Wild Rice theatre company founder Ivan Heng to receive honorary doctorate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Heng will receive the honorary doctorate alongside dancer Akram Khan and singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan.
Ivan Heng founded Singapore theatre company Wild Rice in 2000. (Photo: Ivan Heng)
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On Friday (May 17), the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – regarded as one of the best performing arts schools in the world – announced the recipients of its honorary doctorates for 2024. One of the three recipients is Singaporean thespian Ivan Heng who is also the founder of renowned theatre company Wild Rice.
In a career spanning over three decades, Heng has staged numerous productions in Singapore and has even brought some of them, including the plays Hotel and Emily Of Emerald Hill, overseas.
In 2013, he was awarded the Cultural Medallion which is Singapore's highest cultural honour.
The other two recipients of this year's honorary doctorates from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland are award-winning choreographer and dancer Akram Khan, who has worked with Kylie Minogue and Florence and the Machine, and singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan.
Previous recipients of the honorary doctorates include Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa and Outlander star Sam Heughan in 2022.
The trio will be celebrated alongside the class of 2024 at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's summer graduation on Jul 4.
In a press statement, Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, the principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “Akram Khan, Ivan Heng and Vashti Bunyan are three visionary artists who are being recognised for their exceptional contributions to the world of music, dance and theatre and the unique artistic imprints they have made on arts and culture. Their honorary doctorates acknowledge their incredible accomplishments and hope to inspire our graduating students, the next generation of artists, to push the boundaries of creativity.”
CNA Lifestyle has reached out to Ivan Heng for comments.
