May 20, 2022
We are back with our 35 for EMCC35 series, featuring Su-Lin, a former member of the EMCC crew back in the early 90s! More than just a fun experience during undergraduate days, Su-Lin shares more about how EMCC has helped deepen her interest in the arts and her hopes for EMCC in the future. Up till date, Su-Lin shares a strong passion for the arts and leads the ArtsWok Collaborative, a non-profit that works at the intersection of arts and communities, as its Executive Director.
What role did you play in the ExxonMobil Campus Concerts (EMCC) series and how long were you part of EMCC?
I was part of the EMCC crew during my undergraduate days at NUS from 1993 to 1996. Together with the staff, we would be involved in programming, liaison work, marketing and managing the front-of-house.
How did your passion for the arts intersect with EMCC and its purpose?
Being involved with EMCC exposed me to multiple art forms and not just theatre (theatre studies was one of my majors). I had the opportunity to work with various artists and understand the different processes and considerations that go into presenting different art forms, which was really enriching.
It was also exciting to see artists at the beginning of their careers being part of EMCC, some of whom went on to make a name for themselves. There was once I was even roped in to play a small role in a dance performance just because I was part of the EMCC crew, and was available! Today, I still see some of my peers and members of the EMCC crew working in the arts ecosystem, which is really heart-warming.
How did your EMCC experience add value to your time in school or professional life?
Being part of EMCC was a significant part of my time at NUS and I remember spending hours at the office doing stuff together. I made many friends of all ages, and we would hang out outside of our EMCC time too.
I enjoyed the diversity of knowledge and experience that I was immersed in together with the people involved in EMCC. It gave me a taste of what working professionally in the arts might be like.
What hopes do you have for EMCC in furthering its arts outreach programmes and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression by students?
It is important that EMCC continues as a platform for students and young artists, to experiment, hone their craft and also expose others to the arts. I hope there can be space for multi-disciplinary, or inter-disciplinary collaborations where this process can be facilitated and supported by staff and student members. Support for research as part of the artistic process would be great too.
EMCC can also be a good training ground for future arts producers, managers and production personnel.
In what way did EMCC help to make the arts more accessible for NUS students and the wider arts community?
The diversity of programmes across art forms and from different groups (both students and professionals), all offered free-of-charge and on a regular basis definitely made the arts accessible for a wide spectrum of audiences.