Podcasts about National Arts Council

Host Jason Blitman sits down with current Good Morning America Book Club author Jemimah Wei (The Original Daughter) to explore what silences born of care open up between families, the importance of chosen family, and the unexpected costs of liberation. Jemimah shares childhood memories at McDonald's and reveals the three definitive ways to eat a french fry. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader, fashion icon Prabal Gurung (Walk Like a Girl), who talks about how books have propelled strangers to talk to him and his memoir's intimate reflections on identity and belonging.Jemimah Wei was born and raised in Singapore, and is currently a 2022-2024 Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. She is the recipient of fellowships, scholarships, and awards from Columbia University, the Sewanee Writers' Conference, the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference, Singapore's National Arts Council, and more. Her fiction has won the William Van Dyke Short Story Prize, been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and has been published in Guernica, Narrative, and Nimrod, among other publications. She was recently named one of Narrative's “30 below 30” writers, recognized by the Best of the Net Anthologies, and is a Francine Ringold Award for New Writers honouree. For close to a decade, prior to moving to the US to earn an MFA at Columbia University where she was a Felipe P. De Alba Fellow, she worked as a host for various broadcast and digital channels, and has written and produced short films and travel guides for brands like Laneige, Airbnb, and Nikon.Prabal Gurung is an award-winning fashion designer who has been at the forefront of American fashion since launching his eponymous label in 2009. He has been a relentless advocate for diversity, shattering beauty norms and championing inclusivity on the runway and beyond since the beginning of his career. His designs, a masterful blend of beauty, luxury, and edge, are as iconic as his commitment to social change. He is the co-vice chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, a co-founder of the Shikshya Foundation Nepal, a non-profit organization creating a critical mass of leaders in Nepal, and a co-founder/board member of Gold House, a cultural ecosystem that empowers Asian Pacific leaders to power tomorrow for all. Prabal has written numerous op-eds and has been interviewed on major networks, leveraging his platform to address critical social issues, from racial injustice to gender equality, especially surrounding the Asian and Black diaspora. A true industry disruptor based in New York City for over two decades, he has become a prominent figure in the city's cultural and social landscape, and he is redefining the role of the fashion designer as a catalyst for positive change.SUBSTACK!https://gaysreading.substack.com/ BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.com WATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Fear not! The 2 Broke Twimbos are back once again, with maybe a new setup for video? Like, feedback please on the sound (and video for those who see it). Dan & Phil celebrate singers, worry about the fight brewing between ZIMURA & National Arts Council, and muse out loud on live music, including the Queens Sports Club situation! Enjoy!Subscribe and listen to 2 Broke Twimbos everywhere podcasts are available and keep up with all things 2BT via this link:2BT LinkPlease rate and review, and support us on Patreon!

A record 506 patrons were recognised for their significant contributions to Singapore's arts scene at the 2024 Patron of the Arts Awards, where the National Arts Council celebrated a landmark year for arts patronage since the awards began in 1983. In 2023, contributions to the arts soared to $50.2 million, a 56% increase from the $32.1 million in 2022, with cash donations alone rising by 36% to reach $34.8 million. It's also the highest amount recorded over the past three years.  On this episode of Morning Shot, Sam Lay, Director for Strategic Partnerships & Engagement at National Arts Council and Suzanna Low, Lead for the Professional Artist Programme & Exhibitions at ART:DIS Singapore share their perspectives on what's driving this renewed interest in art philanthropy and why it is so crucial for the society on a broader level. Presented by: Emaad AkhtarProduced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)Photo credits: ART:DIS SingaporeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Writing Life, writer and translator Daniel Hahn speaks with three former virtual residents Nur-El-Hudaa Jaffar, Sim Wai-chew and Tse Hao Guang about the quirks of virtual residencies, and how their expectations compared to reality. We were delighted to host them from June to December 2023, in a virtual residency generously supported by the National Arts Council of Singapore. In this episode, they discuss the projects they were working on during their residencies with us, how they found inspiration when writing as though they were in Norwich UNESCO City of Literature, and their lives and careers as translators. They also touch on the blogs they wrote for our Writing Hub, which you can read here. 

Avventura, local creative tech firm focused on pioneering immersive experiences, spearheads the DanceXR Showcase to enhance local performing arts experiences through extended reality. Supported by the National Arts Council, this series unfolds during the National Library Board's PRESSPLAY biennial arts festival from January to February 2024.    We speak with Christopher Chew, Founder, Avventura to find out how this technology serves as a gateway to creativity, and why XR performances can future-proof the performing arts industry.         See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WATCH NOW ON YOUTUBE! A true maestro of movement, Lee Mun Wai's journey from a young dreamer to a renowned choreographer and dancer is a testament to unwavering dedication. Completing his Masters in Choreography and Performance, and honored with the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council of Singapore, his story is an inspiration to aspiring artists. Be prepared to be moved by his determination to turn a childhood passion into a lifelong art! What's this podcast about? I am on a mission to speak with people who love what they do. The ones who look forward to work because they have found a way to leverage their innate passions for the job. In a world where only 2 out of 15 people look forward to work and the majority of the workforce lives with a TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) mindset - these are the Thank God It's Monday people! I hope this podcast will inspire people to try to find the fire within themselves and be happier in the journey and outcome. FOLLOW ME ON MY SOCIALS - INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/coachjasonho/ LINKEDIN: http://www.linkedin.com/in/coachjasonho TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@coachjasonho FEATURING LEE MUN WAI - INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/leemunwaisg/ WEBSITE: https://leemunwai.com/ HAVE SOMEONE YOU KNOW THAT SHOULD BE ON THIS PODCAST? Write to me: https://coachjasonho.com

From fellow Kamogelo Tinyiko Theledi comes this episode on arts funding and corruption in South Africa. Kamo speaks with multiple guests about South Africa's Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, a group that announced a relief fund of 150 million rand ($8.3 million) for artists, athletes, and others in these industries. Most of the money, however, was never shared with these workers. In September 2022, the Cultural and Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) opened a case against the National Arts Council, alleging corruption, money laundering, and mismanagement of funds. Kamo speaks to Bongani Mahlangu, a journalist and socio-political commentator, and Jack Devnarain, an award winning South African actor and chairman of the South African Guild of Actors (SAGA). They provide important context around the plight of artists and performers after the pandemic and the effects of corruption on their livelihoods. Find the books, links, and articles we mentioned in this episode on our website, ufahamuafrica.com.

In the 1940s, Singapore was controlled by the British occupied by the Japanese and comprised of rubber plantations and decrepit fishing villages. A timid little boy is the only one who can help his father, a fisherman, find a string of mysterious islands surrounded by teeming ocean life that will change the fortune of his family and neighbors. While his older brother fishes with their father, Ah Boon gets to go to school, where he meets his first friend, the beautiful Siok Mei. As they grow up, Siok Mei becomes entranced with improving the country through communism while Ah Boon focuses on his own livelihood. The British finally leave, the communists are banished, and the new rulers continue to rule Singapore with punishing vigor of previous colonizers. Ah Boon works with the new rulers to modernize the country, replace swamps with buildings and roads, and improve living conditions, but not everyone accepts the changes. The Great Reclamation (Riverhead Books, 2023) is a both a personal tale and a sweeping story of political and historical upheaval in 20th century Singapore. Rachel Heng is the author of the novel Suicide Club, translated into ten languages. Her short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Glimmer Train, McSweeney's, and elsewhere. She received her MFA from the Michener Center for Writers and has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Sewanee Writers' Conference, and the National Arts Council of Singapore, among others. Heng, who was born and raised in Singapore, is currently an assistant professor of English at Wesleyan University. G.P. Gottlieb is the author of the Whipped and Sipped Mystery Series and a prolific baker of healthful breads and pastries. Please contact her through her website (GPGottlieb.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In the 1940s, Singapore was controlled by the British occupied by the Japanese and comprised of rubber plantations and decrepit fishing villages. A timid little boy is the only one who can help his father, a fisherman, find a string of mysterious islands surrounded by teeming ocean life that will change the fortune of his family and neighbors. While his older brother fishes with their father, Ah Boon gets to go to school, where he meets his first friend, the beautiful Siok Mei. As they grow up, Siok Mei becomes entranced with improving the country through communism while Ah Boon focuses on his own livelihood. The British finally leave, the communists are banished, and the new rulers continue to rule Singapore with punishing vigor of previous colonizers. Ah Boon works with the new rulers to modernize the country, replace swamps with buildings and roads, and improve living conditions, but not everyone accepts the changes. The Great Reclamation (Riverhead Books, 2023) is a both a personal tale and a sweeping story of political and historical upheaval in 20th century Singapore. Rachel Heng is the author of the novel Suicide Club, translated into ten languages. Her short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Glimmer Train, McSweeney's, and elsewhere. She received her MFA from the Michener Center for Writers and has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Sewanee Writers' Conference, and the National Arts Council of Singapore, among others. Heng, who was born and raised in Singapore, is currently an assistant professor of English at Wesleyan University. G.P. Gottlieb is the author of the Whipped and Sipped Mystery Series and a prolific baker of healthful breads and pastries. Please contact her through her website (GPGottlieb.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

