Explore Singapore 2007: Discover More!

Singapore - Explore Singapore is an initiative that aims to foster a national passion in rediscovering Singapore‘s heritage and culture.

This week on Discovering Singapore, find out about this month-long programme of activities taking place island-wide at museums, the National Library, and various community centres and heartland malls.

The initiative drew more than half a million visitors in 2006, so following that success, the National Heritage Board has joined hands with the National Library Board and the Media Development Authority for Explore Singapore 2007.

Mr. Walter Lim (WL) is the Director of Corporate Communications & Industry Promotion for the National Heritage Board (NHB), and tells Jason Tan how the collaboration came about.

WL: It came about when we were discussing how we could synergize our individual efforts to get people interested in heritage, museums and culture. Of course for the National Library Board, their contribution is largely through literary heritage, written heritage. For the Media Development Authority, it‘s more using media channels like television, as well as radio, and how we could do programming to get people interested in heritage. And of course NHB, we are the custodians and the purveyors of the national museums as well as the key drivers of heritage in Singapore. So we thought that it would be good to buddy with each other, leverage on each other‘s strengths and see how we can get more people interested in the heritage cause. We hope to make museums and heritage more fun, enjoyable and relevant to the masses and we do this through a range of different activities. In fact we have about 86 activities happening at more than 25 venues around the island. This year, the tagline is “Discover More,” which is aimed at getting people to learn, to find out things about out heritage that they never thought existed. And it is also aimed at getting the kids, the youths, as well as the seniors and families together, to make heritage a part of their life.

What are some of the activities targeted at the young?

WL: Well the tweens, or the 10-to-12 year olds can actually learn to be museum ambassadors with the “I Can Guide” program at the Asian Civilisations Museum. With this program they can learn about public speaking and the art and science of museum guiding while immersing themselves in the respective cultures of Southeast Asia. And the other program for the young would be “Spice Recipies” at the Singapore Philatelic Museum. Now this is where budding culinary connoisseurs can participate in a program where they can learn interesting recipes using spices that they can find in Singapore to create tasty treats, just in time for Christmas. And of course the digitally-savvy can take part in NHB‘s first photo-blogging contest, “Heritage in Pictures.” Foro this contest, all they have to do is to log on to our blog, yesterday.sg, and there they can choose to submit photographs of Explore Singapore‘s various activities and events. And this will be judged by a local celebrity photographer, Dominic Khoo, and of course the top-3 photo-blogs can win nice new cameras which are sponsored by Nikon. So these are some of the activities for the young for Explore Singapore.

I believe there are also activities for senior citizens?

WL: That‘s right, we have a nostalgic tour for seniors and their families at the National Museum of Singapore. This is a special dramatized tour where they can re-live the past and watch colourful street theatre, listen to wartime folk songs and explore artifacts. Visitors to the Asian Civilisations Museum can also participate in a trip “On the Nalanda Trail,” which is a tour on the history of Buddhism from India to China to Southeast Asia.

We‘ve covered activities for the young and old. How else can families participate in the Explore Singapore intiative?

WL: Well there are lots of things to do for families. For a start, they can join in a workshop at the NUS Museum. Families can pair up on an adult-child basis and create their very own personal board games including the respective statues and the icons that you use for the boardgame, in the program “Art, Family and Heritage.” Families can also sign up for not one, but two free special tours which revolve around the topic of Buddhism. They can visit both the Asian Civilisations Museum, the exhibition “On The Nalanda Trail” as well as the Singapore Art Museum, which has a stunning contemporary Laotian, woven-art exhibition, that are inspired by the tenets of Buddhism. This is done by renowned Singapore fashion designer Benny Ong, and I think it will be interesting for families.

Explore Singapore is now on until December 31.

Source: www.rsi.sg (29 November 2007)
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