SAtheCollective, Natalie Tse and Andy Chia
Te Whare Hēra are delighted to welcome SAtheCollective artists Andy Chia and Natalie Tse as our next artists in residence.
SAtheCollective (SA) Ltd is an innovative arts company based in Singapore, dedicated to celebrating and showcasing the richness of Chinese and Southeast Asian cultural heritage.
An interdisciplinary, intercultural, and intergenerational organization, they create dynamic and relevant experiences that inspire and connect people, making heritage relevant to the times.
SA's music creates immersive, ritualistic, and multidimensional performances, combining vocals with traditional, ethnic, and folk instruments as well as state-of-the-art interactive audio and visual technologies. Their style embodies elements of Indigenous Music, World Music, electronic music, experimental music, ambient drone, and more, showcasing an innovative fusion of technology and tradition.
Andy Chia and Dr Natalie Tse. Image Credit: Jayden Tan
About Andy Chia
Andy Chia is a renowned flutist/wind player/vocalist, artist, producer, director, and artistic director, as well as a devoted husband and father of three. His career is marked by a dedication to harmonizing the relationships among humans, nature, and technology.
Graduating with a master's degree from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music as an NAC scholar, Andy has deep roots in traditional Chinese music. He was also involved with Tan Dun as an understudy, further shaping his artistic journey. As co-founder and resident artist of SAtheCollective Ltd, backed by the National Arts Council, he is a celebrated figure in contemporary arts.
Internationally recognized, Andy has been commissioned by major festivals such as the Singapore International Festival of the Arts, OZAsia, and the Sydney Festival. He has shared his expertise through lectures and workshops at prestigious institutions like SOAS University of London and National Gallery Singapore.
About Natalie Tse
Dr. Natalie Alexandra Tse is a performer, educator, researcher whose practice as an experimental improviser has led her towards researching into babies’ sonic play through her doctoral studies and motherhood. As a guzheng (Chinese zither) performer, she has been experimenting with sonic experiences through extended techniques, creating different textures, ambience and emotions evoked through her instrument.
Natalie is the co-founder and resident artist of SAtheCollective, an arts company that investigates the relationship amongst Man, Nature and Technology, through the alchemy of Ritual, Play and Improvisation. She founded LittleCr3aturesTM, the young audience initiative of the company, where younglings up to 36 months old get to experience pure, unadulterated play with sound and soundful objects in a safe and immersive space. Her recent works include Nadam (2018), Frame Dragging – Motherhood (2020), and Hutan (2022-2023)
As a young and developing academic, Natalie’s has published in “Visions of Sustainability for Arts Education” (2021), contributed to books in the subject matter of traditional music and ethnic identity and presented at international conferences such as the 32nd ISME World Conference (Glasgow). Her research interests include improvisation, inter-disciplinary arts practices and performing arts for young audiences. She teaches at LASALLE College of the Arts, as well as the National Institute of Education.
Images of SAtheCollective’s Andy Chia and Dr Natalie Tse in the Massey recording studio with musicians Jon He and Horomona Horo, and joined by Dr Rachael Hall. Photographs by Amber-Jayne Bain
Images of recording session in the Great Hall at Massey University, with Andy Chia, Dr Natalie Tse, Dr Jon He, Stuart Foster, and Massey technicians. Cameo visit by composer Stephen Gallagher. Photographs by Amber-Jayne Bain
Aotearoa Connections (2025)
In 2025, SAtheCollective embarks on an exciting collaboration in Aotearoa (New Zealand), hosted by Toi Rauwhārangi, College of Creative Arts at Massey University in Wellington.
This engagement, part of the Te Whare Hēra International Residency programme, is a confluence of cultural identities, interdisciplinary exploration, and artistic innovation.
Themes and Vision: Drawing from the rich heritage of Singapore and New Zealand, this project bridges cultural, artistic, and technological divides to emphasize unity in diversity.
Inspired by the multicultural landscapes of both nations, it will explore the interplay between indigenous practices, diasporic narratives, and global belonging. The production integrates traditional and contemporary art forms, including sonic arts, cross-disciplinary design, and performance.
