Using Contemporary Performing Arts to Express Identity | Akhmal Aiman | TEDxGadong

“The five keys (5 EXP’s) to a successful identity expression in Contemporary Performing Arts: Explore, Experiment, Experience, EXPRESS, Expose.”


A final year student from UBD, Akhmal was one of the few who had the opportunity to be trained by award-winning theatre director and actresses like Natalie Hennedige and Nora Samosir from the prestigious National University of Singapore.

He brings his knowledge with him to become one of the leading people who helped brought TW!STED to life. His extensive repertoire also includes being an actor, a playwright, a producer and a choreographer! This very talented individual has made his presence known both nationally and internationally - to name a few- in UBD’s Voices Within (Y.A.Y.O.: You Are Your Own) , NUS Tragic Form – Singapore and Kuriose and most recently, TW!STED.

Having had the opportunity of exploring diverse theatrical platforms, Akhmal thinks that one must experiment with their national identity in order for one’s work to be well-recognised, either locally or globally. Akhmal will be talking about how one can express their identity through performing arts, focusing on five key aspects: Explore, Experiment, Experience, Express and Expose.

He believes that it is important for one to realise that contemporary performing art does not limit one’s boundaries in adapting, shaping and embracing identity with a new and fresh perspective. According to Akhmal: “If most artists start with a blank canvas and most sculptors start with a block, then most performing artists start with a stage.”

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx