I have fond childhood memories of reading avidly late into the night, huddling under the covers, torch in one hand and my newest book in the other. The stories I read transported me to worlds afar, igniting a curiosity about possibilities beyond the small Malaysian town I grew up in. When I was a little older, a friend shared a cassette tape of Evita, which seeded my love of musicals today, even though I knew little about the history of Argentina then.

When I first assumed the role of chairman of the National Arts Council (NAC) in September last year, I wanted to take time to understand the Singapore arts scene and to meet, engage with and understand the many passionate people dedicated to the arts, who together make the arts scene vibrant, diverse and bursting with creative energy.