Reflecting on Danger Risk of Falling by ParkourDance (while thinking about GE2015)

Walking through a house of heartbreaks

littered with the corpses of failures

hanging lifeless, upside down,

displayed for all to see.

Uncanny gallery of battle wounds

the scars still hurt

after they heal.

This is not another broken-hearted poem

but it is about love

Worried about losing the now

because things could always be much worse.

Taking the slaps

because it is easier than losing a home.

Wanting less pain

but not fighting for it because somehow

we’ve learned to believe

that we get what we deserve.  

And that suffering builds ruggedness of character.

And the hurt increases with each ask…

even then…

                         risk that heartbreak

follow that dream

                         (and make it real)

another failure

is no more than

                          the others before.

There is nothing more depressing

than wandering with the ghost of a dream

and living each day

in exactly the same way as we did

50 years before.

Keeping to the same limits

prescribed for each of us

with boundaries drawn in for us

in accordance to our merits

(determined by someone other than ourselves)

Dare we pursue the possibility of being

much much more than a cog in the machine

of one man’s dream?

This is not another broken-hearted poem  

but it is about love.

Projects and Roles Undertaken as a Freelance Applied Performance Practitioner (1998 – present)

Awards & Festivals

Performer, W, Design Festa vol 35, Tokyo (2012)

Speaker, Performing Arts Today Conference 2009, Leibring bei leibnitz, Austria (International University of Global Theatre Experience)

Singapore Arts Festival Gala Opening 2004: TGV

Singapore Film Festival (2004): 576 by CheeK

TRANSIT IV: Roots – International Theatre Festival & Meeting in Holstebro, Denmark (2003)

Pulp (2003) – Project Director for the first-ever Street vs Art international festival featuring 30 artists/groups from Singapore, Canada, France, UK, Thailand and Malaysia

Asian Television Awards – Singapore Short Stories Project, Best Drama Series, Best Cinematography and Best Editing (Long Form)

The Magdalena Project – Performing Words 2003 Singapore

Nominated Best Actress 2000 – Life! Theatre Awards

Most Promising Newcomer 1999 – The Flying Inkpot

Projects undertaken as a Freelance Applied Performance Practitioner:

Publicity Coordinator, Sneaker Pimps Exhibition in Singapore (2004)

  • Sneaker Pimps is the first and only international touring sneaker exhibition of up to 400 rare limited edition, artist collaborated/customised sneaker from all over the world.
  • Sneaker Pimps is touring in Australia, US, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Canada, London, Paris, Stockholm, Berlin, Munich, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Brussels and Prague.

Project Director, Pulp (2003)

  • Raised $17,000 in funding and attracted 30 international artists/groups from Canada, Thailand, UK, France, Singapore and Malaysia to participate in this free-to-public, 3-day Street Vs. Arts festival over 28 – 30 November 2003.
  • Pulp pioneered many artistic “firsts” including Graffiti vs. Visual Arts, Bharatanatyam vs. Breaking, Tablas vs. Hip Hop Emcee and Percussion and DJ Adam H accompanied by live visual mixing provided by Fake.
  • Pulp was followed by an exhibition of works called Pulp: Street x Art from the festival from 10 – 21 December 2003, co-produced by the2ndrule

Organising Committee, Magdalena Singapore 2006 (2003 2004)

  • Co-organised the first Magdalena Singapore meetings for Singaporean performers.
  • Performed as part of a showcase at the end of the Performing Words workshop organised by The Substation.

Volunteer Organising committee, AWARE Its My Life! (2003)

  • Co-organised a series of sexual harassment awareness and self-defence sessions for young women at Pertapis Girls’ Home
  • Created monologues towards a performance at the end of the It’s My Life project at Pertapis Girls’ Home.

Volunteer Co-Director/Publicity & Marketing, Digital Compassion 02 (2002)

  • Publicised a series of 6 short films exploring the concept of Digital Compassion
  • Coordinated the raising of funds from the screening for Singapore Children’s Society.

