2016 draws to a close and I’m in a random pub in London writing this last entry. I’ve stocked up on tickets to watch a spectrum of 7 different productions from West End musicals (Book of Mormon) right all the way to some local pub theatre. I can’t think of a better way to get my soul battery filled and my heart inspired for 2017.

2016 was truly an amazing year for me personally as well as professionally. I started off the year winning the inaugural edition of the Story Slam Singapore Grand Finals (I’m taking part in the 2017 Finals too. Shameless plug for tickets.) then jumping into directing a multi-media performance of The Savage/Love of Danny & the Deep Blue Sea for the Stage Club. Before I could even breathe jumped into directing the first production for new theatre collective, Passerby Projects who recently completed their second production. 2016 also saw the launch of The Singapore Monologue Slam which was monumentally successful.

Follow the Facebook page of The Singapore Monologue Slam we’ll be announcing details soon for the 2^nd edition of SMS in 2017. Metaphors Be With You hosted its 14^th edition and also launched its first anthology of stories curated from the 2 years of shows we have staged. My team and I also had the pleasure of hosting iconoclast playwright Robert Yeo in our first edition of Pioneer Passages, a playreading series featuring playwrights from around the world that shaped the world of theatre.

I could go on but really, PHEW! You get where I’m going. It was probably the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life and yet also the most rewarding. Perhaps as I look back, that’s maybe the lesson I need to learn for myself. A long time ago, when I was still a resident of sunny California, a dear friend, Mitch Feinstein  shared this phrase with me, “Genius is inspiring. Hard work gets results.” Thank you for that Mitch. I’m also reminded that with a few minor burn outs and near burn outs this year that 2017 is a year that requires as much if not more work than 2016 but I must be smarter about what projects I take on and what HCAC can provide to a growing community of artists, actors, directors, writers, producers and crazy creatures.

HCAC’s would also not be where it is if not for the many alumni, strangers, scholars, interns and friends who helped out over the course of the year. I especially want to single out two core members of my team other known as my Right Brain and Left Brain, Ranice Tay and Sharon Jing Yi. They support my eternal optimism for Singapore’s evolving arts scene grounded with logic and structure so thank you to the two of you. Thank you as well to all the teachers who made a home of HCAC. Lastly, a massive thank you to the students who continue to come out of the woodworks and inspire me everyday. You make HCAC a beautiful creative home and you consistently surprise me with the amount of Genius and Brilliance that you produce. May 2017 bring much more peace, love, and joy to everyone.

Till then…..

Always With Hope Towards The Future,
Kamil Haque

P.S. Here’s a little interview that one of my students Aryan Varma made in case you were wondering who the Haque is behind Haque Centre of Acting & Creativity: 

#freeyourtalent