Lucy Like-a-Charm : a multimedia memoir-fantasy

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Excerpt from Project WebPage: Lucy Like-a-Charm. Please visit this link for full information.

Presenting my latest project…

Lucy Like-a-Charm

– a multimedia, multi-access memoir-fantasy about an Autistic woman and a Greyhound dog on a magical journey towards Becoming – empowered by Love, transformed by Grace.

Deepest gratitude to
the John and Lorna Wing Foundation (U.K.) for a ‘start-up’ grant and to ARt:DIS Singapore, our Creative Collaborator for venue support and artistic consultation – work is now under way!

Update!
Most grateful thanks to private donor, Ms. Lorinne Kon, for a generous pledge, which will allow us to bring on board our Music Arranger, and Voice Artist/Narrator, thus completing the Production Team, and covering the first half of

Stage 2 of production!

In additional dedicated writer’s residential space, to allow Lead Artist (Dawn-joy) to refine and finalise the text narrative has been provided for by the following kind supporters:
In Mebourne, Australia – December 2025: Norma Redpath Studio, The University of Melbourne, and McCraith House, RMIT University.
In Kyoto, Japan – January-February 2026: Giorgio Biancorosso, private support.


Introduction Video – Lucy Like-a-Charm.


WHAT IS “LUCY LIKE-A-CHARM” ABOUT?

Lucy Like-a-Charm” is multi-access, multimedia memoir-fantasy about an Autistic woman and a Greyhound dog on a magical journey towards Becoming. This is an Autism-focused Arts research project, a valuable, dynamic document of life and living, based on the lived-experiences of a late-diagnosed Autistic woman, with over two decades of Autism research and Arts practice.

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Nominations for GCT Enable Award!

Hello Friends, I just did my civic duty as a past awardee and participated in a short Instagram reel shot by MediaCorp to reach out to people for nominations to the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards. If you know of any person/s with disability in Singapore who may fit the criteria, please do send in your nominations asap! Deadline 25th June for this year’s 2025 Award.

Everything I have done since 2012, I attribute to Lucy Like-a-Charm and the amazing all-encompassing role she has played in my life. Now, she continues to guide my way ahead. Without her, my 恩人,and without all my other wonderful human allies, mentors and supporters, 貴人, I would not be here today. Deepest gratitude.

Send in those nominations NOW!!!

SIBOS 2024 – Opening Speech for Swift Innotribe

21 October 2024 – Some highlights from my Opening Speech for Swift Innotribe.


23 October 2024 – Highlights from Day 3 of SIBOS 2024, and my Diversity, Equity and Inclusion session at the end of the day.

Grateful thanks to Swift Innotribe for the opportunity to speak at this prestigious event, and to Speaker Ideas, who now manages my corporate engagements.

And here is my page on Speaker Ideas’ website: Dr. Dawn-joy Leong

Dreams, Passion and Purpose – SUSS 2023 10 10 Convocation Speech

As promised to some of my friends and followers of my pages, blogs and website, here is the transcript of my convocation speech tonight at the SUSS Convocation 2023: Session 3 – Undergraduate Programmes (NSHD). The Youtube ‘live’ video (link below) does not have captions, so I have put my transcript here.


Mr Aaron Tan, Member of SUSS Board of Trustees; distinguished guests, graduates, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for this honour. My heartiest congratulations on this very special occasion.

I cannot tell you how to make a lot of money, rise up the corporate ladder, or how to achieve worldly success. I have never managed any of these. I owe my very existence today to a few loyal friends, my one supportive sister and a gentle yet magnanimous creature called Lucy Like-a-Charm, a Greyhound rescued from the cruel racing industry in Australia.

(Slide 1 – Lucy Like-a-Charm, a black Greyhound is lying on a white puffy quilt, head upright, looking at camera, ears perked up and spread out, mouth open in a happy smile.)

So, what can an ordinary person like me bring to this milestone occasion? Please allow me to share a glimpse of my life’s journey. I was born in 1965, the year of Singapore’s independence. Like many in my generation, I found out my Autistic identity only in my early forties. I’ve also struggled with a lifelong, painful medical condition.

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Lucy Like-a-Charm – Elemental Empathic Resonance.

Author’s note:
This piece took me awhile to complete, because I have been struggling with the devastating aftermath of Lucy’s death on my mind, body and every part of my existence. I was invited some time ago to write a reflection for a blog-journal, but upon submitting it on 4th July 2023 at 14:22 Singapore time, I was told by the editor (in the UK) that they will push back my article to end July, because the editor was too busy with other things. Coincidentally, they have just published another piece expressing almost identical thoughts, though written in a completely different style, of course. I am fine with that. The more people asking the same questions, the louder our voices become.

I have therefore decided to put mine here, unedited, with date and time reflecting the exact moment my piece was submitted via cyber-waves into the Great Unknown. Whether or not the journal’s editor decides to publish it in the near future, when and with what edits they deem fit, is immaterial to me. The Artist respects the autonomous entity of The Work, which will forge onwards along its own inexorable path, free from the tyranny of control and manipulation at the hands of humans preoccupied by and with human-centric glorification and maniacal demands of human ego. After some deeper contemplation, I feel that The Work, in this embodiment, is telling me that it would like to be launched from this Clement Space, an interstice created for me, for us both, by Lucy, because it is in its very purest essence an intimate tribute to Lucy, and to her and only her, do I really owe anything at all. When the Artist frees The Work, the Artist shall also be emancipated. I love you so, Lucy Like-a-Charm, thank you for teaching me such profound sensing.

Content warning: suicide and death is discussed in this article.


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K9 Assistance (Ltd) – launch video

After a year of hard work, we have finally launched our new charity! K9 Assistance (Ltd) Singapore is Singapore’s first and only charity organisation focusing on assistance dogs for the disabled. We are committed to educate, create better understanding, awareness and acceptance, as well as eventually match assistance dogs with disabled people.

In this video, I announced Lucy’s retirement from active duty as my assistance dog. She will continue to share her special joy as K9 Assistance’s Ambassadog!

Check out our launch video on Youtube!

Please do also support us at giving.sg/k9assistance – every little gift goes a long way!

Follow us on Facebook at K9 Assistance Ltd Singapore. Join our group, engage in discussions, ask questions and help spread the awareness and acceptance!