A bilingual theatre director / actor / writer, Nelson graduated with a BA (Hons) in Theatre Studies from the National University of Singapore. Following that, he went to London to complete his MA in directing from Goldsmiths College, University of London. Since his return, he had worked as a Resident Artist at The Theatre Practice, lectured and later headed the Theatre Department at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and performed with and directed for numerous theatre companies in Singapore as a freelance artist.

Nelson is currently a lecturer with the Theatre Studies Programme at NUS, the Associate Artistic Director of Toy Factory Productions Ltd., an Associate Artist with The Substation where he has been creating solo works under the umbrella of the Performance Lab series. Nelson is a founding member of the collaborative ensemble A Group Of People.

About A Group Of People

A Group Of People is a collaborative ensemble founded by Nelson Chia, Oliver Chong, Koh Wan Ching, Timothy Nga and Edith Podesta. While its artistic philosophy is informed by the Suzuki Method of Actor Training and Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints, the group’s objectives lie in the continuous exploration of different actor training methodologies as well as the development of a unique ensemble approach to the creation of theatrical pieces. At the same time, it strives to find new modes of theatre production outside of the mainstream model. Since its formation, the group has been gathering on a regular basis for training and the exchanges of ideas.