In this book, you’ll find the annotated scripts of two acclaimed lecture performances written by Ng Yi-Sheng, exploring forgotten chapters of Singapore history. Ayer Hitam: a Black History of Singapore explores the history and influence of the African diaspora in Singapore over two hundred years. It trawls the archive for stories of slavery, colonialism, jazz and nationalist struggle, reaffirming the value of black culture in our shared heritage. Collaboratively created with Sharon Frese and Irfan Kasban for the M1 Fringe Festival, this work commemorates the black men and women —enslaved, indentured and expatriate— who crossed the oceans into unknown territory. Desert Blooms: the Dawn of Queer Singapore Theatre traces the history of Singapore theatre from 1985 to 1995, revealing how LGBT representation first emerged and flourished on the local stage. Using excerpts of scripts, interviews and news articles, it reveals how the works of Russell Heng, Chay Yew, Eleanor Wong, Ovidia Yu, Haresh Sharma, Goh Boon Teck, Otto Fong, G Selvanathan and others were in dialogue with contemporary developments in HIV/AIDS, club raids and early activism.