About Kong

  LONG BEFORE THE AGE HE COULD REMEMBER, KONG WAS HEAVILY EXPOSED TO THE ARTS INDUSTRY. THIS WAS MAINLY DUE TO HIS PARENT'S INVOLVEMENT IN SINGAPORE SOKA ASSOCIATION, THAT VERY SO OFTEN HELD THEATRE PLAYS, MUSIC CONCERTS, AND DANCE PERFORMANCES. HIS MOTHER USUALLY PERFORMED IN THESE PLAYS AND DANCES. EACH YEAR, HIS RELATIVES AT KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA ALSO TOOK KONG OUT TO WATCH MUSIC CONCERTS AND PERFORMANCES ON numerous OCCASIONS.

  AS A CHILD, KONG HAD JOINED HIS MOTHER IN REHEARSALS AND HAD ALWAYS ENJOY PLAYING WITH PROPS LYING AROUND (ALMOST OFTEN DESTROYING THEM IN THE PROCESS). HIS FATHER, THEN A GENERAL-CONTRACTOR, WOULD OCCASIONALLY TAKE KONG OUT ON SITE VISIT TO BUILDINGS WHERE HE WOULD HELP OUT IN VARIOUS SIMPLE CONSTRUCTION WORK.

  THESE HAD IGNITED HIS PASSION FOR TECHNICAL ARTS. AT 2002, KONG, THEN 13, JOINED THE AUDIO VISUAL CLUB AT HIS SECONDARY SCHOOL DUE TO HIS LOVE FOR TECHNICAL HANDLING, WHERE HE WAS SELF-TAUGHT WITH THESE 'WHAT-SEEMED-LIKE-VERY-COMPLICATED' MACHINES THEN. HE WAS FAMILIARIZED WITH THESE MECHANISMS VERY SHORTLY AND WAS APPOINTED TO TUTOR THE JUNIORS WITHIN A YEAR.

  AT THE AGE OF 14, HE WAS AWARDED WITH THE BEST-IN-SUBJECT FOR DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (2004) IN HIS SECOND YEAR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, DUE TO HIS DILIGENCE AND TALENT IN TECHNICAL DESIGN.

  DESPITE BEING A RASCALLY STUDENT, KONG GRADUATED WITH A TOTAL OF 4 LEADERSHIP AWARDS (EAGLES Award) AND 2 GOLD AWARDS FOR HIS CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. HE WAS ALSO APPOINTED AS THE CONSULTANT FOR HIS SCHOOL'S AUDIO VISUAL CLUB.

  HAVING TO FINANCE HIS OWN EDUCATION AT THE AGE OF 17, HE TOOK ON ODD JOBS AND GAVE TUITION WHILE TAKING ON A FULL-TIME 3-YEAR DIPLOMA IN TECHNOLOGICAL ARTS AND ARTS MANAGEMENT AT THE SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY FOR THE ARTS, REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC.

  FOR 2 CONSECUTIVE SEMESTERS, KONG GOT INTO THE DEAN'S LIST (ACADEMIC ROLL OF HONOURS 2007/2008) AT HIS VERY 1ST YEAR OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
  KONG WAS also INTENSELY INVOLVED IN CAMPUS ARTS PRODUCTIONS, WHERE HE TOOK ON ROLES SUCH AS PRODUCER AND PRODUCTION MANAGER FOR 3 YEARS.

  APART FROM BEING PRESIDENT of CAMPUS ARTS PRODUCTIONS, KONG BEGAN WORKING IN THE ARTS SECTOR WITH RENOWN COMPANIES SUCH AS THE THEATRE PRACTICE, SINGAPORE DANCE THEATRE, AND TOY FACTORY PRODUCTIONS.

  IN 2008 AND 2009, he WAS NOMINATED AND AWARDED WITH THE GEORGETTE CHEN ARTS SCHOLARSHIP FROM THE NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL FOR HIS EXCELLENCE IN COMMITMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS.

  UPON RECEIVING HIS DIPLOMA, KONG HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN THE ARTS SCENE; MANAGING THE STAGE AND DOING VARIOUS TECHNICAL WORK, TAKING AN AVERAGE OF OVER 10 PRODUCTIONS A YEAR.

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