In the 1940s, Singapore was controlled by the British occupied by the Japanese and comprised of rubber plantations and decrepit fishing villages. A timid little boy is the only one who can help his father, a fisherman, find a string of mysterious islands surrounded by teeming ocean life that will change the fortune of his family and neighbors. While his older brother fishes with their father, Ah Boon gets to go to school, where he meets his first friend, the beautiful Siok Mei. As they grow up, Siok Mei becomes entranced with improving the country through communism while Ah Boon focuses on his own livelihood. The British finally leave, the communists are banished, and the new rulers continue to rule Singapore with punishing vigor of previous colonizers. Ah Boon works with the new rulers to modernize the country, replace swamps with buildings and roads, and improve living conditions, but not everyone accepts the changes. The Great Reclamation (Riverhead Books, 2023) is a both a personal tale and a sweeping story of political and historical upheaval in 20th century Singapore. Rachel Heng is the author of the novel Suicide Club, translated into ten languages. Her short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Glimmer Train, McSweeney's, and elsewhere. She received her MFA from the Michener Center for Writers and has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Sewanee Writers' Conference, and the National Arts Council of Singapore, among others. Heng, who was born and raised in Singapore, is currently an assistant professor of English at Wesleyan University. G.P. Gottlieb is the author of the Whipped and Sipped Mystery Series and a prolific baker of healthful breads and pastries. Please contact her through her website (GPGottlieb.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/historical-fiction

Episode 173 Notes and Links to Rachel Heng's Work       On Episode 173 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes  Rachel Heng, and the two discuss, among other things, her love of reading and her early relationships with the written word and multilingualism, her research and the family stories concerning Singapore's transformation and its history of ethnic diversity and kampong culture, the book's “complications” concerning the ways in which “The Great Reclamation” played in on micro- and macro levels for the people of Singapore, her beautiful portrayals of change, grief, and guilt, and her inspirations for writing the book.   Rachel Heng is the author of the novels The Great Reclamation (Riverhead, 2023) and Suicide Club (Henry Holt, 2018), which has been translated into ten languages worldwide and won the Gladstone Library Writer-In-Residence Award. Rachel's short fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney's Quarterly, One Story, Kenyon Review, and has been recognized by anthologies including Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, Best Small Fictions and Best New Singaporean Short Stories. She was recently longlisted for the 2021 Sunday Times Short Story Award, “the world's richest and most prestigious prize for a single short story.” Her non-fiction has been listed among Best American Essays' Notable Essays and published in Al Jazeera, Guernica, BOMB Magazine, The Rumpus and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, Sewanee Writers' Conference, Fine Arts Work Center and the National Arts Council of Singapore. Rachel received her MFA in Fiction and Playwriting from the Michener Center for Writers, UT Austin, and her BA in Comparative Literature & Society from Columbia University.     Buy The Great Reclamation   Rachel Heng's Webpage   Rachel Speaks about The Great Reclamation on NPR's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon   Oprah Daily Cover Reveal and Article about The Great Reclamation     At about 7:50, Rachel discusses her mindset and emotions as her book tour begins with a March 28 event with Kirstin Chen and the book is published on March 28    At about 8:55, Pete asks about Rachel's early relationship with the written word and multilingualism; Rachel talks about a heavy diet of British writers in school in Singapore and her route to becoming a writer   At about 12:40, Rachel discusses seeds for the book and research done for the book, including how the book came from a “curiosity to revisit that time” often referenced by older family members   At about 14:35, Rachel speaks to the ethnic makeup of Singapore, and how British colonialism affected Singapore's ethnic history   At about 16:40, Pete reads the book's epigraph and Rachel explains its connection to themes from the book, including Singapore's look to the future   At about 19:10, The two characterize the Lee family    At about 20:25, Pete cites the wonderful opening line of the book and asks Rachel about the meanings and personal significance of the kampong    At about 23:55, Rachel expands upon ideas of the “kampong spirit” and the communal “national fabric” of Singapore for the duration of the book and now   At about 25:40, Pete wonders if there any connection between recent pushes toward MAGA and her book's subject matter   At about 26:50, Pete and Rachel discuss Uncle's character and sympathies for him   At about 27:25, The two lay out early events in the book with Ah Boon and family locating ethereal islands and Rachel gives background on how POV and a key throughline inspired the beginning of the book   At about 30:00, Pete talks about the slow inevitability of change in the book and asks Rachel about Pa's parenting style   At about 31:40, Rachel gives background on Siok Mei, her family life, and what draws her and Ah Boon to each other   At about 33:55, Pete highlights the powerful and beautiful flashbacks in the book   At about 34:45, Pete cites Rachel's skill with recognizable yet dynamic characters   At about 35:15, Pete quotes from the book to provide background on Ma and her marriage to Pa   At about 35:50, Pete and Rachel discuss the significance of the Japanese occupation in 1942 and its aftereffects   At about 38:30, Pete describes an important decision that Pa and Uncle are faced with during the Japanese occupation   At about 39:25, Pete and Rachel discuss “The Disappearing Years” and the post-war attitude exhibited by Ah Boon and Singaporeans    At about 42:15, The two discuss student protests that came about when Siok Mei and Ah Boon reacted to the real-life controversial case involving Nadra   At about 44:30, Rachel talks about the “Gah Men” and the ways in which they acted and were perceived by the public   At about 46:45, Natalie is discussed as representative of the government, especially with regard to diction like “greater good,” and Rachel describes parts of Singaporean history as “complicated” and “an interesting case study”    At about 50:20, Rachel talks about the environmental effects of The Great Reclamation    At about 51:25, Class division is described as a book theme through an anecdote from Natalie   At about 52:30, Pete quotes government officials from the book and ideas of “greater good”   At about 53:00, Pete compliments Rachel's depictions of grief and she speaks to inspirations for these depictions   At about 54:40, Rachel explains a quote of hers regarding her perspective in writing this book while living in the US    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.   Please tune in for Episode 174, another episode dropping today, March 28, celebrating pub day for Allegra Hyde.  Allegra Hyde is a recipient of three Pushcart Prizes and author of ELEUTHERIA, named a "Best Book of 2022" by The New Yorker. She's also the author of the story collection, OF THIS NEW WORLD, which won the John Simmons Short Fiction Award, and her second story collection, THE LAST CATASTROPHE, is her new one. The episode will go live around noon on March 28.

In our final episode for the season, Lebohang Masango about the choices we make at the intersection of love and money, and Joy Watson tells me about her favourite anti-heroines. The soft life can be a life of luxury, of champagne and overseas travel, or it could mean money being less of a perpetual worry. The book is about women who pursue this and see their dating lives as part of the pursuit. Lebohang is interested not just in the phenomenon of the pursuit of the soft life, but also in how it's perceived - how black women are vilified for making choices that people make the world over.  Joy's own book is ‘The Other Me', and she recommends ‘The Blessed Girl' by Angela Makholwa, ‘The Vanishing Half' by Brit Bennett. Vasti recommends ‘The Eye of the Beholder' by Margie Orford and ‘An Unusual Grief by Yewande Omotoso. Vasti interviewed Yewande in Season 3 - listen here.  This season of A Readers' Community was made possible by a grant from the National Arts Council.

In this bonus episode, we bring you a live recording of a book club hosted on 1 March 2023 with Alistair Mackay. It took place at the Book Lounge, and we talked about Alistair's novel, It Doesn't Have to Be This Way, a brilliant queer speculative fiction set in Cape Town in the very near future. This season of A Readers' Community as well as this live event was made possible by a grant from the National Arts Council. Host and executive producer: Vasti Calitz. Senior producer and editor: Andri Burnett. Assistant producer and researcher: Kelly-Eve Koopman. Assistant editor: Simone Rademeyer.

