My name is Nabilah Said and I am a playwright, editor, arts writer and poet. I am currently the editor of ArtsEquator, which covers the arts in Singapore and Southeast Asia. I was formerly a correspondent with The Straits Times and have worked in the National Heritage Board and the Singapore Art Museum.
Drawing on my background in journalism, communication and engagement, I am interested in deeply listening to the voices in the community, and reflecting back a considered calibration of urgent issues on a national stage. My primary priority will be to help the industry rebuild as it comes out of the pandemic, while also communicating the intrinsic value of the arts to the country.
Given my positionality as a young Malay woman and an artist, I will also speak up for minority and disenfranchised communities and fight for a more equal, accessible and compassionate society. With the younger generation, I am particularly interested in encouraging critical discourse, and an active engagement in shaping our collective future. In this time of crisis, I believe we can start to gather ourselves as a country and rewrite the Singapore story together – one with arts and culture at its very heart.