Pivoting towards professionalism: Positionality of an in-between space of learning in higher arts and design educational experiences in Singapore

The in-between space of learning is an other-kind of space outside the institutional context that is autonomously chosen by students as they pivot towards professionalism. It is through the space in-between that student-professionals develop new personas that broaden the scope of what it means to become a professional in art and design. Drawing from the context of higher arts and design education in Singapore, this study examines how individuals learn to perform a delicate dance by navigating a range of different positions – caught between student and professional, neither fully belonging to one nor the other, or emerging at the very cusp of professionalism. Findings also show how student-professionals challenge conventional ways of belonging, develop their becomings, deepen the sense of being, and break out into something new while engaging with an unknowability of the other. These experiences highlight the need to shift from learning within institutional confines to embracing learning beyond the campus, urging art schools to question established norms as students navigate the shift between academic and professional identities. The key implication of this article is to examine how the in-between space serves as a vehicle for change, reproduction and transformation within institutional learning, as demonstrated by the practical insights presented in this study.