Families can look forward to engaging storytelling sessions and music-infused movement classes, to drawing workshops and insightful writing masterclasses, and more!
Singapore Writers Festival 2023 (SWF 2023)
Organised by Arts House Limited and commissioned by the National Arts Council, SWF 2023 features a series of over 200 in-person programmes by close to 250 speakers and writers from Singapore and across the globe. This includes the return of the all-time favourite children-and-youth-friendly series like SWF Classroom, SWF Playground and Youth Fringe, which are bound to inspire budding poets and word wonders across ages as young as two and above.
Here's taking a closer look at some of the must-visit programmes for families looking for some literary fun:
Family-Friendly Programmes At SWF 2023
Fresh Raps: Create Your Own Hip-Hop Alter Ego with BGourd
Photo Credit: Limited Edt
Venue: The Arts House, Living Room
Date: 18 Nov 2023
Time: 10am to 11.30am
Price: Free ($5 refundable deposit)
Who's the rapper in the tight green suit? It's BGourd! You might not like your vegetables, but Singapore's very own herbaceous hip-hop sensation is here to show you how his alter ego empowers him to deliver gourdly flows and tasty lines on stage. Create your own rap persona alongside BGourd and you'll be spitting juicy raps to crunchy rhythms in no time.
This programme is recommended for ages 8 - 12.
S.U.I.T. Up For Sleuthing With John Patrick Green
Venue: The Arts House, Blue Room
Date: 18 Nov 2023
Time: 11am to 12pm
Price: $10
We chat with John Patrick Green, author of the hit graphic novel series, InvestiGators, about the spiffy vest-wearing reptilian spy duo. Come find some clues about what's in John's writers' toolbox, and suss out the secret weapon that helps him unleash the goofiest ideas!
This programme is recommended for ages 7 - 12.
Quest Unlocked: Not Your Average Game-writing Workshop
Photo Credit: Zec Chua
Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum, Discovery Room
Date: 18 Nov 2023
Time: 1pm to 3pm
Price: $10
Find an item. Slay the enemy. Deliver an important message. With so many types of quests, how do you determine which fits your narrative the best? Level up your game-writing skills beyond crafting compelling stories, as we dive into game quest-writing. In this workshop, join Ubisoft developers Zec Chua and Ashraf Azhar to turn narratives into playable experiences and discover how to create thought-provoking quests from the stories we read using the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Story Editors. This web-based, public tool lets you write, design, and play your curated quests and stories. Rumour has it that this tool is not that far off from the actual tools that game developers use!
Can I Have a Humourosaurus Rex?: Draw-Along With John Patrick Green
Photo Credit: John Torode
Venue: The Arts House, Blue Room
Date: 19 Nov 2023
Time: 10am to 11am
Price: $10
Programme Track: SWF Playground
A crocodile-shaped cracker called Crackerdile? A tricky escape-artist triceratops called Houdino? John Patrick Green is a pro at turning puns into characters. Grab a sketchbook in this interactive draw-along session with the illustrator himself, and tap into wordplay and the wackiness of language as you create your own hilarious character combinations!
This programme is recommended for ages 7 to 12.
Dinosaurs: Fact or Fiction?
Photo Credit: Andy Chua
Venue: The Arts House, Blue Room
Date: 19 Nov 2023
Time: 1pm to 2pm
Price: $5
Join fossil finder and author Andy Chua on a trip back to the prehistoric ages! Separate fact from fiction as Andy debunks some common misconceptions about dinosaurs and other prehistoric predators, and get to see an exciting showcase of the author's very own fossil collection.
This programme is co-presented with Closetful of Books and recommended for ages 6 to 12.
Jiggle Like a Jellyfish!
Venue: The Arts House, Play Den
Date: 25 Nov 2023
Time: 10am to 10.45am
Price: $5
Join children’s author and musician Katherine Wallace in this engaging, interactive session of music and movement. Katherine’s original, ocean-themed songs and stories will get you and your little ones bouncing, bubbling, spinning, and splashing. You’ll make friends with ocean animals, and might even meet a mermaid! Come Jiggle Like a Jellyfish with Katherine!
This programme is co-presented with Closetful of Books and recommended for ages 18 months to 5 years. Each child must be accompanied by a participating adult.
A Boxful of Stories
Photo Credit: Zip Zap Zoom Collective
Venue: The Arts House, Play Den
Date: 26 Nov 2023
Time: 10.30am to 11.15am
Price: Free ($5 refundable deposit)
Think out of the box to create a unique story! Help the performers to create a brand-new story with the help of the audience using a boxful of props to bring the story to life.
This programme is recommended for ages 5 to 10. Parents are encouraged to accompany their child.
Becoming Margaret Leng Tan | SWF Book Launch
Venue: National Library, The Pod, 100 Victoria Street Level 16, Singapore, 188064
Date: 19 Nov 2023
Time: 1.30 pm - 2.30 pm
Price: Free
Join children’s book author Low Lai Chow and Margaret Leng Tan herself in a Fireside Chat at the launch of "Becoming Margaret Leng Tan: The Toy Piano Virtuoso Who Couldn’t Stop Counting", a captivating avant-garde storybook for children (and adults) written by Low and illustrated by Dan Kuah.
This marks the debut of Marshall Cavendish’s new children’s series, "Becoming Extraordinary". Learn about Singapore’s inimitable music legend and 2015 Cultural Medallion recipient’s trials and triumphs as Margaret learns to reconcile with her OCD and takes the music world by storm when she becomes the world’s first-ever toy piano virtuoso. Don’t miss Margaret’s mini-concert on toy piano and toys AND the rare opportunity to get a signed copy of "Becoming Margaret Leng Tan: The Toy Piano Virtuoso Who Couldn’t Stop Counting"!
For more information about SWF 2023, you may visit the SWF website.
