September 26, 2022
In this instalment of our #35forEMCC35 series, we spotlight Aditi Sridhar, a former Exxon Mobil Campus Concert (EMCC) Crew member, and current communications professional who credits the EMCC platform with teaching her about the finer points of events organisation. EMCC was also instrumental in transporting her from a dramatic role onstage, to a production role offstage. With an all-rounded experience, the self-professed arts connoisseur has a deep appreciation for the many individuals that work together to bring an arts performance to life.
How did you first get started with EMCC?
In secondary school, I was a part of the English and Tamil Language Debate and Drama Societies. As an artist, you don’t realise the amount of work the crew and supporting functions like marketing, ticketing, backstage and props put in to create the perfect stage for your performance. I wanted to learn how an arts performance comes together from the logistical point of view, rather than as an artist, so I joined EMCC Crew through the NUS Student Life Fair.
What roles did you play in the EMCC series?
Even though I spent only a year with EMCC Crew, I learnt a lot working backstage moving equipment, managing the sound and light boards together with Mr Mazlan, recording the video of performances and managing the front-of-house desks for shows. These were really exciting times for me as I enjoyed dabbling with technical equipment and interacting with people.
What is the most cherished memory you have of your time on EMCC?
I would inform my friends from Engineering Science about the free concerts produced by EMCC Crew and encourage them to watch the shows after lessons. While my friends sat as an enthralled audience, I would look at their expressions from backstage and feel really happy that I could share something special with them.
How did your passion for the arts intersect with what EMCC sought to achieve?
My passion for the arts has been as a practitioner and an enthusiast. On EMCC, I relished the chance of making the performance magical as a member of the crew. While the artist performance is no doubt the most important element of a show, it cannot touch your heart without good acoustics. You can’t marvel at their expressions from a faraway seat without good lighting, and one can’t be swayed by their movements without the interplay of lights, shadows and sometimes, fog.
How has your EMCC Crew experience complemented your professional life?
A lot of the skills I gained through EMCC Crew come to use – promoting the show, organising ticketing/registration, ensuring lights and sound are effective for the event space, working with photographers to capture exciting moments at the event, working with graphic designers to create attractive collateral for the event and providing VIP support and coordination. I also work with performing artists and it really helps that I am able to prepare them well, especially when we have dignitaries occasionally in the audience.
What hopes do you have for EMCC Crew in furthering its arts outreach programme and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression by students?
I hope EMCC Crew will continue to bring avant-garde performances to the NUS students. One of the best things about EMCC shows was that they were of such high quality and usually included arts performances that were at the edge of artistic experimentation. While students can get familiarised with the more practised art forms through student group performances, watching an EMCC show would expand their horizons on what is possible beyond their current understanding of performances as an artist and audience member.
About #35forEMCC35
NUS Centre For the Arts is proud to commemorate 35 years of ExxonMobil Campus Concerts (EMCC) through our #35forEMCC35 series. Spotlighting 35 individuals from past and present editions of EMCC, the series showcases how EMCC has complemented these individuals’ academic and professional lives, and their hopes for EMCC in the years to come.