SINGAPORE — The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival (M1SFF) moves past its 10-year mark with a new face on board.

Organisers The Necessary Stage (TNS) announced yesterday (April 4) a new three-year rotating format for the festival’s Artistic Director position. Theatre director and educator Sean Tobin (picture) will take over from co-artistic directors Haresh Sharma and Alvin Tan, beginning with the 2015 edition which takes place in January and carries the theme Art & Loss.

The theatre company will continue to run the administrative, marketing and production aspects of the annual festival.

Tobin is no stranger to the local arts scene. An active practitioner, he is also currently the head of the School Of The Arts’ theatre faculty and was previously an Associate Artistic Director at TNS, during which he was the Artistic Director of M1SFF’s precursor, the M1 Youth Connection.

“I’m excited that I’m now coming back to pick up from where it has developed,” said Tobin, who has also presented works at M1SFF as an artist.

“Sean was a natural choice for many reasons. He’s very familiar with our working ethos,” said Melissa Lim, TNS General Manager. “He is in touch with many emerging and veteran Singapore artists whom he can commission for future festivals. He also sits on various boards/committees such as the National Arts Council and is well-respected by the arts community.”

As for his plans for the festival, Tobin said his priority will be to study the past 10 years of the festival. He’s also looking forward to how the festival could further support local artists.

“I’m interested in how the festival is part of a larger fabric of things that are happening and to make sure that it’s a platform to support and celebrate artists who are on the fringe or beyond the boundary, and celebrate that ongoing kind of work,” he said.

Meanwhile, the theatre company, which was a recent recipient of the National Arts Council’s Major Grant scheme, will also intensify its research processes, which is expected to culminate in a website by 2017.

It has also announced a new laboratory platform called The Orange Playground. Created by TNS Artistic Director Alvin Tan, it will be a series of workshops and sessions, where the company will collaborate and experiment with artists from various genres, that will culminate in showcases.

“We’re looking to have about three to four projects lined up. We will still present our usual programmes, but with this new platform, we are planning at least one main season production instead of two (a year),” said Lim.

Auditions for The Orange Playground will be held on May 3, 2pm to 8pm, at The Necessary Stage Black Box. Chosen applicants should prepare one short monologue and be comfortably attired for movement exercises. Mayo Martin

Interested participants for The Orange Playground are encouraged to email edlyn [at] necessary.org for an audition slot, with their full name on their IC, mobile number, date of birth, NRIC/passport number, nationality, mailing address and a recent CV with photo. Deadline for application is on April 14.