September 19, 2022
35 for EMCC35 | Anirban Sen
In this instalment of our #35forEMCC35 series, we spotlight Anirban Sen, a 2010 graduate from the-then NUS Faculty of Engineering (now known as NUS College of Design and Engineering), who won the prestigious Student of the Year award at the annual Tan Ean Kiam Arts Awards in 2009. Anirban shares how his love for production work beyond his own student Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) brought him into the EMCC Crew family, and how that gave him valuable insights into the arts world in his current career as a Senior Manager of Strategic Planning at Singapore’s National Arts Council.
How did you first get started with EMCC Crew?
I was helping out backstage quite a bit for my CCA, NUS Piano Ensemble, which led to me to take on various production roles, such as stage manager, with other CFA arts excellence groups on their shows. Ms Jacey Yeh, one of the then-CFA Talent Development & Programming Managers, took notice of my contributions, and asked me if I wanted to join EMCC Crew as she thought I would be a good fit.
What role(s) did you play with EMCC Crew?
I was primarily a production manager, but I also got to serve in different roles such as stage manager, artist liaison and front-of-house crew too.
What is the most cherished memory you have of your time with EMCC Crew?
I enjoyed working with different teams for different events and concerts, which allowed me to get to know many of my crew-mates from different backgrounds.
What has your experience on EMCC Crew taught you about the arts in general?
I realised that it takes a village to put together an arts production and that it is critical for the production team and the artistic teams of any arts production to support one another to make magic happen on stage. A production is as good as the team behind it, and communication and a collaborative spirit is essential to deliver the best experience to the audience.
How has your EMCC experience complemented your professional life?
Working behind the scenes as well as front-of-house gave me a working knowledge of the ins and outs of working in a production and allowed me to see the arts from the lens of both artist, as well as, producer. This has given me valuable insights into the arts world, which has helped me immensely in my career as a programmer, and as an arts administrator.
What hopes do you have for EMCC in furthering its arts outreach programme and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression by students?
I hope that EMCC continues to be a platform to inspire the NUS community through the arts by exposing them to rich and varied arts experiences, and that it continues to support young artists – both students as well as emerging ones – who need a platform to realize their artistic expressions.
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.