Ritual can be a powerful narrative device. On the one hand, it's likely to bring together a bunch of characters and to bring a simmering plot to the point of boiling over. On the other hand, they are often associated with a significant life event, with a moment of transition, or with magic and divine intervention. One of the sites where rites and rituals have special significance is death.  Jarred Thompson's debut novel, The Institute of Creative Dying, is kind of obsessed with rituals and their relationship to death. It asks, are there different approaches to dying? What do we want out of our own deaths? And that question brings together a diverse group of characters ranging from a nun, to a model, to an ex-con, all willing to experiment with different answers to that question. This is a beautifully written, atmospheric and very intriguing novel. Our recommendations are books about rites and rituals. Vasti recommends I Did Not Die by Tebello Mzamo and Things My Mother Left Me by Pulane Mlilo Mpondo with an honorary mention to Nondwe Mpuma's Peach Country, which featured earlier in the season. Kelly-Eve recommends Ausi Told Me: Why Cape Herstoriographies Matter by June Bam, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilakaand Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh. Also mentioned are The Great Derangement, also by Amitav Gosh, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robyn Wall Kimmerer, and It Doesn't Have to be this Way (look out for an episode featuring Alistair next week!). This season of A Readers' Community was made possible by a grant from the National Arts Council. Host and executive producer: Vasti Calitz. Senior producer and editor: Andri Burnett. Assistant producer and researcher (and book recommender): Kelly-Eve Koopman. Assistant editor: Simone Rademeyer.

With the lack of equity, reparation and justice experienced by the majority of South Africans since the end of Apartheid, there is a sense in the present moment of what we might call an ‘apology fatigue'. In ‘Unsettling Apologies', Melanie Judge and Dee Smythe have put together a collection of critical writings on public apology that explores the promise of and disappointments of public apologies, by politicians, by corporates, in the legal system, and more. In this episode, Vasti talks to Melanie Judge about this thought-provoking book, and Lyle Lackay and Vasti recommend books about apology, non-apologies, and lingering injustice. Lyle recommends The Resurrection of Winnie Mandela by Sisonke Msimang and Our Ghosts Were Once People, edited by Bongani Kona, and Vasti recommends How to Be a Revolutionary by CA Davids. This season was made possible by a grant from the National Arts Council. Vasti Calitz is the host and executive producer of A Readers' Community. Also on our team is our producer and editor, Andri Burnett, and our assistant producer and research assistant, Kelly-Eve Koopman, and assistant editor Simone Rademeyer.

In this episode, join Vasti as she tries to find her way back into reading poetry. She speaks to Nondwe Mpuma, whose collection Peach Country was a wonderful invitation back into the form. Nondwe writes about home, in the Eastern Cape, and the landscape matters - its seasons and its patterns, and the daily rituals and habits that are matched to them - time ticks according to that unfolding. These poems are of course much more than that, and happily, Nondwe reads a number of her poems during our conversation.And then our book recommender today is Maneo Refilhoe Mohale, who is also a wonderful poet, and wrote Everything is a Deathly Flower. We talk about poetry generally and how to access it, and they recommend some brilliant collections.This season was made possible by a grant from the National Arts Council. Vasti Calitz is the host and executive producer of A Readers' Community. Also on our team is our producer and editor, Andri Burnett, and our assistant producer and research assistant, Kelly-Eve Koopman, and assistant editor Simone Rademeyer.

The prevalence and fear of gender based violence really cannot be overstated. The statistics and stories and experiences invade our lives, we encounter it in the news, fiction and non-fiction. For every story we read we raise our guard, we feel more afraid. And on the other side of this fear is male violence. Kopano Ratele suggests that one of the causal factors, and one of the sites of intervention, is lovelessness, or love hunger. So today's episode is about loving men - the act of loving men and the risks inherent in that, and about men who are loving, and how that can be nurtured. We speak to Professor Kopano Ratele, who wrote the excellent book, ‘Why Men Hurt Women: Love, Violence and Masculinity', and get book recommendations from Kneo Mokgopa for books that offer insight into or reimaginings of masculinity. Kneo recommends 'Between the World and Me' by Ta-Nehisi Coates and 'The Will to Change' by bell hooks. Vasti recommends 'Robert' by Robert Hamblin and 'The Wanderers' by Mphutumi Ntabeni - both of whom have been on the podcast before. Listen to the episode with Robert here and with Mpush here. Find these books at The Book Lounge! Kneo's article in the Daily Maverick can be found here. This season was made possible by a grant from the National Arts Council. Vasti Calitz is the host and executive producer of A Readers' Community. Also on our team is our producer and editor, Andri Burnett, and our assistant producer and research assistant, Kelly-Eve Koopman, and assistant editor Simone Rademeyer.

In this episode, we talk to Chase Rhys about their recent collection, 'Misfit: Stories vannie anne kant'. A lot of the stories in this collection are about being an outsider, about not quite belonging in any space one enters into, about intersections of identity, about being more than one thing at once – in other words, in hybrid identities, and the in-between spaces. We asked Ann-Maree Tippoo for recommendations around the theme of hybridity. She recommends 'Mother to Mother' by Sindiwa Magona, She Would Be King by Wayetu Moore, and She Down There by Lynton Francois Burger. Vasti recommends A Hibiscus Coast by Nick Mulgrew and Mermaid Fillet by Mia Arderne. See Vasti's interview with Mia about Mermaid Fillet here. Find these books at The Book Lounge. This season was made possible by a grant from the National Arts Council. Vasti Calitz is the host and executive producer of A Readers' Community. Also on our team is our producer and editor, Andri Burnett, and our assistant producer and research assistant, Kelly-Eve Koopman, and assistant editor Simone Rademeyer.

We are back with the fourth season of A Readers' Community. We're really covering a wide range of books and ideas in this season - like thinking about home through poetry, what we can hope for from public apologies, about the choices we make at the intersection of romantic love and money, about being a misfit, an outsider, and much more. First episode out on 22 February. Thanks to the National Arts Council, who gave us a grant for this season, for helping us keep the community alive and the conversation going. Hosted and produced by Vasti Calitz. Our senior producer and editor is Andri Burnett, and assistant producer and research assistant is Kelly-Eve Koopman, with editing assistance from Simone Rademeyer.

Norwich-based poet and writer Shannon Clinton-Copeland speaks to our virtual residents Akshita Nanda, Crispin Rodrigues and Daryl Qilin Yam about writing and literary life in Singapore. Their residencies are supported by Singapore's National Arts Council.  Akshita, Crispin and Daryl touch on everything from the relationship between writing and culture, to writing as a method for finding common experiences. They also discuss understanding across social, cultural and linguistic borders.  Virtual residencies for writers and translators can bring national and international voices and ideas to places like Norwich. Through commissions, online events and podcasts like this one, those voices can also reach a global audience.  You can find out more about our virtual and in-person residences on our website: nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk.

In this episode of Pagecast, Kirstin Chen is in conversation with Jennifer Platt, the books editor at the Sunday Times. About Kirstin: Kirstin Chen is the New York Times best-selling author of three novels. Her latest, Counterfeit, is a Reese's Book Club pick, a Roxane Gay book club pick, and a New York Times Editors' Choice. It has also been recommended by The Washington Post, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Time, Oprah Daily, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Parade, and more. Translation rights have sold in seven languages and television rights have been optioned by Sony Pictures. Her previous two novels are Bury What We Cannot Take and Soy Sauce for Beginners. She has received fellowships and awards from the Steinbeck Fellows Program, Sewanee, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, the Napa Valley Writers' Conference, the Toji Cultural Foundation, and the National Arts Council of Singapore. Her writing has appeared in The Cut, Real Simple, Literary Hub, Writer's Digest, Zyzzyva, and the Best New Singaporean Short Stories. She holds an MFA from Emerson College and a BA from Stanford University. Born and raised in Singapore, she lives in New York City. About the book: Meet Ava: rule-abiding lawyer who has ticked all of life's boxes. She is married to a successful surgeon and has just taken an indefinite career break to raise her adorable toddler. A picture-perfect life. Meet Winnie: Ava's old college roommate. Once awkward, quiet and apparently academically challenged, she left Stanford in a shroud of scandal. But now, she is charismatic, wealthy and has returned to town dripping in designer accessories. An actual perfect life. When the two women bump into one another at a local coffee shop, it seems like fate has intervened: Winnie's new-found success is courtesy of a shady business and she needs a favour, but what starts as one favour turns into two, then three.

In this episode of Pagecast, Kirstin Chen is in conversation with Jennifer Platt, the books editor at the Sunday Times. About Kirstin: Kirstin Chen is the New York Times best-selling author of three novels. Her latest, Counterfeit, is a Reese's Book Club pick, a Roxane Gay book club pick, and a New York Times Editors' Choice. It has also been recommended by The Washington Post, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Time, Oprah Daily, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Parade, and more. Translation rights have sold in seven languages and television rights have been optioned by Sony Pictures. Her previous two novels are Bury What We Cannot Take and Soy Sauce for Beginners. She has received fellowships and awards from the Steinbeck Fellows Program, Sewanee, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, the Napa Valley Writers' Conference, the Toji Cultural Foundation, and the National Arts Council of Singapore. Her writing has appeared in The Cut, Real Simple, Literary Hub, Writer's Digest, Zyzzyva, and the Best New Singaporean Short Stories. She holds an MFA from Emerson College and a BA from Stanford University. Born and raised in Singapore, she lives in New York City. About the book: Meet Ava: rule-abiding lawyer who has ticked all of life's boxes. She is married to a successful surgeon and has just taken an indefinite career break to raise her adorable toddler. A picture-perfect life. Meet Winnie: Ava's old college roommate. Once awkward, quiet and apparently academically challenged, she left Stanford in a shroud of scandal. But now, she is charismatic, wealthy and has returned to town dripping in designer accessories. An actual perfect life. When the two women bump into one another at a local coffee shop, it seems like fate has intervened: Winnie's new-found success is courtesy of a shady business and she needs a favour, but what starts as one favour turns into two, then three.

