Artistic Co-Director

Lee Weng Choy has been an employee of The Substation since 2000; in addition to his day job, he writes art criticism, and his essays have been published in Art AsiaPacific, Broadsheet, Forum On Contemporary Art & Society, Over Here: International Perspectives on Art and Culture, and Theory in Contemporary Art since 1985. Prior to The Substation, he taught art theory and cultural studies at various institutions. While he misses teaching, Weng does get a chance to speak in public -- although perhaps too often: he speaks several times a year at conferences, forums, etc., in Singapore and abroad, and is almost at the point where he's sick of the sound of his voice -- almost. He still says yes to invitations, and continues to participate in and convene such events. Often in the midst of a talkfest, he wishes he could break out into song, and has asked his colleague Cyril about lessons, but fears he may be, in addition to talentless, tone deaf. Alas. Better stick with the day job. And the writing.

Artistic Co-Director

Despite her teacher's recommendation to study psychology, Audrey Wong chose to pursue the less financially lucrative path of her first love -- literature, which led to a masters in English Lit at NUS. It eventually dawned on her that she's carrying on a crazy family tradition of getting involved in the arts instead of being a more economically-productive Singaporean (her mother is Cultural Medallion recipient & Chinese opera artist Joanna Wong). She joined The Substation in 1996 and the following year, launched the Moving Images film programme with then-Artistic Director T. Sasitharan. In 2000, she obtained an MA in arts administration from Goldsmiths College. Audrey has served on various committees, including doing "national service" with the Remaking Singapore project of 2003; she is also a founding member of Magdalena (Singapore). She has a particular interest in supporting the development of young artists, and occasionally writes, and teaches arts management, cultural policy and theatre studies.

General Manager

Julie Englefield is related to everyone. At least, her background is so complicated that the likelihood of her being related to you is pretty significant. Spanning several continents and involving intriguing tales of love, betrayal, confusion and reunions, including families known in Singapore for generations, Julie landed here by coincidence. She has a solid arts background in ballet and music, and recently worked with the Steinway & Sons agents in Australia for twelve years. Her experiences in sales, marketing, talent development, event management and concert production led her -- naturally -- to the other end of the spectrum in the arts: The Substation.

Accounts Executive

Soo Wai Chin comes from Seri Kembangan, Malaysia, and has lived in Singapore since 2000. In 2005, she joined The Substation as our account executive. She likes shopping, sports and arranging all kinds of outings with her family during weekends. She believes in being a very supportive person, both at home and at the office; having good relationships with her colleagues is very important to her, but since she's the one who handles the money, everyone is nice to her. Although some might say it's really because of her personality. Wai Chin is proud to say that The Substation has exposed her to many different (sub)cultures, and since working here she's experienced more creativity, individuality, teamwork, and challenges than ever before. Meanwhile, she's taking part-time courses to "improve" herself and learn more from life.

    

Programme Manager

Annabelle Aw is the programme manager. Awfully shy.

Programme Manager - Moving Images

Beng Kheng was a aimless zombie born in the year of the dog (Can you say “Zombie Dogs”?) with a deep love for film. Since young, he has had the twisted vision that is the Singapore dream, drummed into this head: to grow up, find a job, get rich and obtain the five credentials of Singaporean success: the car, the condominium, the credit card, the cash and the career. It was only through the movies that he experienced life and the world beyond mindless cash and credit. It was also the movies that made him broke. In a desperate search for an alternative drug, to bring the euphoria of cinematic escapism, he turned to short films screenings, which are generally cheap or free (like First Take which is still free). He has never turned back since. BK has a totally unrelated Chemistry degree from the National University of Singapore, to which he puts into good use on the bedside table of his mother to keep her happy. He was previous president of a student production house, nuSTUDIOS, and has involved himself in a few short films productions as a lowly minion. He is still very broke and he really hates parsley.

Editor, The Substation Online Magazine

Cyril Wong is a former programme manager, and now contributing editor of the online magazine at The Substation. He is the author of five books of poetry, including like a seed with its singular purpose (Firstfruits, 2006), and his poems have been collected in anothologies, including Contemporary Voices from the East (W.W. Norton & Co., 2007). Cyril's work has been adapted to drama, dance, film and music. He won the Young Artist Award in 2005 for Literature and was a featured poet at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2003. He is also a renegade countertenor who has performed at the Hong Kong Fringe Club and at the Seoul Fringe Festival.

Operations Manager

Elly Ardi loves to watch Jojo's Circus, Dora the Explorer, and Elmo on Sesame Street. She spends most of her free time finger painting, blowing bubbles and laughing at the silliest things. Elly is the first person you see when you enter The Substation office, she is our first line of defense, so do treat her nice. Her past is forgotten and she looks towards the future since the arrival of her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, who is the apple of her eye.

Marketing Manager

When Emily J Hoe is not baking cupcakes and cookies for The Substation staff, she is surreptitiously adding your email address to The Substation’s database and bombarding friends in the media with our event information and invitations to interview our artists. She’s been in Singapore since 1998 and still can’t speak Mandarin – but apparently it’s hilarious when she does! Emily has a fashion and business background but since arriving in Singapore she has been gaining a solid footing in the media industry, from the point of view of a media owner, fashion editor, public relations consultant, emcee and morning radio show co-host! If you can’t find her in The Substation office, she’ll be slaving over the proverbial hot stove (or swimming laps in the nearest pool to work off those baked good calories).

Technical Manager

Terence Lau wasted two years of his life being a waiter before joining The Substation in October 2004. He's been actively involved in the local music scene since he came back from Australia in 2002 and has been organising events since 2005 under his label, Platform.

Technician

Attracted by the growing arts industry in Singapore, Hu Chun Lai left his job with CCTV in Beijing as a cameraman and came here to further his studies in Theatre. Along the way, he fell in love with the technical aspects of a performance and has since devoted his time and energy into making magic from behind the scenes.

Box Office Executive

• Name: Christopher Ong Ujine
• Sex: yes snigger male snort
• Marital Status: single but attached
• Stats: average Aquarian Asian
• Position: over-the-counter-through-the-hole-in-the-window-on-the-phone box office administrator.
• Preferences: being an underachieving student/ writer/ poet/ artist/ designer/ music critic/ academic
• Peeves: rude customers, idiotic customers, demanding customers ... customers.
• editor's note: Audrey & Weng would like to talk with you ...
• Background: seven years in The Substation and counting ... come back in 15 mins for an update

Caretaker

Mrs Chua has been The Substation's night time duty manager and gatekeeper for a dynastic 13 years. An institution into herself, she is The Substation's omnipresent (and almost omniscient) critic of art shows, having seen countless art shows, and witnessed numerous artists and Substation staff come and go - she the only constant in The Substation's creative firmament. A proud mother of two, she boasts the amazing skills of grilling dried pork (and our artists), factory parts assemblage and carpentry. Her famous phrases? "Close shop", "I was here" and "Go home, go home", all uttered with the familiar, foreboding rattle of her circle-scepter of keys and with all the joie de vivre of a harrying harbinger of the closing hours.

Housekeeping

Mdm Kheng has been keeping The Substation spotlessly clean since 2001. She takes her job seriously, keeping everything from the toilets, the foyer, the Gallery, even the mirrors at the Dance Studio ready for performers and audience.