Sustainable Creativity

IS CREATIVITY POSSIBLE IN THIS CHALLENGING ECONOMY? DERRICK CHEW, FOUNDER OF SIGHT LINES ENTERTAINMENT, INSISTS THAT IT IS.

- DERRICK CHEW

THERE'S A PERVASIVE MYTH in the creative industries that business acumen and artistic integrity are locked in a perpetual tug-of-war.

But after building Sight Lines, an immersive theatre company based in Singapore since 2012, I've learnt that a solid business framework isn't a cage for creativity; it’s the stage that allows it to truly shine. It's what gives our wildest ideas the support they need to become a reality.

For me, sustainability isn't a corporate buzzword. It's about survival and impact. How do we keep doing what we love, year after year? It all comes down to three simple but powerful lessons I've learned along the way.

LESSON 1: YOUR MISSION IS YOUR LIGHTHOUSE

I’ve always been a believer in Simon Sinek’s idea to “Start with the Why”. Before anything else, we need to know our “why.” It sounds simple, but our mission is everything. It’s not a fancy line for our website; it's our company’s heartbeat.

For us at Sight Lines, that mission is to develop our audiences of tomorrow through fun and engaging theatre. This isn't just what we do; it's why we do it. This mission has been our lighthouse, especially on foggy days. When a shiny project comes along, we have a simple filter: “Does this help us build a more culturally vibrant Singapore through fun, engaging theatre?”