Company Manager, Singapore Repertory Theatre Young Company (1998 – 2001)

  • Drafted contracts for the performers
  • Kept attendance records
  • Attended to welfare of the company
  • Performed for Singapore Arts Festival’s Late Night Series (1999)

PERFORMING EXPERIENCE 

Film highlights

Sam (main supporting) in Clouds In My Coffee (2003), directed by Gallen Mei

Yuki (main supporting) in 576 (2003), directed by CheeK

Television Highlights

Eve (Episode lead) in Code of Law: Episode 8 (2012), directed by Thean Jean

Ophelia (Episode lead), Singapore Shakes: Seventh Month (2004), directed by Remesh Panicker

Wendy (Main cast) in Oh Carol! Season 1 & 2 (2003), produced by Mediacorp

May (Main) in The Singapore Short Stories Project I: Vocation (2003), produced by Film Formations

Josephine (Guest) in Restless (2002), produced by Film Formations

Gwen (Guest) in First Touch: Ep 3 and 12 (2002), produced by Mediacorp

Theatre highlights

Co-Director/Shadow Artist in SHAME (2014), directed by John Berkavitch (London).

Performer, Director and Producer for W (2012), under one:lab. Performed at Design Festa in Tokyo, Japan.

Performer, Director and Producer for When the World Was Green (2010), under one:lab. Written by Sam Shepard.

Performer in TGV for Theatreworks 72-13 Opening (17/9/2005), created with the2ndrule.

Performer in TGV for Singapore Arts Festival Gala Opening (2004), created with the2ndrule.

Bartender/Leah/Ensemble in Prelude to a Kiss (2004), directed by Krishen Jit. Produced by Action Theatre.

Nat (Main) in Jointly and Severably (2003), directed by Claire Wong. Written by Eleanor Wong. Produced by Wild Rice.

Performing Artist in Performing Words Singapore (2003) led by Gilly Adams and Geddy Aniksdal. Produced by The Substation.

Miranda (Lead) in Prospero’s Children (2002), directed by Guy Holland (Quicksilver Theatre). Produced by Singapore Repertory Theatre.

Produced and performedCallie (Lead) in Stop Kiss (2002) under Livid Room Productions, directed by Mark Richmond. Written by Diana Son

Hide & Seek (2001), directed by Sam Haren. Produced by Action Theatre.

Lulu (Lead) in Shopping and F***ing (2001), directed by Beatrice Chia. Written by Mark Ravenhill. Produced by Toy Factory.

Performed nine different roles in Postcards from Persephone (2000). Produced by Livid Room Productions. Written by Wang Meiyin

Lin Xiao Ding (Main) in Ah Kong’s Birthday Party (2000), directed by Ivan Heng for Singapore Repertory Theatre.

Madeline (Lead) in The Fall of The House of Usher (1999) at Singapore Arts Festival Late Nite Series with the SRT Young Company

Nanny/Principal/Kate (Lead) in Baby with the Bathwater (1999), written by Christopher Durang.

Waiting (Lead) (1998), directed by Gani Abdul Karim. Produced by Toy Factory Ensemble, Singapore

Voice-overs

Shizuka (lead) in Doraemon (2003)

AdWars (2002)

Breaking News (2002)

Directing

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man In The Moon Marigolds, SRT Young Company (2001)

Highlights of performances/projects produced under Little Arts Academy (2008 – 2012)

Performances  Lights Out Wonderland (2012): Director/Producer/ Playwright The Little Arts Academy Home (2011, 2012): Director/Producer/ Playwright The Little Arts Academy The Prodigies Lab (2011): Director/ Playwright The Little Arts Academy Poems for Andrew (2011): Narrator/Director/ Playwright The Little Arts Academy … Continue reading

Nothing

Reflecting on Nothing is Something – #1 The Bench (Piemontesi 2012)…I have watched this maybe 20 or more times now…and I’ve just only recently managed to articulate why this video is so special to me.

People tell me I’m nothing
But I can make something beautiful from nothing

People give me nothing
But I can create beauty with what I am

People see nothing but what can’t be done
I see multiplicities of possibilities.

To see beauty in that which is discarded,
to create beauty from something (or someone) forgotten,
is a powerful thing.