AT A GLANCE
Ramneek Singh
Area of Practice:
Political violence, Migration and displacement, Social and political history
OVERVIEW
Ramneek Singh is an award-winning playwright, theatre director, actor, and teacher. He has studied ‘Devising Theatre and Performance’ at London International School of Performing Arts (now arthaus.berlin). He has also trained at Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Art Research (Pondicherry) and Indian Ensemble (Bangalore). Since 2019, he has been with Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design & Technology, teaching undergraduate courses in devising theatre, playwriting, and interdisciplinary humanities. He has previously been a visiting faculty at Azim Premji University.
His work for the stage includes the plays ‘The Cage of Sparrows’, ‘Parvati’s Dark Children’, ‘Meerut’, ‘Shahid’, and ‘Sohrai’, among others. His plays have had productions and rehearsed readings across India (Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi), London (UK), and Shanghai (China). His work has been read at literature and theatre festivals, including Lekhana and the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival.
Ramneek’s plays have won the Sultan Padamsee Playwriting Award 2016, Blue Elephant Theatre (London) Playwriting Competition 2016, Toto Funds the Arts Creative Writing Award 2012, and Shyamanand Jalan National Youth Theatre Award 2012. He has received performing arts scholarships from Charles Wallace India Trust (2012-13), Inlaks Foundation (2014-15), and London International School of Performing Arts (2013 and 2015).
EDUCATION
Devising Theatre and Performance (Initiation Course 2013 and Advanced Course 2015), London International School of Performing Arts. B.Tech (Computer Science and Engineering), 2001-05, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Teaching Faculty, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design & Technology.
Visiting Faculty, Azim Premji University.
Independent playwright, director, and actor, collaborating with various theatre companies over the years.
INTEREST AREAS
Political violence
Migration and displacement
Social and political history
CURRENT PRACTICE AT SRISHTI
I teach undergraduate courses focused on devising theatre, playwriting, social and political history, feminist thought, among other units on the intersection of art and politics, across various disciplines. Apart from that, I direct and devise new work with the students for the Festival of Performances during the Interim.
TEACHING PORTFOLIO
01.jpeg: ‘I see Kashmir from New Delhi at midnight’ by Agha Shahid Ali. A still from ‘Shahid’, Festival of Performances 2019, National School of Drama (Bangalore).
02.png: Students attempt to create a physical vocabulary for the chorus.
03.png: Students perform their work exploring desire, caste, and class in a workshop on socio-cultural thinking tools.
04.jpeg: ‘Another attempt at soliloquy’ by Shahryar. A still from ‘Shahid’, Festival of Performances 2019, National School of Drama (Bangalore).
05.png: Students devise movement for a piece inspired by poetry, legal texts, and images from the archive.
CREATIVE PRACTICE & OUTREACH
2019: ‘Shahid’, a devised work, directed with Srishti’s students opened at National School of Drama (Bangalore).
2018: ‘Meerut’ had a rehearsed reading at the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival.
2018: ‘Sohrai’, a children’s play inspired by Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ and Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar’s ‘The Adivasi Will Not Dance’ opened.
2016: Sultan Padamsee Playwriting Award for the play ‘Parvati’s Dark Children’.
2016: Blue Elephant Theatre (London) Playwriting Competition: ‘Parvati’s Dark Children’ was one of the three winning plays. The play had a rehearsed reading at the Blue Elephant Theatre in London.
2015: ‘The Death of Dreams’ opened in an adaptation ‘Dragonflies’ at Shanghai Theatre Academy, produced by Intercultural Performance Studio.
2014-15: Inlaks Foundation scholarship in the field of Theatre.
2014-15: ‘Chidiyon ka Pinjra’ opened at Jagriti Theatre, produced with a grant from The New Voices Arts Project, and ran for several shows at Ranga Shankara.
2012-13: Charles Wallace India Trust scholarship for Performing Arts.
2012: Shyamanand Jalan National Youth Theatre Award for the play ‘The Cage of Sparrows’.
2012: Toto Funds the Arts Creative Writing Award for the play ‘The Cage of Sparrows’.
