Come July 2026, Koh Tzee Yen, Evangel Wong and Lim Kai Ling, all from Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Class of 2026, will graduate, closing a rewarding university chapter defined by creativity, dedication and the courage to step into uncharted artistic territory.
In their four years at NUS, each of them took on leadership roles in different arts CCAs. Opportunities to collaborate soon brought them together, and by July 2024, they formed n:ow arts, an arts collective committed to creating works that blend genres and explore unconventional spaces. In under two years, they went on to deliver six creative works covering theatre, installation, multimedia, sonic arts, film and movement.
n:ow arts went on to make history as the first artist-in-residence under third space, and eventually the first arts collective to be honoured at the NUS Achievement Awards. The trio belongs to a growing generation of multi-hyphenate artists on campus, who navigate their own artmaking paths both on and off stage.
Read on to learn about how they met, their favourite projects, and what plans they have after NUS Commencement.
OSA: What is your earliest memory of realising that you wanted to pursue the arts?
Tzee Yen: I think the arts have always been a part of my life growing up, as I was involved in Chinese Drama in secondary school and junior college, but it was always seen as more of a side pursuit or a CCA. It was only after entering NUS that things changed. Stage managing for NUS Stage over the past four years has truly shaped my trajectory in the arts. Working alongside supportive and encouraging industry professionals helped me regain my passion and love for the arts, and gave me the confidence to start freelancing outside of school.
Kai Ling: I don’t think I can pinpoint an exact moment. Theatre is just something that I truly enjoyed and kept finding my way back to in different ways. One project sort of led to another project and all I had to do was to say yes.
Evangel: I think it happened when I was in primary school, when I was enrolled in acting classes. I remember thinking, “no matter how tedious or tiring theatre can be, this is where I want to be.” My love for it continued throughout high school and finally being in NUS — doing Theatre Studies, NUS Stage and forming n:ow arts. It was clear to me that this is how I processed and engaged with the world.
OSA: How did you first get involved in the arts during your time at NUS?
Tzee Yen: In my first year in AY22/23, I was Sets Head of King Edward VII Hall Hallplay, and a member of NUS Arts Production Crew (NAPC, then named EMCC Crew). By the end of the AY, I was approached by Kai Ling to be Assistant Stage Manager to NUS Stage’s production, End of the Line.
Kai Ling: The funny thing is, I came to university ready to be less active in co-curricular activities. Tzee Yen introduced me to NAPC’s projects, and I signed up thinking that I would do one production per semester. The first production I did was Fruit Basket, which later led me to crew for NUS Stage’s End of the Line. Through crewing for NUS Stage, I got to know Evangel, shen hao and Yi Wei (who were in NUS Stage), which led to me joining NUS Stage, and eventually the formation of n:ow arts. One thing sort of led to the next in ways I never would have imagined, but in a great way!
Evangel: Before I entered NUS, I already knew I wanted to join NUS Stage. I heard promising things about it from my drama teachers and even befriended its AY 21/22 President, Joshua Seow, when I was acting in an external production. It felt like fate when I joined in Year 1 and became President in Year 2. NUS Stage provided me with the training I never knew I needed, from actor training to growing as a leader and artist.
OSA: A key part of your journey was forming n:ow arts. Can you take us back to how the five of you came together?
n:ow arts: It was a ‘right time, right people’ moment. We all felt this fire in us to create. The catalysing moment came the curtain call on Laojiu: A Play in a Play by NUS Stage in Mar 2024. Four of us — shen hao, Evangel, Tzee Yen, and Kai Ling — were sitting at UTown Green and we talked about our passion for the arts and how we were not ready for it to end. Shen Hao and Evangel mooted the idea of starting an arts collective, and Tzee Yen and Kai Ling said yes. Yi Wei joined us as our final member as she also wanted to continue pursuing the arts and expand her craft into filmmaking. Beyond a collective, n:ow arts is really a group of friends supporting one another.
OSA: Looking back at your two-year journey with n:ow arts, which project stands out to you?
Tzee Yen: For me, it’d be dear cfa, -- this project commemorated the closure of the Runme Shaw CFA Studios because that was our first project and it was deeply significant to us students who used that space so often and where we made so many friends. It brought back memories of late nights spent in the studio devising our scripts and rehearsing our performances.
Kai Ling: I think dear cfa, laid the foundations of all the other works that we went on to do — from telling stories that we cared about, to exploring interests beyond theatre like installations and exhibitions, to incorporating aspects of community engagement. It showed us what we valued in the art-making process, which we then channelled into the various projects that each of us later led.
Evangel: Our site-specific movement piece I(n) Nature was especially significant to me. It is about our relationship and connection with nature, and how society and development respond to it. It was the first project I conceptualised and saw through from producing to directing. Shen Hao was my partner in crime for this project. I say ‘crime’ because we would get so many confused stares during our rehearsals under the trees and questions about what we were doing. I(n) Nature really opened my mind up to the possibilities of physical language and movement vocabularies. The theme has stayed with me till now, and will continue to stay with me.
OSA: As you graduate and your residency at third space comes to a close, what’s next for n:ow arts?
n:ow arts: We are still exploring what's in store for n:ow arts, but we think that we will still be pursuing the arts in one way or another. What feels special about n:ow arts is that we started as friends before becoming collaborators or “co-workers”, so it never really feels like there can truly be an end to the group. Even if we eventually pursue our own individual paths, we will still be supporting each other in whatever ways we can.
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