The National Heritage Board’s (NHB) Racial Harmony Day Open House 2023 is taking place this weekend on the 22nd and 23rd July 2023. The theme for this year’s Racial Harmony Day is “Let’s Walk – Celebrating Harmony”. Let’s all put on a different lens, let’s learn to see, learn and know more through this different lens and gain a deeper understanding of Singapore’s multi-cultural roots.
There are a wide variety of multi-cultural programmes and interracial experiences at NHB’s Heritage Institutions, visitors are invited to participate and immerse themselves in another person’s shoes to understand and appreciate another’s culture, diving deeper into the unique customs and traditions of our diverse communities in Singapore.
Here are some key festival programmes for Let’s Walk – Celebrating Harmony!
Same Same But Different: A Theatrical Experience for Families
(Presented by Malay Heritage Centre, supported by The Solitude Movement)
- Dates: 22nd & 23rd July 2023
- Time: 11am to 1pm
- Venue: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall (SYSNMH) and Indian Heritage Centre (IHC)
- Starting point: Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
- Admission: $24 per parent-child pair
- Tickets: https://malayheritagecentre.peatix.com
A theatre experience conducted in English, ideal and suitable for parents with children aged 5 to 10 years old.
Same Same But Different is a story about uncovering one’s uniqueness and the beautiful power of friendship. Participants would be brought through a journey of self-discovery, Siti and Yong find out what makes them special. In the process, both of them learnt more about each other, cherishing their friendship with each other even more.
During this interactive and fun storytelling session, participants will get to have hands on at various activities such as creating their own hand mirror, henna art and other activities. Each parent-child pair will also get to visit two Heritage Institutions within the same day, with a one-way bus ride taking them from SYSNMH to IHC.
On the bus ride from SYSNMH to IHC, there would be an interesting storytelling segment taking place on the bus! Therefore, participants are highly recommended to take public transport, taxis, or private hire vehicles to the starting point.
Special Programme
Soundscapes of Religions in Singapore (Presented by Dialogue Centre & partners)
- Date: 22nd July 2023
- Time: 10am to 5pm
- Venue: Indian Heritage Centre
- Admission: Free, with a refundable deposit of $10.
- Tickets: Reserve via https://ihc-programmes.peatix.com
Have you thought of this questions before, “What does religion sound like?”
A special, unique and immersive programme for participants to step into the vibrant and diverse world and sound of religions in Singapore. You can experience the quietude of meditation and encounter a variety of religious sounds such as Christian hymns and Sikh kirtan, and unravel the cultural and religious significance behind these sounds.
This is a multi-sensory journey to discover what religion truly sounds like and uncover the unity that lies within the diverse symphony of soundscapes of religions in Singapore.
Happenings at Indian Heritage Centre
Here are some of the activities that visitors can enjoy at IHC:
Live Performances at IHC
- Date: 22nd & 23rd July 2023
- Time:10am to 5pm
Performers’ Lineup:
22nd July 2023
- 10am Mass Zumba!
- 11am Kids Chinese Dance by We Chinese Dance Tech
- 1130am Bharatanatyam Dance by Soo Mei Fei
- 4pm Malay Cultural Dance by Sri Warisan
- 415pm Multi-ethnic Music Performance by yIN Harmony
- 430pm Dikir Barat by Kelana Purba
23rd July 2023
- 330pm Cultural Performance by Eurasian Association
Harmony Afternoon Tea
- Date: 23rd July 2023
- Time: 11am & 2pm
- Admission: $15 per pax
- Tickets: Purchase via https://ihc-programmes.peatix.com
Drop-in Craft Station: Perfumed Hanging Shoe Craft
- Date: 22nd & 23rd July 2023
- Time:10am to 5pm
Drop-in Activity Station: Ethnic Attire Dress-Up
- Date: 22nd & 23rd July 2023
- Time:10am to 5pm
Drop-in Activity Station: Traditional Games & Free Snacks
- Date: 22nd & 23rd July 2023
- Time:10am to 5pm
Happenings at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
Here are some of the activities that visitors can enjoy at SYSNMH:
Titik Temu – Meeting Point (Presented by Malay Heritage Centre, supported by Kaum Collective)
- Date: 22nd & 23rd July 2023
- Time: 5pm to 530pm
Titik Temu brings together a collective of Minang Malay body percussionists and traditional Chinese and Indian musicians in this collaboration to create a new repertoire of sound and movement that is Uniquely Singapore.
Drop-in Craft Station: Decorate your own paper fan
- Date: 22nd & 23rd July 2023
- TIme: 1030am to 530pm
Drop-In Activity Station: Traditional Games & Free Snacks
- Date: 22nd & 23rd July 2023
- TIme: 1030am to 530pm
Many more exciting and interesting activities
There are many more exciting and interesting activities taking place during “Let’s Walk – Celebrating Harmony” at NHB Racial Harmony Day Open House 2023. For more information, please visit the websites and social media pages:
- Indian Heritage Centre: Website | Facebook | Instagram |
- Malay Heritage Centre: Website | