Behind The Scenes

We love what you’re wearing! Can you tell us a bit about your outfit?
This is my wedding kebaya, which is about 17 years old now! I’m Peranakan, and our kebaya is now on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, so yeah it’s just a way of representing my identity. I have several that I take out to wear on a regular basis.

It’s beautiful! Do you think it’s important to carry your identity through the things that you wear?
Yes, I think so. I’m actually very introverted by nature, so clothes is the only way I kind of express myself.

Oh, we wouldn’t have guessed that you’re naturally introverted! Can you tell us more about what you do for work then?
I’m a PR consultant in the arts, and I’ve been doing it for the past 27 years.

Wow! Have you always been in the arts?
Yes, I’ve been in the arts since, I don’t know, 1999? Or even before that actually—I majored in theatre studies in university, so this is my way of kind of giving back to the industry.

Oh! So you used to perform onstage?
No, no, no, no, I was always backstage. I love production work and being behind the stage. Stage management and producing, essentially. A lot of ex-schoolmates and classmates now have their own theatre companies, like Nelson Chia of Nine Years Theatre. They’re those that like to be in front (laughs).

Why did you choose to go into PR then?
Oh, for me it was because, at that time, I felt like artists didn’t really know how to communicate what they do. Unlike right now, where people are more savvy in terms of marketing and all that, I wanted to be able to contribute to the arts by helping artists back then to publicise and promote themselves and the art that they do.

But also, I had to strike a balance between my interest and my needs, because cannot be a starving artist, right? I personally cannot (laughs), so yeah I thought this was a good compromise.

So true—that’s definitely a consideration many of us in the creative industry make on the regular as well. But since you’ve been doing PR for so many years, what has changed in the industry, and what is it that has kept you going?
Hmm, what keeps me going is still the artists. I really do believe that it’s the artists and the work that comes out, as well as all the discussions and discourse that keeps me going. You know, for me, art is always about rethinking the way that we view the world, and also about alternative viewpoints and diversity, all of which are very important to me.

As for what has changed, maybe people weren’t as vocal 20 over years ago. There weren’t as many platforms where you could voice your opinions, but I think with the opening of the Internet and all the social media channels, you get a stronger say lah.