35 for EMCC35 | Wang Liansheng

What first started as the Lunchtime Concert series at LT13 in 1984 has come a long way as the go-to platform for NUS students to share their creativity and stage their own art performances. Now bigger and better known as the ExxonMobil Campus Concerts (EMCC) series since ExxonMobil Asia Pacific began sponsoring the platform in 1986, EMCC has become the longest-running University arts outreach programme in Singapore enabling exploration of the arts on campus – from singing and dancing, to acting and more…

In commemoration of 35 years of ExxonMobil Campus Concerts (EMCC), NUS Centre For the Arts is proud to share the 35 for EMCC35 campaign that is dedicated to spotlighting 35 individuals from past and present editions of EMCC – showing how EMCC has complemented their academic and professional lives, and their hopes for EMCC moving forward. Look out for them, they might be familiar faces you’ve seen around campus!

This time round, we introduce you to Wang Liansheng, an ex-member of the EMCC Crew, who has now gone on into the local arts scene as a playwright. Read on to find out more about his EMCC journey and how he hopes EMCC can continue to grow as a safe space for artistic expression on campus.

What role did you play in the ExxonMobil Campus Concerts (EMCC) series and how long were you part of EMCC?

I was a member of EMCC Crew for my entire university education, and was involved in the campus concert series in various capacities, from being a crew, stage manager, to being involved as a scriptwriter for First Sparks: 30 Years of Arts on Campus, the 30^th anniversary performance in celebration of the concert platform.

How did your passion for the arts intersect with EMCC and its purpose?

EMCC Crew is NUS Centre for the Arts (CFA)’ student production group that allows students to participate in various roles behind the scenes supporting a platform where students and professional artistes are given opportunities to put up their works and performances.

With the guidance and mentorship of the team of managers from CFA, there was a much deeper involvement in the process of putting up a performance. This greatly deepened my love for the arts and allowed me to have a greater understanding of the concerns of the administrative team and backstage crew when I am involved in productions.

How did your EMCC experience add to your time in school or professional life?

I have always enjoyed performances which are inter-disciplinary in nature – EMCC allowed me the opportunity to be involved in and watch performances of different genres by emerging and professional artists. There were also exciting shows put up on the NUS Arts Festival platform which EMCC crew could assist in various capacities – I remember watching inter-disciplinary dance performances in the function rooms of UCC Theatre, being involved in the running of arts carnivals on campus, setting up intimate music shows in Starbucks at Yusof Ishak House, and finally being involved as an artist in the various NUS Arts Festivals; all these definitely influenced the way I write or dream as a playwright!

What hopes do you have for EMCC in furthering its arts outreach programmes and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression by students?

I hope that there can be more inter-disciplinary works conceived, and even inter-CFA groups performance to be put up. It could also include performances in unconventional spaces (like a site-specific work incorporating the stairwell of NUS UTown, a chamber reading in a function room, or an outdoor performance in the field of UTown).

To me, the focus of the programmes should ideally be about seeding ideas, creating a safe space for the voice of the students to be developed and for them to have the opportunity to be exposed to various performance styles and genres so as to enrich their experience in the arts.

In what way did EMCC help to make the arts more accessible for NUS students and the wider arts community?

The EMCC series has always had a wide outreach, be it at various venues in NUS itself or even in public spaces like the National Library Plaza and Singapore Botanic Gardens! The genres and types of performances are also varied, exciting and interesting – definitely very accessible!