An evening of writers talking about writing and celebrating the publication of "Refuse To Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts," by Matt Bell, published by Soho Press. This event was originally broadcast via Zoom and hosted by Peter Maravelis. You can purchase copies of "Refuse To Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts" directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/refuse-to-be-done-ht-write-rewrite-a/ Matt Bell is the author most recently of the novels "Appleseed"(a New York Times Notable Book of 2021), "Scrapper" (a Michigan Notable Book), and "In the House upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods"(a finalist for the Young Lions Fiction Award). His stories have appeared in Best American Mystery Stories, Esquire, Tin House, Conjunctions, Fairy Tale Review, Gulf Coast, and many other publications. A native of Michigan, he now teaches creative writing at Arizona State University. Kirstin Chen is the author of "Soy Sauce for Beginners" and "Bury What We Cannot Take." Her new novel, "Counterfeit," is forthcoming from William Morrow/HarperCollins in June 2022. She has received fellowships and awards from the Steinbeck Fellows Program, Sewanee, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, the Napa Valley Writers' Conference, the Toji Cultural Foundation, and the National Arts Council of Singapore. She teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco and in Ashland University's Low-Residency MFA Program. Born and raised in Singapore, she currently lives in San Francisco. Jac Jemc is the author of "False Bingo," "The Grip of It," "My Only Wife," and "A Different Bed Every Time." "My Only Wife" was a finalist for the 2013 PEN / Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and winner of the Paula Anderson Book Award, and her story collection "False Bingo" won the Chicago Review of Books Award for fiction, was a Lambda Award finalist, and was longlisted for The Story Prize. Jemc has been the recipient of two Illinois Arts Council Professional Development Grants and currently teaches creative writing at UC San Diego. This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation

In this, the final episode of the season, we take a trip through some crime writing via Rofhiwa Maneta's, 'A Man, a Fire, a Corpse', a book about his father, the top cop of Soweto - Captain Amos Maneta. Mervyn recommends 'Young Blood' by Sifiso Mzobe, 'Hammerman' by Mike Nicol, 'The Heist Men' by Andrew Brown, 'Unforgiven' by Liz Macgregor, and 'How to be a Revolutionary' by CA Davids. Hosted by Vasti Calitz. Produced by Vasti Calitz and Andri Burnett. This season is made possible by a grant by the National Arts Council.

Glenn van Zutphen and award-winning author Neil Humphreys are joined by Adrian Chue, Deputy Director, National Arts Council, Artists Ang Song Nian, Quek Jia Qi to discuss the "As You Were" five, interactive, larger-than-life artworks displayed in Bishan-AMK Park, Jurong Lake Gardens, Punggol Waterway Park by Singaporean artists and the impact it's having on the local art scene. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this dialogue, Prof Christo Doherty of ARA speaks to Avril Joffe, currently the postgraduate programme coordinator and previously the Head of the Department of Cultural Policy and Management in the Wits School of Arts. Under Avril's headship the department was renamed to focus on cultural policy and management, and has developed a range of productive relationships with institutions in both the Global north and south, including Kings College, London; the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries at Peking University, China; and in South Africa with Business Arts South Africa, the National Arts Council, and the Goethe Institute. We explore Avril's own trajectory from an MPhil in Developmental Economics at Sussex University to a career as a researcher in labour relations and urban development before moving into the field of cultural policy. In this field Avril is an internationally recognised expert, advising on policy to the South African government and an appointment as an expert member of UNESCO's Cultural Policy and Governance Facility. We look closely at Avril's interest in Creative Methodologies as a tool for researchers collecting data, and the ground-breaking international conference on creative methodologies and urban research that Avril co-organised in 2021. We also discuss the function of cultural policy, and whether or not government policy in post-apartheid South Africa has fostered or hindered the creative arts. We weigh up the challenges of working with cultural institutions in authoritarian states such as China, and finally we discuss the ways in which creative artists can productively engage with questions of cultural policy. Check out the following links: Dept of Cultural Policy and Management webpage: https://www.wits.ac.za/wsoa/cultural-policy-and-management/ Dr Nancy Duxbury's website with key papers on creative methodologies: https://ces.uc.pt/en/ces/pessoas/investigadoras-es/nancy-duxbury/apresentacao

In this dialogue, Prof Christo Doherty of ARA speaks to Avril Joffe, currently the postgraduate programme coordinator and previously the Head of the Department of Cultural Policy and Management in the Wits School of Arts. Under Avril's headship the department was renamed to focus on cultural policy and management, and has developed a range of productive relationships with institutions in both the Global north and south, including Kings College, London; the Centre for Cultural and Creative Industries at Peking University, China; and in South Africa with Business Arts South Africa, the National Arts Council, and the Goethe Institute. We explore Avril's own trajectory from an MPhil in Developmental Economics at Sussex University to a career as a researcher in labour relations and urban development before moving into the field of cultural policy. In this field Avril is an internationally recognised expert, advising on policy to the South African government and an appointment as an expert member of UNESCO's Cultural Policy and Governance Facility. We look closely at Avril's interest in Creative Methodologies as a tool for researchers collecting data, and the ground-breaking international conference on creative methodologies and urban research that Avril co-organised in 2021. We also discuss the function of cultural policy, and whether or not government policy in post-apartheid South Africa has fostered or hindered the creative arts. We weigh up the challenges of working with cultural institutions in authoritarian states such as China, and finally we discuss the ways in which creative artists can productively engage with questions of cultural policy. Check out the following links: Dept of Cultural Policy and Management webpage: https://www.wits.ac.za/wsoa/cultural-policy-and-management/ Dr Nancy Duxbury's website with key papers on creative methodologies: https://ces.uc.pt/en/ces/pessoas/investigadoras-es/nancy-duxbury/apresentacao

We explore queerness in speculative fiction, featuring Keely Shinners talking about their debut novel, How to Build a Home for the End of the World, and with recommendations from Colin Pegon. Colin and Vasti talk about ‘The Left Hand of Darkness' by Urusula K Le Guin, ‘Ancillary Justice' by Ann Leckie, ‘It Doesn't Have to Be This Way' by Alistair Mackay, and ‘Kindred' by Octavia Butler. Hosted by Vasti Calitz. Produced by Vasti Calitz and Andri Burnett. This season is made possible by a grant by the National Arts Council.

We go on some literary journeys through South African cities, featuring Tshidiso Moletsane talking about his debut novel, Junx, and with recommendations from Dela Gwala. Dela recommends ‘Our Move Next', curated by Kelly-Eve Koopman, Sarah Summers and Vasti Hannie; ‘The Eternal Audience of One' by Rémy Ngamije, ‘Zoo City' by Lauren Beukes, and ‘The Woman Next Door' by Yewande Omotoso. ‘Our Move Next' is available for download here. Hosted by Vasti Calitz. Produced by Vasti Calitz and Andri Burnett. This season is made possible by a grant by the National Arts Council.

We explore the connection between sex and death in literature, with a conversation with Yewande Omotoso about her book, ‘An Unusual Grief', and with recommendations from Efemia Chela. Efemia recommends ‘Blackass' by A Igoni Barrett, ‘Luster' by Raven Leilani, ‘Detransition, Baby' by Torrey Peters, and ‘In the Heart of the Country' by JM Coetzee. Hosted by Vasti Calitz. Produced by Vasti Calitz and Andri Burnett. This season is made possible by a grant by the National Arts Council.

Vasti talks to Terry-Ann Adams about their book, 'White Chalk', and gets recommendations from Omphile Raleie of Bookamoso about narratives of the everyday in fiction. Omphile recommends ‘The GoldDiggers' by Sue Nyathi, ‘The Ones with Purpose' by Nozizwe Cynthia Jele, ‘Bows and Butterflies' by Xoli M, and ‘Searching for Simphiwe' by Sifiso Mzobe. Hosted by Vasti Calitz. Produced by Vasti Calitz and Andri Burnett. This season is made possible by a grant by the National Arts Council.

