National Heritage Board | Exciting May And June Happenings!

This May and June, National Heritage Board (NHB) will be running an array of programmes and events for you and your family!

Here's what you can look out for this upcoming school holiday:

Share Your Story, Shape Our Memorial Travelling Exhibition

Photo Credit: National Heritage Board

Venue: Various locations
Date: 28 Apr 2022 to 28 Feb 2023

Do you have old photographs taken as a child with our founding leaders at community events; a pamphlet of one of Singapore’s first campaigns such as the Keep Singapore Clean campaign, or memories of hearing the National Anthem on radio when it was first introduced? 

The Share Your Story, Shape Our Memorial Travelling Exhibition by the Founders’ Memorial features a Public Call for artefacts and stories from the 1950s to the 1970s that relate to encounters with our founding leaders, and/or a national policy or historical milestone linked to independent Singapore, such as establishing citizenship and building a shared Singapore identity, and industrialisation and the transformation of Singapore’s economy.

You can contribute these artefacts and stories through the Memorial’s website, and play a part in the making of the Memorial. 

The exhibition will launch at Gardens by the Bay before travelling to venues islandwide.

Singapore HeritageFest 2022

Photo Credit: National Heritage Board

Venue: Various locations island-wide & online
Date:  2 to 29 May 2022

The iconic Singapore HeritageFest returns this May! Celebrate the 19th edition of the Festival with us as we get to explore and experience multi-faceted Singapore in a whole new light through exhibitions, guided tours, hands-on workshops and more!

Uncover the lesser known stories of Singapore’s vibrant travel history and rich natural heritage with an exciting phygital mix of over 120 programmes presented in collaboration with passionate members of the community and our festival partners. Pack your bags and explore Singapore in a whole new light through tours and programmes that illuminate the evolution of travel to and within Singapore, and what made us a dynamic tourism hub today. Or, embark on an adventure into Singapore’s natural heritage and discover the flora and fauna native to the region with hands-on workshops and trails that bring us closer to nature. Hop aboard to learn more about the unique culture and heritage that we share and relive the stories that connect us!

International Museum Day Symposium 2022: The Power of Museums 

Photo Credit: National Heritage Board

Venue: Online
Date: 18 May 2022
Time: 9.30am to 6pm  
Fee: Free | Register here

The International Museum Day (IMD) Symposium 2022 explores how museums, as repositories of knowledge and critical dialogue, have the power to engage communities to drive behaviour, thought, and action. Organised by the National Heritage Board, ICOM-Singapore and the Museum Roundtable, this year’s symposium will bring together 13 local and international speakers from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America to share global best practices on how museums can influence thought and be advocates of environmental sustainability and innovation. The event will also have a dedicated youth panel looking at how museums can develop attractive and compelling programmes for youths.

The list of speakers and participating organisations can be found here.

Children’s Season 2022 – The Night Is Young 

Venue: Various locations
Date: 28 May to 26 Jun 2022
Time: Various timings
Fee: Free and Paid

Get ready for the first-ever night-themed Children’s Season this June school holidays! This year’s exciting line-up of family-friendly museum programmes will feature night-time storytelling and craft sessions where children get opportunities to explore participating museums after sunset. For those who enjoy the challenge of a stamp rally, have a fun day out with your family and friends visiting participating museums to collect their uniquely designed passport stamp imprints. Collect all the imprints and watch them come alive in the dark! The passports will be available for collection at participating museums from 28 May 2022. Children’s Season is an annual event organised by the National Heritage Board and the Museum Roundtable to encourage a museum-going culture amongst Singaporeans.

More information will be available here in end May.

Programmes by Children’s Museum Singapore

Draw My Stamp Story Art Competition 2022

Photo Credit: Children's Museum Singapore

Registration Deadline: 20 May 2022
Entry Submission Deadline: 28 & 29 Jul 2022, by 5.00pm

Calling all primary 3 to 6 students! Create drawings with Singapore stamps to tell a story and appreciate the interesting designs on postage stamps. We look forward to receiving vibrant, bold, aesthetically pleasing, creative, humorous and thought-provoking artworks! Organised by Children’s Museum Singapore.

For more information on the competition and how to register, click here.

