By Adeline Chia

THEATREWORKS artistic director Ong Keng Sen has been appointed Leverhulme Artist in Residence in Edinburgh University, and is likely to present a project at the Edinburgh International Festival next year.

The prestigious 61-year-old Scottish festival had worked with the university to invite Ong, 44, to do a three-month-long humanities residency at the university, to be spread out over a year.

Mr Mills, 44, said: 'Keng Sen is not only a dear friend, but also one of the most treasured artists to have come out of Singapore in many years. He is an artist who speaks of his time and his place very eloquently.

'The range of his work, collaborations and cultures with which he is engaged, has brought to international awareness practices and artists that might have been lost forever except for his work. He is a great pioneer.'

The festival director was in town to watch awaking, directed by Ong and an East-meets- West musical meditation on love featuring early English music and refined Chinese kunqu music. The production is a co-commission by both festivals.

Mr Mills, a composer, and Ong had worked together for the Sandakan Threnody in 2004. Mills' music was used in the multimedia production about the 2,000 Australian and British prisoners of war who died in the death marches in Borneo during World War II.

It is likely that Ong will present at least one work at the Edinburgh festival next year, though Mr Mills declined to comment on the line-up for next year's programme.

But he conceded that 'we're not bringing him to Edinburgh to twiddle his thumbs. We're actually there, engaging with him, and he will be working on projects in the future'.

The arts alliance between the two festivals has already resulted in two co-commissions, including last year's Optical Identity, a music drama presented by Glasgow-based multi-disciplinary group Theatre Cryptic and Singapore's T'ang Quartet. It premiered at last year's Singapore Arts Festival and went on to show at the Edinburgh fest.

Ms Goh, 47, says: 'It's a fulfilment of a particular dream of the Singapore Arts Festival, because when we started many years ago, we've always held Edinburgh Festival as a model of our development. To be able to have a relationship with the Edinburgh festival means a lot to us.'

On recent press reports that the Singapore Arts Festival might be too avant-garde for local audiences, Mr Mills defended Ms Goh's programming.

He said: 'When there are questions of 'Who is this artist', 'Where have they come from' and 'We've never heard of them', I think that the festival is absolutely doing its job well.

'I do not believe that festivals are about reinforcement of the status quo. I believe festivals are about introducing new ideas and fresh air into any society.'

In between rehearsals for awaking, Ong told Life!: 'It's always nice having a big festival director coming to Singapore to see a new show. It shows that he is serious in considering us for the global artistic map. It is an honour.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on June 14, 2008.