Advocate Eric Nkosi, Council Member at NAC, joins us to talk about the public release of the national art council Forensic report. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June 2021, we welcomed three writers and translators from Singapore in virtual residence in Norwich, with the support of the National Arts Council of Singapore. Nazry Bahrawi was one of them - a literary translator, critic and academic at Singapore University of Technology and Design. Vineet Lal is our fourth Visible Communities virtual translator in residence. Vineet is a literary translator from French to English, based in Scotland. In 2010 he was awarded one of the first-ever Mentorships in Literary Translation by the British Centre for Literary Translation. We're excited to have Vineet and Nazry on the podcast today discussing some of the biggest debates in translation. Don't miss this article by Vineet: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/emerging-translator-mentorships-ten-years-on/ Translation as a Creative Act featuring Nazry: https://youtu.be/z-J4maoKkYo  Our first podcast with Sarah Ardizzone: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/creating-trust-between-a-translator-and-writer/ Sarah's pod on how to become a literary translator: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/how-to-become-a-literary-translator/ Join our Discord: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/join-our-discord-community/ We're a non-profit. You can donate to us here: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/support-us/  Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Music by Bennet Maples.

Glenn van Zutphen and award-winning author Neil Humphreys speak to Marc Nair, Poet & Photographer about his creation of the Tiong Bahru: Walkshop, as part of Silver Arts 2021 and the significance of Silver Arts in creating space for art to be accessible to seniors.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Soul of Business, the annual Silver Arts is returning this year from September to December. The festival not only provides opportunities to keep our seniors engaged with the arts and culture, but also celebrates the artists involved who have provided such meaningful activities for them. Claressa Monteiro speaks with Koh Jau Chern, Assistant Director, Engagement & Participation (Access & Social Participation), National Arts Council to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Why Change? co-hosts Madeleine and Jeff discuss their work connecting people around the globe. Madeleine interviews Jeffrey Tan, a teaching artist and network building in Asia who works with the disabilities community. Madeleine and Jeff debrief the conversation thinking broadly about the impact of funding systems change. In this episode you'll learn: How working together can strengthen a sector of artists, educators, and activists; The role of radical grace when working together; and The impact of strategic funding systems change work. Please download the transcript here. ABOUT JEFFREY TAN- An experienced Theatre Director, Drama Educator and Creative Producer. He has worked full time as Resident Director with The Theatre Practice (1997), Drama Lecturer and Acting Head of Drama with LASALLE SIA (1999) and as Associate Artistic Director with TheatreWorks (S) Ltd (From 2002 – 2006). He was Assistant Director (Festivals) with the National Arts Council from 2007 to 2009 and Head, Commune: Participation with the Singapore Arts Festival from 2010 to 2012. From 2012 to 2015, he was Assistant Director, Community Arts and Culture Division, People's Association. Jeffrey ran three PAssionArts Festivals that brought Festival Villages and large Format visual Arts to over 40 locations in the 86 Constituencies. In 2015, he conceptualized and produced OPEN HOMES – between nine Theatre Facilitators and 25 Families, to create their own performances in their living rooms. This mega project was commissioned again by the Singapore International Festival of Arts in 2017. In 2019, LaBoite and Backbone Theatre in Brisbane, Australia, invited him as Lead Artist to work with their local team of Theatre Facilitators, Stage Managers and 15 Families. In 2021, Open Homes will open in OzAsia, Adelaide Australia with six Asian Australian families. Jeffrey describes his theatre work as people centric and inclusive. The diversity of partners and communities he has worked with includes children, youths, working adults and seniors. He believes in creating safe space through the arts, to empower people to discover and share their untold stories. He is fueled by the wealth of life experiences from international collaboration through storytelling. Jeffrey is most excited by the connecting power of the arts, when we practice inclusivity. With the emerging practice of disability and inclusive arts in Singapore, he is especially delighted to be working to advance the artistry of Teaching Artists in Asia who are working in these inclusive environments - schools and communities. This episode of Why Change? A Podcast for the Creative Generation was powered by Creative Generation. Produced and Edited by Daniel Stanley. For more information on this episode and Creative Generation please visit the episode webpage and follow us on social media @Campaign4GenC --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whychange/support

Cyril Wong has been described by The Oxford Companion to Modern Poetry in English as a confessional poet in Singapore, based mainly on "a barely submerged anxiety over the fragility of human connection and a relentless self-querying". His most recent book is Infinity Diary, published by Seagull Books in 2020. A past recipient of the National Arts Council's Young Artist Award and two Singapore Literature Prizes, he completed a doctoral degree in English Literature at the National University of Singapore in 2012. His poems have been translated into Bengali, Japanese, Italian, Turkish and German. His writings have also appeared in international magazines as well as anthologies by W. W. Norton and Everyman's Library. He founded Singapore's longest-running international poetry webjournal, SOFTBLOW. Instagram: @cyrilsingstheblues "The Men We Loved" was originally published in the book Tilting Our Plates to Catch the Light (Math Paper Press 2012)  Text of today's poem and more details about our program can be found at: deerfieldlibrary.org/queerpoemaday/ Queer Poem-a-Day is directed by poet and teacher Lisa Hiton and Dylan Zavagno, Adult Services Coordinator at the Deerfield Public Library. Music for our series is from Excursions Op. 20, Movement 1, by Samuel Barber, performed by pianist Daniel Baer. Queer Poem-a-Day is supported by a generous donation from the Friends of the Deerfield Public Library. Queer Poem-a-Day is a program from the Adult Services Department at the Library and may include adult language.

MY Friend Pastor Kelvin Sauls brings us two stories from and about South Africa. First we learn about sit-ins by the arts community against the National Arts Council. We're talking to Mzwakhe Mbuli..... Live from Johannesburg. Second, we say the name of Lindani Myeni, a South African who was killed by Honolulu PD. Mkwakhe Mbuli is a household name in SA He is affectionately called the People's Poet.The Internationally-acclaimed poet musician is reknown for his uncompromising lyrics.His music fuel for the feet and food for thought.Some people call him MZ for his charisma.Mzwakhe was officially declared "The enemy of the State" 7748.He was tortured, repeatedly detained.His albums poetry were Banned by the Apartheid regime.Mbuli survived several assassination attempts on his life, from bullets to grenades.After his house was bombed MZ received suprise letters from jailed Nelson Mandela.Mzwakhe Mbuli is a co-founder of the Sabc Crown Gospel Awards and the Siyabakhumbula Awards.192 patriots were honored from sports, arts practitioners, comedians, journalism, medical profession.Mbuli toured extensively abroad with his musical group Europe, USA, Japan, Scandinavian countries.He performed at the Inauguration of SA's 1st Black President Nelson Mandela.He staged successful a tribute concert for Mama Afrika Miriam Makeba.Mbuli initiated an Anti music piracy campaign dubbed Operation Dudula, a Zulu word for eradication.Mzwakhe is the executive producer of the long overdue JUNE 16 movie, the true story.Unprecedented Covid 19 affected the process.MZ is often asked to become the Program Director of prominent citizens.He has a fully fledged musical band.He happiest moment is when performing Live on stage.His latest offering is the new album titled VUKA DARKIE."This album of hits is medicine for mental slavery""There is no vaccine for Racism" Mbuli exclaimed.Distinctly African.VUKA DARKIE!!!!!

The Substation, Singapore's foremost experimental arts space, is due to be evicted from its building. Its board consequently and controversially decided to close the space. T. Sasitharan, former Artistic Director of The Substation (1996-2000) joins PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han to talk about The Substation, its importance, and the problem with how the arts are funded and censored in Singapore. They address the disingenuous nature of how the National Arts Council represented the Substation issue, and more broadly exchange thoughts about why the arts are important to Singapore's future. This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

Guest: Mr. Tshepo Mashiane (Spokesperson of National Arts Council) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South African artists want to know what happened to the millions of rands that were meant to help them when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They have staged a sit-in at the National Arts Council offices. They've vowed to continue occupying the offices of the arts council until they are paid out monies promised to them. The impasse is over a 300 million rand presidential employment stimulus programme, meant to be disbursed via the National Arts Council and the National Film and Video Foundation. It's aimed at assisting people in the sector, suffering losses due to Covid-19. We spoke to Tshepo Mashiane- Spokesperson for the National Arts Council.

