OUR TEAM
Laurence Vandenborre
Founder and Managing Director | Registered Art Therapist, (MA) (A Th) AThR
Date of appointment: 8 Jun 2011
Laurence Vandenborre is the Founder and Managing Director of The Red Pencil and a Registered Arts Therapist, with a background in professional counselling and life coaching.
Laurence started practicing arts therapy at Raffles Hospital, in Singapore, for a few years before opening her own private practice “The Arts Therapy Studio”. For years, her interest has included working with adults and family dynamics, in a multicultural context, helping them to journey through their challenges towards a happier, more fulfilled and hopeful life.
Laurence has served as a Board Director of Very Special Arts Singapore, a charity whose mission is to bring the benefits of the arts for people with disabilities. She is currently a Board Member of The Art Therapy Association of Singapore (ATAS) and of the Australian and New Zealand Art Therapy Association (ANZATA).
Laurence holds a Masters of Arts in Germanic Philology (Dutch and English) from the University of Louvain-La-Neuve (LLN, Belgium) and a Masters Degree in Art Therapy (LASALLE College of the Arts, accredited by the UK Open University). She has also received diplomas in Teaching Aggregation (University of LLN), Corporate Coaching (USA Corporate Coach U), Applied Skills Counselling (Singapore), and Expressive Therapies (Australian Institute of Expressive Therapies and US National Institute of Expressive Therapy).
laurence@redpencil.org
Sim Siew Ching
General Manager
Date of appointment: 1 Sep 2022
Siew Ching has over 12 years of leadership experience across social service, healthcare and public sectors. She has vast experience in managing business operations, programme implementation and corporate governance. Her expertise includes strategic planning, partnership development, community outreach and volunteer management.
Prior to her current role, Siew Ching was the Executive Director for a non-profit organisation and an Assistant Director at the National Council of Social Service. She holds a Masters of Art in Philosophy from the National University of Singapore and a First Class Honours in Psychology (Gold Award) from SIM University.
Siew Ching is passionate about serving the community and making a difference for others. Besides volunteering at local charitable organisations, she travelled overseas to help the needy.
siewching@redpencil.org
Tan Kee Yun
Marketing & Communications Manager
Date of appointment: 2 May 2023
Kee Yun brings with her over 14 years of experience in journalism and communications. For eight years, she had the privilege of being an entertainment journalist with The New Paper. In addition to her journalistic experience, she has also done marcomm work in the sports, recreation and hospitality industries, including the Football Association of Singapore, Sembawang Country Club, and The Scarlet Hotel.
An interesting fact about Kee Yun: She spent a couple of years as a kindergarten teacher! That experience as a preschool educator taught her the importance of patience and empathy — skills that have been invaluable to her career.
As she moves into her 40s, she looks forward to creating an impact on a deeper level for the community. Communication can be a powerful tool for positive change and she is excited to use her skills and experience to make a difference.
keeyun@redpencil.org
Rainy Mak
Marketing & Communications Executive
Date of appointment: 24 Aug 2022
Rainy has always been passionate about content creation and sharing stories. During her Polytechnic days, she was involved in a documentary about mental health disorders. This planted the seed in her motivation for mental health advocacy which led to her pursuing a degree in Psychology. Using her communication skills, Rainy wants to promote arts as a way of healing. She looks forward to working at The Red Pencil to facilitate impactful social change in the community.
After a tough day, Rainy can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes or watching “Modern Family", her comfort show.
rainy@redpencil.org
Yoko Choi
Programme Manager (Creative Arts Therapy)
Date of appointment: 9 Sep 2019
Yoko has been passionate about art since young. Her love for art therapy was seeded from her volunteer work for Children's Cancer Foundation since she moved to Singapore in 2013 and had a career shift from architecture to art. Currently, Yoko is serving a few local charity and educational institutions in the capacities as an artist, art educator, or art therapist. Her clinical practice focuses on the population with special needs, chronic illness, physical challenges, women, and children.
Yoko holds a Master of Art Therapy from LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore and accredited by Goldsmith’s College, University of London. She also holds a Master of Architecture from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Diploma in Fine Art from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. Yoko is an award-recipient of The most promising artist of the year, emerging artist, Singapore, from the Painting of the Year Competition 2016 by United Overseas Bank (UOB). She also won an Honorable Mention of the juried art exhibition from the 36th International Association for the Study of Dreams in the Netherlands.
yoko@redpencil.org
Pei Ling Ang
Programme Administration Executive
Date of appointment: 26 Aug 2021
For Pei Ling, art has been a major source of enjoyment and healing since childhood. Initially into animation, Pei Ling’s interests soon morphed into a love for surrealism and visual social commentary. As she grappled to reconcile her interests in pursuing social work and the arts, she witnessed how music supported domestic violence survivors during her stint at the Ministry of Social and Family Development. This memorable encounter struck a chord in her heart, emphasising to her the respite and solace that art can provide to individuals and communities in need.
Outside of work, the psychology graduate from Temasek Polytechnic can be found doing grocery shopping for the latest recipes she discovered. She also enjoys analysing films and runs an art account in her free time.
peiling@redpencil.org
Lee Lay Choo
Finance Administration Executive
Date of appointment: 1 Feb 2023
Lay Choo holds a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the National University of Singapore and is a member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants. She has extensive experience in finance roles in both private and public-listed companies, as well as statutory boards. In her leisure time, she enjoys watching travel variety shows. Recently she has been inspired by the efforts of non-profit organisations in improving people's well-being. Joining The Red Pencil provides her with the opportunities where she could grow and make a positive impact to the community.
laychoo@redpencil.org
Nicole Yeo
Programme Executive (Creative Arts Therapy)
Date of appointment: 27 March 2023
Nicole first discovered art therapy during a visit to Lebanon in 2017, where she witnessed the power of the art that brought Lebanese communities together. It inspired her to embark on her journey as an art therapist. She aims to use the power of art to inspire hope among different communities within Singapore and beyond. Her clinical experience includes working with children with special needs, adolescents, and adults with various mental and emotional health needs.
Nicole holds a Master of Arts in Art Therapy from LASALLE College of the Arts, accredited by Goldsmiths’ College, University of London. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Degree in English with a Minor in Sociology from Nanyang Technological University, and she holds a Diploma in Media and Communication from Singapore Polytechnic.
nicole@redpencil.org
Joey Chang
Corporate Partnerships Manager
Date of appointment: 17 April 2023
Joey has over 2 decades of leadership experience in startups and established enterprises. His strengths lie in implementing effective strategies that help break new ground and scale untapped opportunities.
He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in a variety of cultures in Southeast Asia. Joey has held leadership positions in non-profit and corporate sectors, including Aries Fresh Pte Ltd, a leading trading company in Singapore.
Joey holds a Master of Business Administration from The University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Business Administration from National University of Singapore. He is also a sword winner and marksman in Singapore Armed Forces.
Passionate about creating solutions to life’s challenges, Joey strives to help others journey through life and bring out the best in them. With the keen support of like-minded donors and his colleagues, he aims for The Red Pencil to quickly scale up so that more beneficiaries can start to heal and grow.
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joey@redpencil.org