Meet Mary Seah, principal of the School of the Arts (SOTA), who tells us what an arts education at SOTA is really about.
<div id="attachment_86862" style="width: 1210px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-86862" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-86862" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u175931/KSP-article-3_FB-1200-x-628.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="628" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u175931/KSP-article-3_FB-1200-x-628.jpg 1200w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u175931/KSP-article-3_FB-1200-x-628-800x419.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u175931/KSP-article-3_FB-1200-x-628-320x167.jpg 320w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" />Mary Seah (third from right) with SOTA Visual Arts students at the exhibition, 3Quarters (2019). Photo courtesy of School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA).</div>
Curious about what being part of an arts school is like?
“I sometimes tell people that I have joined a community with bohemian and literati vibes,” says Mary Seah, who took over the helm at SOTA in December 2018.
“Music is my first love, and I feel so privileged to be able to rekindle that as part of my job. Music and the arts have given me a language to speak with, and think alongside the teachers and students in this school. It is a powerful and unique language.”
A music graduate from King’s College, University of London, Mary is a natural advocate for the arts, and she is particularly interested in how it might be a way for young people to explore and process complex social issues. Early in her teaching career, she taught the A-Level Music Elective Programme at Raffles Junior College, and was later asked to head its arts department. Prior to joining SOTA, Mary was principal at Tanjong Katong Girls’ School, where she led the school to achieve a School Distinction Award in 2014.
Despite her artistic inclinations, Mary remains acutely aware that art, as a single discipline, is “inadequate in helping us to fully understand the world.” Her challenge then, is to provide opportunities for arts students to develop ways of thinking that will “spur them on to discover intersections with many other disciplines.” This, she says, lies at the core of SOTA’s curriculum philosophy.
Read on as she talks to KSP about leading the students at SOTA to greater heights.
<h4>Tell us about work right now. What are you doing? </h4>
I am working from home today. In between two long meetings with my vice-principals and deans, I received a delivery of cold brew Hojicha tea, accompanied by a note that said “to help you get through the Circuit Breaker.” A cold treat, but such a warm gesture from a respected colleague! This is the “new normal,” where there are fresh opportunities for showing care and building a stronger SOTA spirit despite being physically apart. 
One of the hardest decisions we had to make today was to cancel the planned recordings of performances by our students. We had traversed numerous options in the past few months since Covid-19 hit us — from the postponement of performances, to reducing the audience size, to the eventual cancellation of all public showcases (in tandem with the national directive to close all performance venues). While we had hopes for making a recording instead, it has become clear that there is no way for students to rehearse, perform, or even record in real time. We’ve decided to put these sessions on hold for now.
<h4>What’s been the bright spark for you during this outbreak?</h4>
It’s times like these where the values of individuals, the strength of formal and informal leaders, and the unity of teams are tested. The bright spark for me, as head of this school, is the support we give to one another as we make difficult decisions. And despite the challenges of full home-based learning, I think our educational philosophy of being student-centric has become sharper in focus. 
As for our students, I’ve seen them step up to meet various needs of the community. Many of them had to rethink their community service projects and reassess the needs of the community in the light of Covid-19. To my students: whether you have chosen to lead a brand new initiative or join one, I am proud of your efforts!
<div id="attachment_86808" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-86808" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-86808" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/IB-results-Class-of-2019_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Marcus-Chiau-800x532.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="532" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/IB-results-Class-of-2019_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Marcus-Chiau-800x532.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/IB-results-Class-of-2019_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Marcus-Chiau-320x213.jpg 320w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/IB-results-Class-of-2019_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Marcus-Chiau-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/IB-results-Class-of-2019_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Marcus-Chiau.jpg 1352w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Mary Seah (left) congratulating Class of 2019 SOTA graduate Marcus Chiau on his excellent IB results (2020). Photo courtesy of School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA).</div>
<h4>What do you consider your most important work at SOTA?</h4>
My most important work? Students, of course! Our students are going to inherit an increasingly complex and confusing world. I often wonder how we can anchor them in core values, so that they are free — free to explore the complexities, and trusted to make unique, beautiful, and constructive contributions to Singapore and the world. This is my interpretation of the school’s vision to nurture creative citizens for the future. I would really like our students to leverage their training in the arts to be the cultural leaders of tomorrow, where their contributions are significant, profound, and sustained.
<h4>You’ve wondered if there is <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/news/campus-buzz/featured-stories/2019/03/29/let's-meet---mrs-mary-seah">a place for discipline</a> in arts education. What are your thoughts on this now?</h4>
I believe that internal discipline is absolutely necessary in the pursuit of the arts. In reference to our <a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/why-sota/student-development">school values</a>, I sometimes ask students: What is “humility” and “integrity” in discipline? What is “passion” in the light of one’s artistic discipline? And finally, how does “people-centredness” feature in discipline? At the end of the day, discipline at SOTA is about honoring people and the institution — the values we stand for — and working towards the highest standards that qualify your art form as “art.” At its core, discipline is about you.