In Singapore, a young nation focused on economic prosperity, the path to the writer’s life can seem uncertain. Against this backdrop, Jemimah Wei of Columbia University tells Jared about her country’s emerging literary canon, how flash fiction taught her restraint, and how open conversations about funding make MFAs more accessible. Jemimah Wei is a writer and host based in Singapore and New York. Her fiction has received nominations for the 2021 Pushcart Prize, support from Singapore's National Arts Council, and the 2020 Francine Ringold Award for New Writers. She was recently named a 2020 Felipe P. De Alba Fellow at Columbia University, where she is pursuing an MFA in Fiction. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Nimrod, Smokelong Quarterly, Pidgeonholes, X-R-A-Y Literary Magazine, and JMWW, amongst others. Presently a columnist for No Contact Magazine, she is at work on a novel and several television projects. This follows an eight-year career in the media, where she's worked both onscreen and behind the scenes as a host, scriptwriter, and producer. Learn more at jemmawei.com and say hi at @jemmawei on socials. MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack and Hanamori Skoblow. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at MFAwriters.com. Twitter: @MFAwriterspod Instagram: @MFAwriterspodcast Facebook: MFA Writers Email: mfawriterspodcast@gmail.com

Guest: Dr Sipho Sithole | NAC Council Member   A series of sit-ins at the National Arts Council seems to be yielding some positive results. The National Arts Council says it has so far paid over R37,7-million to creatives. It is promising to make more payments. Dr Sipho Sithole is NAC Council Member. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is the eighth day of the sit by various SA artists at the offices of the National Arts Council in Newtown, Johannesburg. At the heart of the matter is the funding agency's alleged inability or unwillingness to avail relief funds to artists, and to answer questions about how the funds were disbursed, specifically how much of the R300 million has been disbursed so far. The artists say that this is a legitimate fight against the corruption and unfairness that has been going on at the NAC for years; more specifically now with the R300 million presidential stimulus for artists.We spoke to Acting Chairperson of the National Arts Council, Princess Celenhle Dlamini and Opera Singer, Sibongile Mngoma.

Various artists have staged a sit-in at the offices of the National Arts Council in Newtown, Johannesburg. At the heart of the matter is the funding agency's alleged inability or unwillingness to avail relief funds to artists. About twelve of the artists have been sleeping in the building for a few days now. The sit-in was initiated by opera singer Sibongile Mngoma. The artists say that this is a legitimate fight against the corruption and unfairness that has been going on in government institutions such as the NAC. The new council appointed by the minister has proven to be a monumental disaster. We spoke to opera singer Sibongile Mngoma...

After weeks of buzzing, the Substation finally announced their decision to close permanently after 30 years of being a mainstay in the SG arts scene. Some people are sad, some people are angry and some people are pissed at the National Arts Council. Why? Elsewhere, spin cycle instructors have responded to news that 2 women were hospitalised with a potentially fatal muscle breakdown after class. But who’s to blame? SAMSUNG'S SHORT & SHARP FILM FESTIVAL This episode was proudly brought to you Samsung. We're co-founders of their mobile-first film festival, which is now open for entries! More info at https://www.samsung.com/sg/short-and-sharp And check out the poster on our IG at https://www.instagram.com/p/CL4buFlntlw/  Check out our #YLB Subreddit for show notes! Here are our one SHIOK things for this week! ➤ Veteran Hong Kong actor Ng Man-tat ➤ Bread Boys on YouTube Peace!

Join Paige Parker and Professor Tommy Koh, lawyer, writer, and trusted diplomat, as they discuss silver linings from Covid, his thoughts on education, the humanities, and the arts; his lifetime of service to Singapore; the importance of taking ownership of climate change, why pulling for the underdog is important, Prof Koh's “feminist mother”, how we all must walk the talk on gender equality, and other encouraging words to Pass the Power. Prof Tommy Koh — who early in his career served at Singapore's permanent representative to the UN, before being appointed ambassador to the US from 1984-1990, and was the founding Chairman of the National Arts Council, and today serves as professor in the law school at NUS and as rector of Tembusu College at NUS. He's a gem, and we Pass the Power on to you with this podcast. Enjoy!

It’s more of the arts this week, as KJ chats about his recent online performance in the National Arts Council’s “The Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer”, and we provide our review of “Nate - a One Man Show” on Netflix. After loading up on all that culture we get the pleasure of reading a ton of Listener Mail (always a favourite activity in the Shed), difficult vaccination choices for RJ, and a smattering of reminiscences. You can’t get 193 years of life in one room without some reminiscences, let’s face it. So come along, enjoy our new Voodoo Jazz podcast music, and have a few laughs!Links: Shed Dogs; Little Red Warrior and His Lawyer; Nate - A One Man Show; Puddles Pity Party doing “Royals”.Thanks to Voodoo Jazz for our title music.

Glenn van Zutphen and award-winning author Neil Humphreys in conversation with Sharon Koh, Assistant Director of Sector Development, National Arts Council & Ryan Tan, Founder/Creative Director of TRDOco Ltd about their insights on mental health and how they are using dance to speak up on social matters, incorporating technology into art. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The highly globalised cross-border movement of people and art has grounded to an abrupt standstill with the COVID-19 pandemic. Predictions of a “new normal” to come envision a de-globalised art world that serves local communities more than a global audience. With their extensive experience in policy-planning, cultural communications and the logistics of art, our panellists will share perspectives on how the Asian art world will carry out its activities, and how centres and peripheries might be reformed. Panellists: - Catherine McClelland, President & Managing Director, Sutton Hong Kong - Ida Ng, CEO, Art Move, Helu-Trans Group - Low Eng Teong, Deputy CEO, National Arts Council, Singapore Moderated by Wang Zineng, Founder Art Agenda, S.E.A. & Head of Modern and Contemporary Art, Asia, Bonhams --- This panel discussion was broadcast on 18 June 2020 as part of a 5-day conference, PIVOT | The Southeast Asian Art World Beyond COVID-19. More information at artandmarket.net/pivot. PIVOT is a project by Art & Market. We take an incisive look at what is defining and transforming the business of art in Asia, presenting news, insights and analysis from our vantage point in Southeast Asia. Visit us at artandmarket.net, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @artandmarket.

Glenn van Zutphen talks to Paul Tan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Council about the reopening of ARH Co-Working Spaces and how ARH is supporting freelance artists. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are few things as intimate as listening to a podcast, reading is one of them.  On this episode, we speak with Singaporean novelist, Balli Kaur Jaswal, about the role stories play in helping us explore and intimate side of ourselves, in a culture and society that’s modern and yet conservative all the same. Balli’s international debut novel, Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows has attracted the likes of international book clubs, including Reese Witherspoon’s!  The episode was presented as part of Night Spin 182.7 FM, a programme curated by The Arts House, commissioned by Singapore Writers Festival and organised by National Arts Council. Listen to the full episode on www.swfspin.live now!

This episode took courage to produce. It's a hush hush topic in Singapore (a country with longstanding tradition of censorship), people don't like to talk about it and it's often seen as controversial. But this was something we felt we had to talk about to open up this conversation. So, let's talk about race. Adeeb is the Artistic Director of The Second Breakfast Company, and has also worked with Bhumi Collective and Adeeb & Shai. Adeeb is also a founding member of Impromptu Meetings, and works with young people as a freelance drama educator. 9:20 Did the #BLM conversation translate into racial conversations in Singapore's context? 11:43 Making sense of racism 12:19 Having the right words for these experiences 16:30 Brown face in Singapore, backlash against people who stood up against the brown face saga 25:30 Theatre in Singapore to open up difficult conversations 27:00 National Arts Council gatekeeping and censorship 37:00 Curation and control through licensing “If you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/onionstalk and follow the simple instructions.” --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/onionstalk/support

big THANKS to Elvia for joining me on this podcast session - the theme for this podcast is about the ARTS, something that I was previously insanely active in, where all my available time was only for music rehearsals, performances and practice (i'm not exaggerating..). Elvia's expertise is in arts management and she's currently the General Manager and Dingyi Music Company. She previously worked at the National Arts Council and graduated from the Singapore Management University - she also founded the Singapore Management University Chinese Orchestra during her undergraduate days! I feel that there's really a lot more awareness and appreciation that can be raised for arts managers because they play a very critical role into making arts happen - whether if its live performances, arts workshops or engagement programmes, no arts can survive without arts managers. This podcast is dedicated to raising that awareness, even if its just a little bit, to hopefully inspire those individuals who are interested in the arts and may not be artists themselves. On another note, Elvia has changed my life to a certain extent as it was in my first interactions with her that I found the joy of creating - the process of creating something out of nothing and the power of making ideas happen - whether that's in the form of writing proposals to organise concerts, all the way to just making ideas realities; I've been addicted to creating things since then, but yet fall-short on the ability to sustain ideas and it's definitely an important take away that I had from this podcast. Hope this podcast will be useful to all aspiring artists and arts managers :)

Classic 1027 — Monica Newton has been named the new National Arts Festival CEO. She took up her new role on 1 January 2020. Newton was previously the head of the Gauteng department of sport, arts, culture, and recreation, and before that was deputy director-general: arts and culture promotion and development at the national department of arts and culture. Prior to this, she was the CEO of the National Arts Council, a statutory body reporting to the department of arts and culture and established to support and develop the arts in South Africa.