Programmes by the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC)

Singapore HeritageFest Open House @IHC

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: 7 to 8 & 14 to 15 May 2022
Time: Sat, 10am to 8pm | Sun & Public Holidays, 10am to 4pm
Fee: Admission to the museum is free during Open House days but some programmes are chargeable | Register here

Celebrate the Singapore Heritage Festival with IHC! Pack your bags and buckle up to explore lesser-known stories about the history and heritage of the Little India precinct. From guided tours and immersive puzzle hunts to hands-on workshops and a variety of drop-in-activities, join us for fun and engaging weekend programmes specially curated for you!

For more details, visit the IHC website.

Ransack @ Little India (Puzzle Hunt)

Photo Credit: Indian Heritage Centre

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: 8 to 29 May 2022
Time: 10am to 12pm
Fee: $30 per person | Register here

As part of Singpore HeritageFest 2022, embark on your very own travel journey to one of Singapore’s most notable neighbourhoods – Little India – a destination for tourists and locals alike. Ransack @ Little India is an immersive puzzle tour experience, where you play a role of a code breaker to help the lead archaeologist unlock the treasure chest. Investigate the vicinity and dig up more clues around Little India. Unearth the rich history of this town and soak in its rich culture and heritage through this unique tour experience!

For more information, click here.

Making Singapore Shophouses (Talk + Lego building workshop)

Photo Credit: Indian Heritage Centre

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: 7, 8, 14 & 15 May 2022
Time: 10.30am to 12pm
Fee: $38 per person | Register here

Shophouses in Singapore were built mostly around the late 19th century and different styles of conserved shophouses are found in the ethnic enclaves and business districts of Chinatown, Little India, and Arab Street. Shophouses in Singapore have become synonymous with local architecture and have become tourist attractions that tell stories of our country's rich multicultural and architectural heritage. As part of Singapore HeritageFest 2022, join us in this lecture-demonstration workshop where participants will learn about the history and heritage of shophouses in Singapore and get to construct their very own Lego shophouse.

IHC Mementos (Singapore HeritageFest edition)

Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
Date: 2 to 31 May 2022
Time: During museum opening hours

Shophouses in Singapore were built mostly around the late 19th century and different styles of conserved shophouses are found in the ethnic enclaves and business districts of Chinatown, Little India, and Arab Street. Shophouses in Singapore have become synonymous with local architecture and have become tourist attractions that tell stories of our country's rich multicultural and architectural heritage. As part of Singapore Heritage Festival 2022, join us in this lecture-demonstration workshop where participants will learn about the history and heritage of shophouses in Singapore and get to construct their very own Lego shophouse.

Programmes by the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC)

Hari Raya Open House 2022 - #LastKopekRayaFest 

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Venue: Malay Heritage Centre
Date: 27 to 29 May 2022
Time: Various timings
Fee: Free and ticketed | Register here 

Revel in the festivities of Ramadan and Syawal at the MHC’s annual Hari Raya Open House! This year’s celebrations, entitled #LastKopekRayaFest, serves up an array of onsite and online activities such as entertaining live performances, vibrant art installations, fun drop-in craft workshops, storytelling sessions fit for the family and more! Being the last edition before MHC presses the pause button for a centre revamp, the Centre is pulling out all the stops for an energetic “last kopek” weekend that visitors can enjoy, including the dazzling Rainbow Connection II installation!

#LastKopekRayaFest Launch Party

Venue: Malay Heritage Centre Lawn
Date: 27 May 2022
Time: 8.30pm to 9.30pm
Fee: Limited ticketed seats at $15 per person | Register here 

Join us for the launch of #LastKopekRayaFest as we celebrate MHC’s last Hari Raya Open House before taking a break for revamp. Be treated to two exciting performances that are not to be missed. Opening the evening will be Firqatul Wannazam, showcasing the dynamism of Hadrah. The performance puts forward veteran members of Firqatul Wannazam 1921 who were active in the 70s to the 90s. This special item will feature a popular Hari Raya Song set to a familiar hadrah rhythm popular during their kampong days. Following that, Nobat Kota Singa will dazzle you with a Keroncong Jazz concert, serenading audiences with Classic Keroncong songs and renditions of popular Hari Raya songs to get you in the best mood to celebrate Hari Raya. Don’t forget to make a date and sing along with us!

Cerita (Stories) Special Exhibition

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Venue: Malay Heritage Centre
Date: 29 Jan to 31 Jul 2022
Time: 10am to 6pm (last admission at 5.30pm, and closed on Mon)
Fee: Admission is free

Over the years, the MHC has presented an array of exhibitions and programmes along the four thematic categories of Bahasa (Language), Adat (Culture & Customs), Nilai (Values) and Bangsa (People/Nation). At the heart of this approach was the desire to promote discussions on who are the Malays i.e Melayu, what is the ‘Malay language’, and survey Malay culture through cultural and heritage materials from the vast Nusantara or Malay Archipelago.

