Different races drumming to one beat at the launch of the Singapore HeritageFest yesterday

Now into its sixth year, Singapore HeritageFest 2009 kicked off yesterday with a colourful Avenue Q style performance giving the audience a sneak preview into what the festival has in store for us.

Look forward to two weeks of festivities (15 July – 26 July) designed to encourage everyone in Singapore to leave the comfort of our homes, and discover Who’s Your Neighbour – the festival’s official tagline.

In opening this annual event yesterday, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan also underlined the need to get more youngsters interested in heritage. He noted the National Heritage Board’s effort in this regard:

“Recognising the reach of new media, the NHB has also rolled out some innovative online initiatives that complement the efforts of HeritageFest.  For instance, one of its social networking sites Yesterday.sg is placed 5th on the World’s Museum Blog ranking.  Not only has Yesterday.sg attracted and engaged the web-savvy, it has also reached out to the youth. Bloggers actively contribute stories on Singapore’s heritage and the NHB has also launched a new component, HTV or Heritage TV on YouTube that showcases short videos on historical places in Singapore.  The NHB also uses Facebook extensively; this morning’s opening ceremony is on Twitter with tweets going on even as we speak.

“The NHB’s latest foray into New Media is Mystory.sg which I am pleased to launch today.  I understand that one component of Mystory.sg encourages you to create and plan your own virtual historical and community walking trails and invite friends to join you on these trails.  It allows the sharing of stories, online conversations and networking.  Most importantly it hopes to encourage you to go beyond the virtual world and do a walk to physically discover the trail in actuality.”

Dr Balakrishnan said that with globalisation, the number of foreigners making Singapore home has been on the increase. He said: “Our new neighbours may be similar in race, but bring with them their own unique cultures and perspectives, drawn from their many places of origin around the world. There will be inevitably be some discomfort and occasional misunderstandings. But reaching out to them as neighbours and fellow Singaporeans is essential. Everyone has to put in a little extra effort. Newcomers who have chosen to call Singapore their home must understand the road which Singapore has taken to get to where it is today, and understand how that has made local-born Singaporeans hardworking, practical, and sometimes kiasu.

“Those of us who were born and bred here must know that our grandparents and great-grandparents also lived with diversity and adversity. They accepted it, and reached out with a welcoming, helpful hand to their neighbours. Such simple graciousness and open-mindedness towards diversity are also key values of our Singaporean tribe. In getting to know each other better, we are likely to find commonalities, and forge strong and resilient bonds. “

The Festival Hub at Tropics Atrium, Suntec City, will house this year’s anchor exhibition “Corridors of Celebration”. Understand more about the cultures of the various communities through t heir festivals and celebrations. There will also be an exciting mixture of traditional cultural performances available to guarantee a visual feast for you and your family.

Also, at the Festival Hub @ Suntec, you’ll catch sight of the new MyStory.sg portal, an online platform launched by National Heritage Board to share all things heritage with the public. Contribute to this portal by sharing your stories, memories and photos with all who are interested in our cultures and heritage. Also, you can either plan your own historical and community walking trails or take a look at what others have painstakingly designed to provide you with some ideas of how you should spend your weekend.

The festival is also brought into more heartland malls this year. Six satellite hubs located at Causeway Point, Compass Point, Northpoint, The Centrepoint, Jurong Point and Vivocity will house its own uniquely themed exhibitions and programming revolving around an aspect of culture.

Relive your childhood days playing with traditional games such as five stones, chapteh and sepak takraw at Child’s Play @ Causeway Point from 15 July to 19 July. Share your very own unique stories of the games with your friends or even your children who may not even have played with them before. Lively stage performances will also show us how the games and sports can be represented creatively in dance, music or drama.

If you are living nearer to the West of Singapore, drop by Jurong Point from 16 July to 19 July as wedding rites and rituals are showcased. Be in awe at how the elaborate wedding costumes of various ethnic groups speak volumes of the dreams and hopes of matrimonial bliss. Take this chance to also experience first-hand of how lively and vibrant the big day can be as wedding processions of various cultures are re-enacted on stage.

Another alternative is the Music Nation @ Vivocity held from 23 July to 26 July as music, the universal language that transcends all barriers, takes centre stage. Ever seen a gramophone before? Watch how music mediums have evolved over the years as we take a look at the gramophone of our grandparents’ era, cassette tapes of our parents’ time and the CDs and online music of today.

In the town area, we have the ethnic runway @ Centrepoint from 17 July to 21 July. Marvel at the patterns and motifs on the ethnic wear belonging to the various cultures in Southeast Asia. If you think that donning on the traditional ethnic garb is behind the times, think again as fashion stylists on site provide you with tips to sport a traditional look with the modern-day composure while you get your hands on the various traditional costumes.

At Compass Point from 21 July to 26 July, discover the enthralling rites and rituals which help safeguard the newborn’s health and growth. If you can never fathom the customs which pregnant mothers have to observe, take a peek into the intriguing world of age-old traditions about pregnancy and birth and decide for yourself the truth of it all.

And finally, for all food lovers, pop round the NorthPoint from 22 July to 26 July for the showcase of Asian cuisine. Be surprised at how your neighbours’ cuisine, all using one of Asia’s food staples – the common rice, can be deliciously different from yours. Fond of cooking your own delectable cuisine, then you should not miss the food demonstrations, giving you first-hand tips on how to make dishes such as sushi, nasi lemak and Chinese desserts.

Take the first step forward by going beyond the occasional ‘hello’ and friendly nod in the lift. Head down to the hubs today and discover all that we share with all our neighbours. For more information, you can visit http://www.heritagefest.org.sg/.