<h4>Tell us about an experience with a SOTA student that has encouraged you as an educator.</h4>
I’d like to mention Allison Tan, a SOTA alumna from the Class of 2018. Allison is a dancer who was awarded the SAF Scholarship and the President’s Scholarship in 2019. She is currently studying International Relations at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and will return to a career with the Republic of Singapore Navy. Her example goes to show that there are a lot of transferable skills and dispositions in the arts. What we should continue to do in SOTA is to anchor our students in the important things that matter — and these include character values and ways of the arts disciplines — while also encouraging them to develop breadth, adaptability, and ultimately, service.
<div id="attachment_86807" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-86807" onerror="kspReplaceCdn(this)" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-86807" src="https://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/2019-Sarbica_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Claire-Lim-800x533.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="533" srcset="https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/2019-Sarbica_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Claire-Lim-800x533.jpg 800w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/2019-Sarbica_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Claire-Lim-320x213.jpg 320w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/2019-Sarbica_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Claire-Lim-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/2019-Sarbica_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Claire-Lim-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://wp.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/files/u170058/2019-Sarbica_Mrs-Mary-Seah-with-Claire-Lim-scaled.jpg 1350w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Mary Seah viewing SOTA Visual Arts student Claire Lim’s artwork at the SARBICA International Symposium 2019. Photo courtesy of School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA).</div>
<h4>What’s one thing that most people don’t know about arts students?</h4>
Our students come across as spontaneous, curious, and unafraid to question and probe. They are relaxed, confident, and outspoken. Look beyond the surface, and you will uncover the multiplicity of perspectives, the thoughtfulness, and the insight they are working on developing. 
Also, you might not know this, but SOTA students love sports. You will always find groups of students playing table tennis, badminton, or basketball at all hours of the day in school. Oh, and our A Division Tchoukball Boys team have been champions for three years running, while the Girls team have clinched top three positions too. They are a force to be reckoned with!
<h4>What should parents know about an arts education at SOTA?</h4>
What an education at SOTA requires from the student is authenticity. This is absolutely critical at the point of application, and an important requirement all the way through the six years that he or she is here. Parents, therefore, need to have conversations with their 12-year-olds, to understand if they are authentically passionate about the arts. Contrary to popular belief, passion doesn’t make your pursuit of something pain-free. In fact, passion puts you to work harder than ever, and it makes you suffer for its sake! 
This authenticity will lead you to recognise what you are not so good at, but passionate about. It will also lead you to discover connections to new strengths, which could well be what the world needs. You may therefore decide to pursue a career as an engineer, architect, data scientist, lawyer, diplomat, and so on, and the IB Diploma allows you to do that. But I hope our students will always remain authentically passionate about the arts. And that they will always have a unique way of looking at the world, because of their unique arts training. 
<h4>For students hoping to enter SOTA, what would you say to them?</h4>
Back to the authenticity question, I would ask them: Are you for real when you say you are “passionate” about the arts? If you don’t get into SOTA, are you prepared to find other ways of pursuing your passion? If that should happen, check out the various elective programmes that the Ministry of Education offers — you are bound to find one that would develop you.
Finally, I would tell them that the journey towards being the best version of yourself starts now, in the big and little things that you do. And of course, all the best for the Primary School Leaving Examination!

At SOTA, You’ll Need Plenty Of Authenticity

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&ldquo;SOTA? Do you just do arts 24/7?&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s what I will commonly hear about my secondary school. Many people expect School of the Arts (SOTA) to churn out students who will go on to do &ldquo;arts&rdquo;-related degrees and pursue careers in the arts.
That is not the case. In SOTA, arts and academics share the same stage. SOTA&rsquo;s vision is to produce &ldquo;Creative Citizens for the Future&rdquo;. SOTA graduates are not expected to pursue art careers, but to bring about a positive impact through creativity in whatever profession they choose to pursue.
Before SOTA
Before joining SOTA, I too, had my worries. Thoughts like &ldquo;would it be too stressful&rdquo; or &ldquo;will there be very strong competition&rdquo; raced through my mind as I confirmed my application for the Theatre programme. Personally, it was a big step, turning a simple passion into an integral part of my life. However, I can proudly say that I never regretted joining SOTA.
Adapting to SOTA life
My first few months in SOTA were spent getting used to the environment. Like any other secondary school, the additional subjects, mainly humanities and literature, brought about more stress. We had to learn the fundamentals of the subjects and distribute adequate revision time to each. Some school days ended as late as 5.45pm. However, with appropriate time management skills, I was able to cope well and even enjoyed the lessons.
The teachers always found ways to make lessons fun and interesting. They would create Kahoot quizzes, where a class would compete and answer questions through the online platform. Small prizes were given. This created a competitive yet engaging learning environment for us. I was able to gain a better understanding of the subjects.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Specialised artforms were also incorporated into our schedule. Despite doing what I enjoyed, I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the due dates and showcases. Luckily, the projects were spaced out in the term, which allowed us to focus on one project at a time. Overcoming the initial fear before a showcase was tough, but once I stepped onto the stage, I felt at ease and was genuinely happy as I was doing what I love.