Monica Newton has been named the new National Arts Festival CEO. She took up her new role on 1 January 2020. Newton was previously the head of the Gauteng department of sport, arts, culture, and recreation, and before that was deputy director-general: arts and culture promotion and development at the national department of arts and culture. Prior to this, she was the CEO of the National Arts Council, a statutory body reporting to the department of arts and culture and established to support and develop the arts in South Africa.

When All This Is Over: Ep 4 19:44 mins From a birthday Zoom call to lamentations for a lost year, listen to poetry and prose about the Covid-19 pandemic by local writers Aaron Maniam, Jinny Koh, Amanda Chong, Diana Rahim and Gwee Li Sui. This is part of the 30 Days Of Art series, supported by the National Arts Council, to inspire and uplift listeners as the country emerges from the Covid-19 circuit breaker. To see the rest of the works, go to str.sg/30Days. For more local digital arts offerings, visit a-list.sg to appreciate #SGCultureAnywhere. Things To Do In A Pandemic by Aaron Maniam - 0:33 Unbroken by Jinny Koh - 2:38 Lamentations by Amanda Chong - 6:11 A List Of Things That Can Still Travel Great Distances by Diana Rahim - 9:01 The Lost Year by Gwee Li Sui - 14:46 Performed by: Aaron Maniam, Olivia Ho, Amanda Chong and Diana Rahim Produced by: Olivia Ho and Penelope Lee Edited by: Penelope Lee Discover ST & BT podcasts: Channel: https://str.sg/JWVR Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP Google podcasts: http://str.sg/googlestbt Websites: http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts https://bt.sg/moneyhacks Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When All This Is Over: Ep 3 19:49 mins From mask envy at a childcare centre to a song about morning, listen to poetry and prose about the Covid-19 pandemic by local writers Verena Tay, Fairoz Ahmad, Jennifer Anne Champion, Yu-Mei Balasingamchow and Felix Cheong. This is part of the 30 Days Of Art series, supported by the National Arts Council, to inspire and uplift listeners as the country emerges from the Covid-19 circuit breaker.To see the rest of the works, go to str.sg/30Days. For more local digital arts offerings, visit a-list.sg to appreciate #SGCultureAnywhere. Masked by Verena Tay - 0:33 Memories Are Water Shaped As Stories by Fairoz Ahmad - 5:07 Going Round In Circuits by Jennifer Anne Champion - 9:31 The Children by Yu-Mei Balasingamchow - 10:51 Let The Morning In by Felix Cheong - 15:32 Performed by: Verena Tay, Olivia Ho, Jennifer Anne Champion and Rachel Wong  Produced by: Olivia Ho and Penelope Lee Edited by: Penelope Lee Discover ST & BT podcasts: Channel: https://str.sg/JWVR Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP Google podcasts: http://str.sg/googlestbt Websites: http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts https://bt.sg/moneyhacks Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ep 2: When All This Is Over 19:43 mins From an unearthly encounter at Mustafa Centre to overheard bathroom conversations, listen to poetry and prose about the Covid-19 pandemic by local writers Theophilus Kwek, Daryl Qilin Yam, Deborah Emmanuel, Kirstin Chen and Judith Huang. This is part of the 30 Days Of Art series, supported by the National Arts Council, to inspire and uplift listeners as the country emerges from the Covid-19 circuit breaker. To see the rest of the works, go to str.sg/30Days. For more local digital arts offerings, visit a-list.sg to appreciate #SGCultureAnywhere. The Window by Theophilus Kwek - 0:32 A Visitation At Mustafa by Daryl Qilin Yam - 5:46 Silent Revolution by Deborah Emmanuel - 11:20 In Between by Kirstin Chen - 13:07 On The Other Side by Judith Huang - 18:09 Read by: Theophilus Kwek, Daryl Qilin Yam, Deborah Emmanuel, Kirstin Chen and Olivia Ho Produced by: Olivia Ho and Penelope Lee Edited by: Penelope Lee Discover ST & BT podcasts: Channel: https://str.sg/JWVR Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP Google podcasts: http://str.sg/googlestbt Websites: http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts https://bt.sg/moneyhacks Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Glenn van Zutphen and award-winning author Neil Humphreys are joined by Paul Tan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Council to discuss the challenges and opportunities to help the struggling Singapore arts community and how the government's S$55 million funding will be dispersed.

Ep 1: When All This Is Over  16:53 mins Synopsis: From an unusual circuit breaker theft to a tongue-in-cheek e-mail about time, listen to poetry and prose about the Covid-19 pandemic by local writers O Thiam Chin, Christine Chia, Marc Nair, Clara Chow and Stephanie Chan. This is part of the 30 Days Of Art series, brought to you by the National Arts Council, to inspire and uplift listeners as the country emerges from the Covid-19 circuit breaker. For more local digital arts offerings, visit a-list.sg to appreciate #SGCultureAnywhere. Works read by: Yeo Sam Jo, Olivia Ho, Marc Nair and Stephanie Chan 0:31 - Cave Time by O Thiam Chin 5:02 - Our Gardens, Our Homes by Christine Chia 8:38 - Copper by Marc Nair 10:09 - Extra Time™ by Clara Chow 14:21 - i tried to imagine the future but all i could think about was the texture of skin by Stephanie Chan Produced by: Olivia Ho and Penelope Lee Edited by: Penelope Lee Discover ST & BT podcasts: Channel: https://str.sg/JWVR Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP Google podcasts: http://str.sg/googlestbt Websites: http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts https://bt.sg/moneyhacks Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A reading of dozens of tiny stories from micro-fictionistas, including guest readers, plus a discussion of the Art of Flash and prompts—including visual prompts—to write and submit your own, with a selection to be published on the Flash Fiction Collective Facebook page. Author bios: Jane Ciabattari, author of the short story collection Stealing the Fire, writes the Between the Lines column for BBC Culture. She is a former president of the National Book Critics Circle and a member of the Writers Grotto. Her reviews, interviews and cultural criticism have appeared in the New York Times Book Review, the Guardian, Paris Review, the Washington Post and the Boston Globe, among other publications. Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the co-founder of 100 Word Story. He has published two books on writing, Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo, and Brave the Page, a teen writing guide. He’s also published a collection of 100-word stories, Fissures, and Nothing Short of 100: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story. His stories have appeared in dozens of literary magazines, including Tin House, The Southwest Review, and The Gettysburg Review, and he has been anthologized in collections such as Norton’s New Micro: Exceptionally Short Fiction and Best Small Fictions. His essays on creativity have been published in The New York Times, Poets & Writers, Writer’s Digest, and The Writer. He serves on the National Writing Project’s Writer’s Council, Lit Camp’s Advisory Council, and Aspen Words’ Creative Council. He’s also the co-host of the podcast Write-minded. Kirstin Chen‘s second novel, Bury What We Cannot Take (Little A, March 2018), was named a best book of the year by Entropy, Popsugar, and Book Bub, and a top pick of the season by Electric Literature, The Millions, The Rumpus, Harper’s Bazaar, and InStyle. She is also the author of Soy Sauce for Beginners, an Amazon bestseller, an O, The Oprah Magazine “book to pick up now,” and a Glamour book club pick. She has received awards from the Steinbeck Fellows Program, Sewanee, Hedgebrook, the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, the Toji Cultural Foundation, and the National Arts Council of Singapore. Her writing has appeared in Real Simple, Literary Hub, Writer’s Digest, Manrepeller, Zyzzyva, and the Best New Singaporean Short Stories. She holds an MFA from Emerson College and a BA from Stanford University. Born and raised in Singapore, she lives in San Francisco, where she is working on a novel about the counterfeit handbag trade. She teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco and in Ashland University’s Low-Residency MFA Program. Meg Pokrass is the U.K. based author of six flash fiction collections, an award-winning collection of prose poetry, and a novella-in-flash from the Rose Metal Press. Her latest is a flash fiction collection called The Dog Seated Next To Me, published in 2019 by Pelekinesis Press. A new novella in flash The Smell Of Good Luck will be published in 2020 by Flash: The International Short Short Story Press. Meg’s work has been recently anthologized in two Norton Anthology Readers: New Micro (W.W. Norton & Co, 2018) and Flash Fiction International (W.W. Norton & Co., 2015), The Best Small Fictions, 2018 and 2019, Wigleaf Top 50, Nothing Short Of 100, and has appeared in 350 literary magazines both online and in print including Electric Literature, Tin House, McSweeney’s, Five Points, Smokelong Quarterly, Tupelo Review. All authors' books available from your favorite indie bookstores, order from bookshop.org!