Central to this work are themes of Identity, Connectivity, Transformation, and Belonging, reflecting the collective experiences of navigating a globalized world.
Article in Massey News
Singapore-based SAtheCollective embark on Te Whare Hēra Residency
By Dale Wicken
This year, Te Whare Hēra Artist Residency at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University welcomes a bold and visionary new voice in interdisciplinary art-making: SAtheCollective, a dynamic arts company from Singapore. Known for fusing heritage, innovation and immersive experience, SAtheCollective brings a richly textured, cross-cultural practice that engages with music, performance, visual arts and technology.
The 2025 residency marks the next phase of their expansive project, Aotearoa Connections, an exploration of Indigenous wisdom, diasporic narratives and the complex threads of identity that link Singapore and Aotearoa New Zealand. Hosted by Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts in Wellington, this collaboration embodies the ethos of Te Whare Hēra: a commitment to intercultural dialogue, innovation and artistic excellence.
About SAtheCollective
Founded in 2016 and supported by the National Arts Council Singapore, SAtheCollective is led by Artistic Directors Andy Chia and Dr Natalie Alexandra Tse, both renowned for pushing boundaries between traditional forms and contemporary expression. Their work weaves together ritual, improvisation and cutting-edge technology, creating immersive performances that bridge the spiritual and the speculative.
“We are deeply honoured to be part of Te Whare Hēra’s journey. Being here allows us to listen, learn and create within the unique spirit of Aotearoa. We hope to weave new stories together, stories that honour Indigenous wisdom, celebrate cultural crossings, and imagine futures where tradition and innovation walk hand in hand,” Mr Chia says.
They will be performing Inheritance at The Pyramid Club in Wellington on 24 May. This multidisciplinary performance draws on Māori and Asian musical and creative lineages. Featuring collaboration with Arts Laureate Associate Professor Horomona Horo, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Taranaki, visual artist Regan Balzer, Ngāti Ranginui, Te Arawa, Raukawa, Apakura, experimental musician Jonny Marks and sound artist and Massey Senior Lecturer Dr Jon He, Inheritance will bring together ancient instruments, live painting and electronic manipulation in a fusion of sound and image.
Embracing connection through culture and creativity
Through their time at Te Whare Hēra, SAtheCollective aims to explore themes of identity, connectivity, transformation and belonging, all of which are central to their ongoing project Age of Revelation. The artists say these themes feel particularly poignant in a world grappling with the aftermath of a pandemic, ecological upheaval and the widening rift between tradition and technology.
Their approach embraces collaboration and community. The residency will include opportunities for interaction with students and staff from Whiti o Rehua School of Art, public programmes and creative exchanges with local institutions.
A pōwhiri at Te Rau Karamū Marae on Massey’s Pukeahu campus served as a formal welcome to the Collective, and was attended by university staff and a representative from the Singapore High Commission, First Secretary Mr Theron Muk.
Outside Te Rau Karamū Marae following the pōwhiri. From left: Associate Professor Horomona Horo, Mr Theron Muk, Dr Natalie Tse, Andy Chia and Dr Jon He.
As part of the Te Whare Hēra programme, the residency not only provides artists with space and time to create but also fosters cross-cultural learning, shared narratives and long-term relationships between artists and local communities. SAtheCollective’s visit promises to deepen these connections, bringing a unique Southeast Asian perspective to conversations on indigeneity, migration, ecology and global belonging.
Dr He says the Collective have had a long connection with Massey, dating back to pre-pandemic 2019.
“Our connections with Andy and Natalie began in 2019 when I was passing by Singapore for an international performance in Milan. They were welcoming and provided a platform to share my creative endeavours with their community. Since then, SAtheCollective presented mechatronic sound sculptures developed by Massey faculty in 2021, and hosted Massey researchers in 2023 for a two-week residency to share creative practices and develop new collaborative works. We also featured SAtheCollective’s work in the 2023 Asia Aotearoa Arts Hui, contributing to the sonic whakapapa relationships between Singapore and Aotearoa.”
https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/news/singapore-based-sathecollective-embark-on-te-whare-h%C4%93ra-residency/