Envisioned more as a pit-stop on a journey that will continue after the planned museum revamp, this exhibition is a timely occasion for all of us to reflect on the past and imagine the future together. Cerita shines the spotlight on the shared stories as well as the role of the storyteller via a survey of selected artefacts and signature collaborations that MHC has presented over the past decade. Guided by the two signposts of Kita (Us/ We) in Gallery 1, and Me-reka (Them /Crafting) in Gallery 2, this exhibition hopes to indulge both returning and new visitors, to discover fresh insights and perspectives on Malay culture and heritage.

What’s Nenek’s Occupation?

Venue: Malay Heritage Centre
Date: 29 Jan to 31 Jul 2022
Time: 10am to 6pm (last admission at 5.30pm, and closed on Mon)
Fee: Admission is free

Put on your detective hat because Agent Laila has a mission for you!

Uncover the occupation of Laila’s grandmother through this detective game where you would need to solve riddles and quests in the mission cards. The answers will be clues that will lead you to a location in the exhibition for the grand reveal. Are you game to take up this operation, little detective agent?

Students and families can explore the MHC’s latest exhibition, Cerita (Stories) through this self-exploratory hunt game and learn about various aspects of Malay culture, heritage and arts that.

Available in English and Malay.

Tales from the Nusantara Storytelling Video Series

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Staying home during the school holidays can be a lot of fun with our storytelling series showcasing folktales from the Nusantara (Malay world)! Check out our YouTube Channel for pre-recorded storytelling videos that you can tune in at home or in school.

Activity sheets in both Malay and English are available for download for selected videos.

View the series for free at here. 

I am a Little Jewellery Designer

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Did you know that a diamond village called “Kampong Intan” used to exist in Singapore? It was bustling with diamond traders and jewellery designers!

Join our friends Laila and Oreo in this interactive video game where you can harvest your own intan (diamond), polish it and set it in a beautiful piece of jewellery. Your creation will also be available for download as an image file to keep forever.

Pssst.. redeem a specially designed sticker at the MHC if you flash your creation- while stocks last!

Access this online game here for free.

My First Wayang Kulit Show

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Explore the wonders of wayang kulit together with Laila in this interactive online game! Get a chance to be a little dalang (puppeteer), put up your first Ramayana performance and get a chance to learn what goes on behind the screen in a wayang kulit show.

Access this online game here for free. 

Rainbow Connection II

Photo Credit: Malay Heritage Centre

Venue: Malay Heritage Centre Fountain
Date: 29 Apr to 29 May 2022
Time: 10am to 9pm (Tue to Sun, closed on Mon)
Fee: Admission is free

Presented by the MHC, in collaboration with Brighton Connection, Rainbow Connection II is an outdoor installation conceptualised by local artist Lee Yun Qin and co-created with the community. It comprises a total of 500 suspended solar light modules which cast prisms of colours on the ground and create a fantastical lightscape when lit up at night.

As part of the National Heritage Board’s sustainability and accessibility efforts, Rainbow Connection II’s solar light modules are made from upcycled cookie containers and solar lights, and painted by underserved communities according to the two themes of “In the Woods” and “In the Deep”.

The installation will be on display at the MHC Fountain before it travels to MacPherson estate in June 2022 and Somerset Youth Park in July 2022.

Fesyen Forward

Venue: Malay Heritage Centre Courtyard
Date: 29 Apr to 29 May 2022
Time: 10am to 9pm (Tue to Sun, closed on Mon)
Fee: Admission is free

Imagine being a Malay woman in the 1950s and 60s living in the time of tea dances and the golden age of Malay cinema. What would you look like – and how would you dress? Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of 8 different women through bold illustrations by Hafizah Jainal. From fashionable kebayas to demure baju kurung – pick the baju to suit your personality!

Programmes by Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH)

Interactive Story Telling Workshop: 不怪的“怪”兽 Meet My Unusual Family (part of Wan Qing Dragonboat Festival 2022)

Photo Credit: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Date: 28 to 29 May 2022
Time: 4.30pm to 6pm
Fee: $20/pax | Buy tickets here

This school holidays, join us in a fun-filled, tactile, and interactive storytelling session about self-discovery and acceptance!