Today's podcast is with Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, journalist and author of “Sarong Party Girls” (William Morrow, 2016) as well as “A Tiger In The Kitchen: A Memoir of Food & Family“ (Hyperion, 2011). She is the editor of the fiction anthology “Singapore Noir“ (Akashic Books, 2014). She was a staff writer at the Wall Street Journal, In Style magazine and the Baltimore Sun. Her stories have also appeared in The New York Times, The Paris Review, The Washington Post, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, National Geographic, Foreign Policy, Marie Claire, Newsweek, Bloomberg Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, The (Portland) Oregonian, The (Topeka) Capital-Journal and The (Singapore) Straits Times among other places. She has been an artist in residence at Yaddo, where she wrote “A Tiger in the Kitchen,” Hawthornden Castle, Le Moulin à Nef, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Headlands Center for the Arts, Ragdale Foundation, Ledig House and the Studios of Key West. In 2012, she was the recipient of a major arts creation grant from the National Arts Council of Singapore in support of her novel. Born and raised in Singapore, she crossed the ocean at age 18 to go to Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Unsure of whether she would remain in the U.S. after college, she interned in places as disparate as possible. She hung out with Harley Davidson enthusiasts in Topeka, Kan., interviewed gypsies about their burial rituals in Portland, Ore., covered July 4 in Washington, D.C., and chronicled the life and times of the Boomerang Pleasure Club, a group of Italian-American men that were getting together to cook, play cards and gab about women for decades in their storefront “clubhouse” in Chicago. An active member of the Asian American Journalists Association, she served on its national board for seven years, ending in 2010. She started her full-time journalism career helping out on the cops beat in Baltimore — training that would prove to be essential in her future fashion reporting. Both, it turns out, are like war zones. The difference is, people dress differently.

No dental subsidy, no sick leave, no insurance or wait.... is there a way to change that? Michelle Martin, speaks to Grace Ng, Director, Education & Development, National Arts Council and Edward Choy ( last seen in Urinetown) about the realities of  freelancing and plans the NAC has to support freelancers.

Jeremy Tiang returns to the pod, this time accompanied by fellow translator Anton Hur and Kate Griffin. In this wide-ranging chat they take in their inaugural Dragon Hall translator residencies, the BCLT summer school, how mentorships can help people getting into translation, the work of Tilted Axis, the history of Singapore and queer Korean literature. The residencies were supported by the National Arts Council of Singapore and the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. Hosted by Simon Jones and Steph McKenna. Find out more about our work at https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk Get your Noirwich tickets: https://noirwich.co.uk http://www.jeremytiang.com/ https://antonhur.com/ http://www.bclt.org.uk/summer-school https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/emerging-translator-mentorships/ https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/erasing-histories/ https://www.tiltedaxispress.com/ https://www.wordswithoutborders.org/article/june-2019-korean-queer-korean-litearture-is-stepping-outanton-hur http://www.cedilla.company/ https://smokingtigers.com/ https://literarytranslators.wordpress.com/2019/02/07/focus-on-literary-translation-collectives-an-interview-with-the-smoking-tigers/ Music by Bennet Maples.

Born in 1956, the multi-talented Dick Lee has been a model agent, event manager, fashion designer and creative director. However, he is best known for being one of Singapore’s most prolific singer-songwriters. Dick Lee explains how he defied the odds to achieve success at a time when there was little appreciation for local musicians. To discover more Singaporean music and artists such as Dick Lee, visit www.hear65.com. Hear65 is a national movement to promote Singaporean artists and music, and is an initiative by the National Arts Council, proudly produced by Bandwagon.

Born in 1957, Jacintha Abisheganaden dominated the theatre scene in the 1980s, and was a familiar face on TV and radio in the 1990s and early 2000s. She describes how she has helped to develop Singapore’s arts scene, and how her experiences have influenced her as a jazz singer. This interview with Jacintha Abisheganaden was conducted in partnership with Hear65. Hear65 is a national movement to promote Singaporean artists and music, and is an initiative by the National Arts Council which is proudly produced by Bandwagon. Find out more at www.hear65.com

Born in 1959, Mel Ferdinands is best known for being a member of one of Singapore’s top bands, Gypsy, in the 1980s. He achieved early success at the age of 12 after performing with his younger brother Joe on Talentime in 1971. However, pursuing a professional music career was fraught with challenges in the 1980s, amid shifts in Singapore’s nightlife scene. To discover more Singaporean music and artists such as Mel Ferdinands, visit www.hear65.com. Hear65 is a national movement to promote Singaporean artists and music, and is an initiative by the National Arts Council, proudly produced by Bandwagon.

Born in 1957, cultural medallion winner and internationally acclaimed violinist Lynnette Seah has been with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra since its inception in 1978. She describes the rigorous training she underwent in her youth, and how her love of her childhood neighbourhood, Tiong Bahru, has come full circle as she faces retirement. To discover more Singaporean music and artists such as Lynnette Seah, visit www.hear65.com. Hear65 is a national movement to promote Singaporean artists and music, and is an initiative by the National Arts Council, proudly produced by Bandwagon.

Born in 1955 and raised in a family of celebrities, Rahimah Rahim became a child star at the age of 6. Although she won the prestigious Kimi Koso Talentime in Japan in 1974, she had to reject the recording contract that came with it. She describes how she met her first husband, national footballer Mohammad Noh Hussein, and explains why she has not had a Hollywood ending despite releasing a dozen albums. To discover more Singaporean music and artists such as Rahimah Rahim, visit www.hear65.com. Hear65 is a national movement to promote Singaporean artists and music, and is an initiative by the National Arts Council, proudly produced by Bandwagon.

Show creator Udhara de Silva chats with co-host Vanessa Fernandez, who's been plugged into Singapore's culture for the past 20 years. In this episode Vanessa gives us an overview on Singapore, enlightens us on its music history, talks about her career in radio, and gives us a sneak peak of our guests this season!   Vanessa's performed at music festivals such as the Gilles Peterson Worldwide Festival in France, Laneway Festival in Singapore, BIGSOUND in Australia, V-ROX in Russia, and the Concrete and Grass Festival in China. She's released music with major record labels as well as indie labels.    Besides making music, she was a radio DJ on commercial radio station 987FM and ran Lush 99.5 FM, which was Singapore's only indie/electronic format dedicated to art. And for the past 3 years she's mentored creatives with the National Arts Council's Noise Music Mentorship program.   Season 2 is sponsored by Audio Technica who create high quality content creation tools.   This season would not have been possible without the help of our incredible Indiegogo donors. Thank you for every single contribution, social media share, and message of support! We hope you enjoy the show!

Charlotte Koh, Deputy Director of the Arts & Culture Development and Cultural Matching Fund Secretariat of the National Arts Council joins MONEY FM 89.3's Elliott Danker and Yasmin Jonkers in the studio, to discuss how art contributes to the world of social investing and philanthropy. 

Singaporean writer Sharlene Teo’s debut novel Ponti won the inaugural Deborah Rogers Foundation Writer’s Award and was praised by Ian McEwan for its “brilliant descriptive power”, and for characters which “glow with life and humour and minutely observed desperation”. Teo sets her twisting and haunting story of an intense and unusual friendship between two women against the humming, shifting atmosphere of contemporary Singapore. She speaks with Pip Adam about her breakthrough debut. Supported by National Arts Council of Singapore.

Social Transformation is what was discussed in this week’s episode of the MYD Show with the help of Patrick Sam. Chairperson of the National Arts Council of Namibia, a Broadcast Journalist, Poet, and Writer, Patrick is also a Social Activist who holds a Masters Degree in International Education Systems.

Emma Keith, producer of the National Theatre Live series of theatrical broadcasts, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, talks about the latest broadcast, the National Theatre in London revival of Stephen Sondheim's 1971 musical, “Follies.” The producer of the series since 2016, she discusses what is required to put on this kind of international live broadcast, some of the technical issues involved, and how the National brings in a younger audience. The Royal National Theatre is the English equivalent of New York's Public Theatre, or perhaps Lincoln Center, supported to a great degree by the government's National Arts Council, and is in that sense a model of how government can support the arts. Founded in 1963 with Sir Laurence Olivier as its first director, the National now encompasses three theaters on its side near Waterloo Bridge in London. “Follies” airs on November 16, 2017 with encore presentations following. To find out more, National Theatre Live website The post Interview: Emma Keith, National Theatre Live: Sondheim's “Follies” appeared first on KPFA.

“If you allow all these barriers and challenges around you to impact you, you’ll never walk out of the house and have terrible mental health. So, get over it.” – Claire Chiang Claire Chiang is the co-founder of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts. She was the Singapore's Woman of the Year (1999). She was the first of two women who to break the long-standing tradition of an all-male member of Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI). Claire is the chairperson of the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund, the Shirin Fozdar Program and the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS). She occasionally contributes to and leads various committees in the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Arts Council and Raffles Girls’ Secondary School. In this conversation, we spoke about How to deal with the "glass ceiling" How to be a mum while running a business What Claire learnt from the study of Sociology and much more! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I do.