In HCAC, we believe in nurturing talent and honing actor’s skill so that they are better able to perform on film and stage. Not only that, but as part of a community of performers we wish to spread the word on the importance and the need for a vibrant creative community in Singapore.

This spotlight features Pooja Nansi a creative writing teacher at Nanyang Technological University. Aside from teaching, she has also written various poetry collections such as: Love Is An Empty Barstool (2014), Local Anaesthetic: A Painless Approach to Singaporean Poetry (2014) and Stiletto Scars (2007).  She was also named Youth Poet Ambassador (YPA) for 2017-2018.

We shine a light on Pooja Nansi in this month’s HCAC Spotlight!

Tell us a bit more about yourself!
Hi, I’m Pooja, I’m a teacher and a poet and a performer

I understand that you are a big fan of R&B and Hip Hop so, Who are your top 3 rappers dead or alive?
Tupac, Kendrick and Lil Kim

What is your favourite word?
Glorious

What is your least favourite word?
Nipple

What got you started with the love for the arts?
My mum who relentlessly put books in my hands.

What was the first performance you ever gave?
I want to say it was probably something quite embarrassing in my living room that I sold tickets to my family for and forced them to watch.

Pooja in You are Here (2016)

What was the most memorable performance you were ever part of?
I did a gig at the Arts Science Museum recently with Cyril Wong and Tania De Rozario and the space, the acoustics and the genuine kinship on stage was pretty magical for me.

What inspires you creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
A thick beat, a slowing down, a discomfort.

What do you tell budding writers/poets/performers?
Read widely. Read a lot. Sit in your own truth, do you.

What is it like performing in Singapore? How receptive are audiences here?
I don’t think I have enough of a comparison point, but I’ve had some amazing audiences in Singapore.

Do you think enough people appreciate arts and performance in Singapore?
Yes. I think despite popular belief, I’ve had to hustle to buy tickets to events before they were sold out and I’ve run poetry evenings where it was standing room only, sometimes not even standing room.

Follow her on: http://poojanansi.com