Guai Guai is a magical monster who is always teased by her family of magical monsters for not being monstrous enough. Tired of feeling bad for herself, Guai Guai needs your help to find her special monster power.

Held in conjunction with the Nian Hua: Of Deities, Guardians and Auspicious Art special exhibition. This programme is brought to you by SYSNMH and The Theatre Practice, as part of SYSNMH’s school holiday programming.

For more information, visit the SYSNMH website.

Nian Hua: Of Guardians, Deities and Auspicious Art Exhibition

Photo Credit: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Date: 21 Jan to 25 Sep 2022
Time: 10am to 5pm (last admission at 4.30pm, closed on Mon)
Fee: Free admission for all Singaporeans and PRs; admission charges apply for non-Singaporeans/PRs

A collaboration between SYSNMH and Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing, this special exhibition showcases new year prints from different provinces of China produced during the Qing dynasty and Republican period. Since the iconography of these prints was deeply rooted in popular beliefs and folk customs, a close examination of these prints provides insights into the rarely documented attitudes and values of the common people in China in the past.

For more information, visit the SYSNMH website.

Singapore HeritageFest 2022 @SYSNMH: Travel Around the World with Xiao Qing

Photo Credit: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall

Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Date: 2 to 29 May 2022
Fee: Free admission for all Singaporeans and PRs; admission charges apply for non-Singaporeans/PRs

Ready for some family fun and picture-perfect moments this Singapore HeritageFest? Join Xiao Qing on a magical journey as she travels around the world using various modes of transport in the past to trace the footsteps of Dr. Sun Yat Sen and his friends. Also, learn more about the Nian Hua (new year prints) on display at our special exhibition gallery and discover where these colourful woodblock-printed images are produced!

• Travel around the world with Xiao Qing

Did you know that Dr. Sun Yat Sen went to Honolulu, Hawaii to study when he was young? Grab an activity passport and embark on a free self-guided photo trail with our friendly mascot, Xiao Qing and travel around the world to trace the footsteps of Dr. Sun and his friends!

Present your completed activity passport to redeem an exclusive gift this Singapore HeritageFest between 2 to 29 May 2022.

For more information, visit the SYSNMH website.

• Fun with Chinese Activity Kit: Xiao Qing & Transportation

The Fun with Chinese Activity Kit series is back! Engage the little ones to learn Mandarin in the comfort of your home with this interactive bilingual kit!

Hop on a ride with Xiao Qing to travel to different places in China and discover the various modes of transportation in the past through a specially designed board game, inspired by the aeroplane chess.

The activity kit is co-designed with students of River Valley High School, and is available at the SYSNMH at $9.90 (discount available, check with our friendly front-desk).

• “Nian Hua Unlocked” (Virtual Digital Game)

Are you ready to journey back in time to different imperial dynasties of China and put on your thinking cap to solve all our puzzles? Come on down to SYSNMH with your friends for an exciting adventure and see how well you know about new year prints.

This escape room-inspired digital game Nian Hua Unlocked is jointly presented by the SYSNMH and River Hongbao 2022.

Nian Hua Painting Workshop (Children)

Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Date: 11 & 18 Jun 2022
Time: 10am
Fee: $10/pax

In this Nian Hua (new year prints) painting workshop, participants would be introduced to the tradition, elements and symbolism of Nian Hua. In identifying the common features depicted in the provided Nian Hua examples, the children would participate in sharing the symbols that are familiar to them during the festive season. With the different unique symbols and subjects, each of the participants would be guided with the main use of Chinese ink and watercolour media to compose, draw, ink and paint their unique Nian Hua to take home.

For more information, visit the SYSNMH website.

Wan Qing Dragon Boat Festival 2022

Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall & on the memorial hall’s website and Facebook page 
Date: 16 May to 3 Jun 2022 (Digital programme) | 28 to 29 May 2022 (Weekend highlights)
Fee: Admission is free for all during the weekend open house

Gather up for a host of exciting activities to celebrate Chinese arts, culture, and heritage at Wan Qing Dragon Boat Festival 2022! Discover the story and traditions behind Dragon Boat Festival, one of the oldest cultural festivals in the world, and revel in the rich historical and cultural significance of the festival with a line-up of live performances, cultural workshops, heritage walking tours, storytelling sessions, and more during the weekend open house.

In addition, you can also look out for festival related digital content on the memorial hall’s website and Facebook page throughout the entire festival period.

For more information, you may visit the SYSNMH website.