Examinations in SOTA
In SOTA, examinations and projects made up our overall grade, most of which comprises the mid-year and end-of-year examination results. Compared to primary school, there was much more material to be memorized, especially for the Humanities. I started memorization early for the Humanities and learnt to rewrite important concepts and points at least 4 weeks before the exams.
IB school
As an IB (International Baccalaureate) school, we had more projects incorporated into our curriculum and grades. I found this good as the overall grades are not fully dependent on examination results. It also gave us a chance to foster good relationships with peers through projects.
Subject changes
English was replaced with ELCT (English Language and Critical Thinking). In ELCT, we no longer did grammar and vocabulary exercises. Instead, we were made to brainstorm issues in our society, analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives. We were able to communicate our views and opinions through essays. I enjoyed ELCT the most as I became more aware of social issues and learnt to develop opinions on them.
Integrated Arts
Besides doing our artform, we are also given opportunities to try out other &nbsp;artforms through Integrated Arts (IA). For example, in Visual Arts IA, we were made to contour draw our friends without looking at the paper. Our pencils were not supposed to leave the paper and we had to keep looking at our friends while drawing out their features. When I looked down at my drawing, I was surprised it was not as bad as I expected it to be! This was an eye-opener for me. &nbsp;We were later given a glimpse of what visual arts students did in their art form.
We also brainstormed ways to connect different artforms together. For example, dance could be used in physical theatre, where meaning was expressed through movements in an ensemble. For our theatre piece in Term two, we had to perform a physical theatre piece &ldquo;Jabberwocky&rdquo; in an ensemble. We incorporated what we learnt in Dance IA and found different ways to use space dynamically. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Through Integrated Arts, I was able to appreciate all forms of art and find ways to bring together different artforms. We were also given chances to watch a variety of art showcases &ndash; from dance showcases to visual art exhibitions. &nbsp;We were often brought to public performances to observe professionals at work. Dance and theatre classes were brought to watch performances at the Esplanade, while visual arts and literary arts classes were brought to art exhibitions and bookshops. As a cohort, we were sometimes brought together to watch shows at the Esplanade.
In a nutshell, I had a very fulfilling and enriching first year at SOTA. I feel incredibly privileged to be given a chance by my parents to pursue my passion for the arts and will work hard in the arts and academics.

MORE ABOUT SOTA
For those who are keen, here are some commonly asked questions about SOTA:
What is the cut-off point to enter SOTA?
Once your DSA application to SOTA has been accepted, you need to qualify for the express stream (&ge;200) to enter.
Where can our children pursue 3rd languages in SOTA? Is it done in the campus or do they have to go to MOE campus.
Mother tongue languages (Chinese, Malay, Hindi, Tamil) are required to be taken up by all students in SOTA. If you choose to opt for additional optional languages like Japanese, French, German and Spanish, you have to go on MOE language centers after school on Thursdays to study the languages. You will be given a list of additional languages to choose from depending on your PSLE score. This is not a compulsory subject to take up, but there will be tests and examinations for the language.
Are there prefects in SOTA?
No, we do not have prefects in SOTA. Instead, we have these committees to maintain order in the school and strengthen the school spirit:
Class Management Committee Council 
(CMC Council)
Leadership Studies Committee 
(LSC)
Communications Committee 
(Comms)
In all the years, we have the CMCs, who are essentially the class monitors of each class. At the start of the year, the class would elect 4 candidates who are deemed fit to lead the class. LSC and Comms are for Year 4s and above. Students who apply for LSC and Comms are interviewed and go through a selection process. Students in Comms organise school events and students in LSC are trained to lead groups and to further their leadership skills. Find out more about SOTA&rsquo;s leadership programme in the link here:<a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/why-sota/student-development/leadership-development" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> https://www.sota.edu.sg/why-sota/student-development/leadership-development</a>
Is there CCA in SOTA?
No, there isn&rsquo;t. Instead, we have CAS groups run by Year 5 selected students. CAS stand for creativity, activity and service. Some CAS groups include Badminton, Tchoukball, Netball and Debate. There are many CAS groups and there will be presentations during morning assemblies about CAS groups for students to better understand the CAS groups they are planning to join. LCD records are like the VIA records in Primary school. They will be included in the report book if you join certain CAS groups.
Can I DSA to SOTA through a particular subject?
No, DSA to SOTA is only available through Dance, Theatre, Music, Literary Arts, Visual Arts and Film (for Year 5 and 6s). More information about DSA to SOTA can be found here: 
<a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/admissions/how-to-apply-to-sota/dsa-secondary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.sota.edu.sg/admissions/how-to-apply-to-sota/dsa-secondary</a>
Do refer to the link below for more FAQs: 
<a href="https://www.sota.edu.sg/about-us/faqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.sota.edu.sg/about-us/faqs</a>
This article is contributed by a first-year SOTA student. KSP parents: we welcome contributions from your children, especially if they are studying in a secondary school or a tertiary institution and would like to share a story about their school life. To find out more, email <a href="mailto:irene@covocal.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">irene@covocal.com</a>.
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