Digital Archive of Singapore Tamil Theatre (DASTT)

The Digital Archive of Singapore Tamil Theatre (DASTT) was launched on 25 November 2017. This project was the second in a series of digital archives that documented some key aspects of Singapore Tamil culture. The series was undertaken jointly by the Tamil Digital Heritage Group (TDHG) and the National Library Board (NLB). Tamil theatre in Singapore is reported to have started more than a century ago; however, there is little evidence to support this claim. Even in the early 2000s, when Tamil theatre was flourishing in this country, it lacked proper documentation. Led by local theatre practitioner Ganesh Subramaniam, DASTT focused on collecting video recordings, scripts, publicity materials, and reviews of Tamil plays in Singapore.

As a pioneering effort, it aimed to collate and annotate the history of Tamil theatre developments in this country and make them available in digital form to anyone, anywhere at no cost. The archive is not only a historical record, but more importantly, it serves as a teaching resource for current and future generations of theatre makers. It is also a reference point for Singapore's political, economic, and social developments, to the extent that Tamil plays were a reflection of the society in which they were produced and performed. 



தமிழில் வாசிக்க

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.