At 21 years of age, Hui Ling began working in the theatre industry of Singapore as an actor and teacher of speech and drama. In 2013, when still in the industry as a director, educator and facilitator, she won the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award which, on top of a trophy and certificate, provided her with a $20,000 grant to further pursue her craft. We spoke with her to find out what made her eligible for the award, and what the life of a theatre professional is really like.

“It didn’t change me, but it changed the way some people see me.”

Q: Hi Huiling! First off, can you tell us what the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award is all about? Who gets it and what prizes do you get when you win it?

A: Every year the National Arts Council [of Singapore] awards to selected practising artists under 35 the Young Artist Award (YAA). There is also the Cultural Medallion (CM) awarded. There is prize money awarded for both YAA/CM recipients as support for their upcoming projects (we need to submit a proposal).

It seems to even qualify for the Young Artist Award, you have to be nominated. Do you know who nominated you, and why?

Yes, a nomination is required. Honestly, I can’t remember who nominated me, I think it was Heng Leun [Artistic Director of the theatre company she works at] haha~ I am not sure. Mainly it was for my pursuit of practice in the theatre scene and for developing a practice around the application of theatre in different contexts (such as with young people, communities).

How did you even get into the arts in the first place? And how did you figure out how to make a living while doing it?

I had been in speech and drama classes since I was 8 years old and have never stopped since. It was an environment I grew up in and it naturally became a part of my life. After my A-Levels, I did contemplate choosing to study Theatre in university, but gave that up for the more “stable” Business degree while doing theatre part-time. In the end, I chose to stop my Business degree mid-way and plunged into doing Theatre full-time (I was already doing it part-time while in university). It felt like the thing I had to do for myself at that point. So I started out really early.

How long did it take for you to go from starting out in the arts industry to winning the Young Artist Award? Did you have any setbacks or other wins along the way?

Well, I didn’t set out with the goal of being awarded the YAA, I was just working on the things that fascinated and intrigued me, in the practice of connecting with people through the theatre/arts. I probably received it around the 10th year of me being in the industry.

I guess it had been a journey of understanding myself and my connection with the world. And it was a path that not many had taken so it was difficult to articulate or get others to understand why I made the choice to leave university with 1.5 years left to graduation. I had been really lucky after pursuing theatre, met many wonderful practitioners who gave valuable advice on how to continue in and navigate the industry. I am also very grateful for the belief people had in me. One major influence is Kok Heng Leun, my mentor, and boss.

Why do you think you got selected to win the Young Artist Award? Was there something you did in particular that your peers did not do?

Honestly, I am not too sure. I guess I was the only one at that point who had been consistently doing theatre in non-conventional contexts and seeing it as my practice.

What was your routine like in the years/month/weeks leading up to you winning the Young Artist Award?

Long days and late nights. There was a lot of self-directed learning, to read up and learn about things related to the practice that I was never taught. I spent a lot of time going into communities and chit-chatting with people as well.

Did your routine change in any way after you received the Award? If so, how?

No.

How do you presently spend your weekends?

It depends on whether we have projects ongoing. If we do, then I would either be in rehearsals or doing production preparation. We also have a youth group, ARTivate, where we do training for young people who are keen on theatre. Those sessions are usually on weekends as well.

What advice do you have for someone hoping to win NAC’s Young Artist Award too?

Focus on the work, not the award.

Can you map out a recommended path for people who want to win NAC’s Young Artist Award to follow?

Unfortunately, no. I really just focused on the work I wanted/needed to do.

What are the key things/people/situations that have enabled you to work in the theatre industry and win the Young Artist Award, in your opinion? Who/What was/is indispensable?

As mentioned, it would have been Heng Leun. I am one of the lucky few who have had a direct mentor to help me develop my voice/exploration and I am eternally grateful to him for his guidance as well as for being such an exemplar of his ethos.

Another group of people would be my other team mates at Drama Box—most of them have been with the company for 10 years! And so we grew together as a team.

ARTivate, the youth group which I founded, is very important as well. To see hope, and being there as a [form of] support for young people who are considering this path, and seeing them blossom after graduation has been very humbling.

All the people who have worked with me. Be it fellow arts practitioners or the people in the community, all of them have taught me so much about life, and I am immensely indebted.

How did winning the Young Artist Award change you as a person? Or did it not change you?

No, it didn’t change me, but it changed the way some people see me.

If you could go back and replay your time in the arts industry all over again, what would you do differently?

Nothing!

What were you like as a child? What about as a teenager and young adult? How did you change at every decade? Or did you not change?

I grew up in a kampung [a traditional rural village], so I really love nature and being free and curious. I guess this formed the basis of my being and has aided me in my practice so far. My parents are actually pretty liberal but I guess I still had to struggle with societal expectations as a young person living in Singapore and [with figuring out] what success means versus the pursuit of what I really feel happiness means to me.

Which major event in your life has made you who you are, in your opinion? Why do you think so?

Quitting university was definitely 1 major event. I quickly learnt how I had to be an adult: being responsible for my actions/decisions as well as affirming that I can/do have the courage to step into the unknown.

Another was taking my Master’s [degree]. I had the time to sit down and devour all the books I always wanted to read and it nourished what I really needed to further understand and develop my practice. It also challenged and opened me to new perspectives and approaches when working, which actually moved my practice to the next level.

Which 3 objects/people in your life can you presently not live without and why?

Water. Air. Sleep. Without these, a human is dead. I am grateful to be able to wake up each morning and to still be alive.

Of all the objects you bought in the past year, which has most positively impacted your life? Why?

Books and music always. Whenever I feel lost, down or tired, I seek solace in these.

Which person do you wish LUCK-IT would interview for you to learn from? Why?

Women in India or people working in NGOs in developing countries. Because I always wanted to do it!

Lastly, what’s the worst advice you’ve been given, or have heard people giving? And what’s the best?

My friend had a challenging schedule for 3 performances so I agreed to help her out and stand-in for her as a friend. The boss of the company who contracted her told me I had to prove myself before I was worthy of the fee that was to be paid to me. It was the one and only time I quarrelled with anyone over work.

In my 2nd year of joining the industry, a big brother figure advised me to start thinking about what it is I want to do and not just take up any acting shows that came along—that I needed to be selective. I believe that was what led me into the doors of Drama Box eventually.

Hui Ling is presently Associate Artistic Director of Drama Box and, having just wrapped up her last show, ’Chinatown Crossings’, is now preparing for Drama Box’s 30th Anniversary in 2020. You may check out her latest works at www.dramabox.org or share your own experience with winning awards here using the comment box below.

Photographs courtesy and copyright of Drama Box & Hui Ling. Interviewer: Sy
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