Dr Loretta Chen, Ph.D is a bilingual theatre director, professor, media trainer and arts entrepreneur.
Some of her early directorial projects include 13 Shaolin, a Singapore-China collaboration, 24 Pieties for Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble, Ten Brothers (2005), The Vagina Monologues (2006), The Swimming Instructor (2006).
In 2007, her controversial project 251, based on the story of Singaporean porn-star Annabel Chong was nominated for two Life! Theatre Awards. She also directed the Postcards from Rosa, a monologue starring veteran actor Neo Swee Lin. In 2008, she directed Magicbox (2008), a magical extravaganza in collaboration with the creators of Mindfreak and a re-staging of The Vagina Monologues which was nominated for two Life! Theatre Awards. In 2009, she directed Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw and the Broadway classic Victor/Victoria, starring international jazz legend, Laura Fygi. She staged The Vagina Monologues in Toronto and premiered The F Word in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011. The production was nominated for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award.
Loretta is Treasurer of the Association of Singapore Actors (ASA). In 2008, she was selected by the Mayor of the Northwest CDC to sit on the Arts and Culture Committee. In 2009, she was shortlisted as one of the Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) candidates for the Arts in Singapore, though an outspoken gay and human rights activist* She led the repeal 377A campaign when she first spoke up about censorship and homosexuality laws in a forum with Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew.
She holds a PhD in Theatre (Critical Theory) and was the Artistic Director of Zebra Crossing Productions and was also Associate Director at Toy Factory Productions and Action Theatre. She is an alumnus of Anglo-Chinese Junior College and St Theresa's Convent.
Loretta is an activist and is the ambassador to The Body Shop's Stop Sex Trafficking campaign, Hermes' PS I Silk You outreach program for under-privileged girls and Evian's Live Young campaign. She remains strongly committed to advocacy work and was named 100 most inspiring women for her work in theatre,, media and social activism. She was also named Rising Personality of the Year in 2010.
She is the creative director of Spinn, VM&SD and an international creative consultancy, 360 Productions, that has offices in Singapore, USA and Canada.
A frequent speaker at global conferences, Loretta is also adjunct professor in National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological Institute, Lasalle-College of the Arts, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and is Artist in Residence in University of Toronto.
She is the younger sister of Singapore actor Edmund Chen Zhicai.
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