MADE IN/VISIBLE
Storytelling Grace Ng, Jill Lim, Shalom Lim, Sherry Toh, Tan Beng Tian
In a world prioritizing diversity and inclusion, children’s literature serves as a mirror reflecting the rich tapestry of human experiences. Presented by ART:DIS (Arts & Disability) Singapore, a NPO that advocates disability inclusion, MADE IN/VISIBLE is dedicated to celebrating curiosity and promoting inclusivity, particularly empowering persons with muscular dystrophy to tell their own stories through the presentation and sharing of their inclusive collaborative works, “Loud Little Mermaids” and “Callum’s Courage”.
Presented through a creative performative storytelling by d/Deaf artist, Grace Ng and narrator, Tan Beng Tian, the programme aims to provide representation and visibility for children with disabilities. Through engaging conversations centered around the written books, “Loud Little Mermaids” and “Callum’s Courage”, we delve into the challenges faced by individuals with muscular dystrophy, from physical limitations to feelings of isolation and discrimination – fostering greater understanding and empathy.
Join us for an enlightening exploration and conversation with the authors behind “Loud Little Mermaids” and “Callum’s Courage” as we uncover the rich narratives and powerful messages embedded within them, celebrating the diversity of human experiences and the strength of inclusive storytelling.
Grace Ng (Singapore)
Born deaf and reliant on hearing aids and lip-reading, Grace Ng loves to read manga, take photos and watch movies. Inspired by Deaf actress Marlee Matlin, Grace began to explore opportunities in acting through online courses and further enrolled into ART:DIS’s theatre training programme where she can use Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) for artistic expression. This opened up an opportunity for her to write and perform Between Us for Singapore Writers Festival 2020. She plans to pursue further studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (UK) in BA Performance in British Sign Language and English.
Jill Lim (Singapore)
Jill Lim has been in the fields of writing and editing for almost 30 years. Her roles have included being a newspaper reporter, a 3 magazine editor and a newspaper subeditor. She has been a book editor with Straits Times Press since January 2017. She is married with three children, the oldest of whom has autism. Jill is the author of four children's books, including My Colouring Book Is Ruined!, published in 2019, about a child with autism.
Shalom Lim (Singapore)
Shalom Lim is a former painter who writes for Muscular Dystrophy News, sharing his lived experiences with the condition. He has a criminology degree from the University of Liverpool and a counselling graduate diploma from The School of Positive Psychology. Shalom dreams of becoming a counsellor and playwright working with the disabled.
Sherry Toh (Singapore)
Sherry “Elisa” Toh is a writer and SMA advocate, whose professional start began with her column on SMA News Today. Loud Little Mermaids is based upon her friendship with fellow columnist Brianna Albers. In 2023, she had an essay included in Singapore’s first printed disability studies anthology, “Not Without Us: Perspective on Disabilities and Inclusion in Singapore.”
Tan Beng Tian
Tan Beng Tian is a disciple of the late renowned traditional hand puppet master Li Bofen and is a recipient of the JCCI Singapore Foundation Culture Award in 2005. Major companies she has worked with in her twenty-seven-year-old career are Checkpoint Theatre, Drama Box, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, The Finger Players, The Necessary Stage, The Theatre Practice, Toy Factory Productions, Wild Rice and Zuni Icosahedron (Hong Kong). As a multifaceted independent theatre practitioner, Beng Tian has been actively promoting theatre making and passing on her puppetry knowledge through Masterclass Workshops and talks.
Programme dates and times are subject to change.