Embrace Singapore’s Multicultural Tapestry at NHB’s Racial Harmony Day Celebrations

This July, in honor of Singapore’s Racial & Religious Harmony Month, the National Heritage Board (NHB) invites everyone to join a vibrant weekend of festivities with “Let’s Embrace – Celebrating Harmony!” For the first time, NHB’s Heritage Institutions – the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC), Malay Heritage Centre (MHC), and Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH) – along with the Eurasian Association (EA), will bring the celebrations to Our Tampines Hub.

Weekend Highlights

“Let’s Embrace – Celebrating Harmony” will feature a wide array of activities for all ages on the weekend of July 13 and 14. Highlights include:

• Special Performances and Cultural Workshops: Enjoy specially commissioned performances and engage in workshops that showcase the rich cultural heritage of Singapore’s diverse communities.
• Student-Guided Heritage Trail: Explore a heritage trail guided by students, offering insights into the local history and culture.
• Traveling Exhibitions and Displays: Discover cultural exhibits that bring the stories of different communities to life.
• Community Mural Painting Workshop: Participate in a mural painting workshop that encourages creativity and community spirit.

Special Features

One of the key highlights of the event is “The Human Library: Meet a Museum Minion.” This unique experience offers an insider’s perspective on the world of museums. Visitors can engage with curators, programmers, conservators, and collections management officers from IHC, MHC, SYSNMH, EA, and NHB’s Heritage Conservation Centre. These experts will share their behind-the-scenes experiences and the important roles they play in preserving and promoting cultural heritage.

Other notable features include:

• Our Common Ground: A Neighbourhood Adventure Display: Learn how neighborhood stores have evolved into communal spaces where diverse groups mingle.
• The Good Hood: Where Values Come Home Exhibition: Discover the shared values across different cultures through this traveling exhibition.

Cultural Concert and Activities

The celebration will culminate in the “Let’s Embrace – Celebrating Harmony 2024 Racial Harmony Day Cultural Concert,” hosted by Mediacorp radio DJs Kather from Oli and Catherine Robert from Class 95. The concert will feature performances by local artists Taufik Batisah and Suthasini, Mediacorp artists Elvin Ng and Daryl Ann, and various ethnic cultural groups showcasing music, dance, and martial arts.

Families can enjoy multilingual storytelling sessions at Tampines Regional Library, featuring stories in English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Food enthusiasts can participate in the Multicultural Cooking Workshop to savor and learn to prepare delicacies from Singapore’s diverse cultures.

Community Involvement

Focusing on the Tampines community, “Project Embrace V2! A Community Mural Painting Activity” invites the public to paint on steel panels that will later beautify MRT pillars. Additionally, students from Junyuan Secondary School and Ngee Ann Secondary School will guide tours of NHB’s Tampines Heritage Trail, exploring spaces representing different communities in the neighborhood.

Event Details

• Dates: July 13 and 14, 2024
• Location: Our Tampines Hub, Singapore
• Admission: Free (registration required for selected programs)