have conformed to expectations. As the experience goes on, less and less emphasis is placed on conformity, and more focus on individuality is encouraged. Art itself is a celebration of individuality — individual thoughts and reflections on culture, events, and society. Even if people stand out, it is often to the betterment of their communities that they do so. Thinking outside of the box is a great way to bring a different understanding to the table and encourage others to do the same. With more diverse interpretations of a single thing we have, there is a greater chance of understanding it from all possible angles.
The I Am LGB experience encourages participants to think and analyze their actions. What are they doing in the moment? What does that action signify? What would happen if they take apart that action and think about it in that way, completely deconstructed? Gradually, the big groups are broken down as a part of the experience and the individual is celebrated with role-playing based on real Singaporean performance artists.
Art can span many genres and take on many forms, and there is sure to be a focused study that appeals to everyone. Find your artistic niche by enrolling in an art class via SGArtClass.com. From artistic photography to video art, you will be led on a creative journey by an expert teacher. It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced artist or someone just getting started on their push for knowledge and experience. You will learn the skills necessary to understand your chosen genre and continue to grow in it, completing interesting projects.
To read more about the innovative performances, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/singapore-international-festival-of-arts-i-am-lgb-is-real-escape-game-from-singapore.