Check out Singapore HeritageFest these two weeks!
Feeling bored this weekend? Don’t!
There are tonnes of activities to do as the inaugural Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) opens today, with a smorgasbord of 26 sports, culture & education, and outdoor activities awaiting. Other than the Marina Bay area which is teeming with free concerts and programmes starting today, you can also check out the various shopping centres like Suntec City Mall where the Singapore HeritageFest is happening.
This year’s Heritage Fest themed “What Brings Us Together?” is held in partnership with the YOG and stretches from 11 to 22 August 2010. There are hundreds of different activities sprawled across six shopping malls (I’m checking out Delicious Heritage at Tiong Bahru Plaza), the highly popular Expedition H tours, plus the grand finale (Heritage Sparkles in the City) from 20 to 22 August at SMU Green offering food, fun fairs, fabulous concerts, and free entry to the museums (21 and 22 Aug)!
I was privileged to attend the launch of the Singapore HeritageFest and witnessed the opening of Diverse Threads, One Humanity – an exhibition on traditional costumes at Suntec’s Tropics Atrium. In its 7th year running, this iconic cultural extravaganza attracts more than two million visitors each year.
NHB’s CEO (aka my boss) giving his opening address.
Acting Minister for MICA, Mr Lui Tuck Yew (aka my big big boss) sharing his vision. I like how he spoke about heritage being encapsulated in the word “HOME” – “Ho” which stands for Hope and Hospitality, and “Me” which stands for Memories and Meaning.
Professor Tommy Koh (Chairman, NHB), Acting Minister Lui and Mr Michael Koh launching the event in a pinata-inspired confetti spewing contraption.
The opening performance represented multi-cultural heritage through its fusion of various drums and percussion instruments…
…accompanied by dancers in brightly hued, ethnically styled costumes.
They were accompanied by two rope dancers who awed the crowd with their athleticism and grace.
Don’t try this at home kids!
Nor certainly this!
The climactic finish to the opening performance.
Next, its on to the global array of cultural costumes. Neatly arranged in alphabetical order, you can probably find most of the countries you recognise here.
You can learn how some of them are made, like the Japanese kimono and yukata represented here.
I hear that all the countries represented in the YOG have a costume here. Some of them like the Baltic republics states (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia) and the Central/South American states like Suriname are probably less familiar to Singaporeans.
Can you recognise which countries these costumes hail from?
No prizes for guessing where these costumes – emblematic of fusion cultures – hail from!
One can never start too young in inculcating a love for heritage and culture. Let’s hope these young toddlers remain as enthusiastic in their latter years!
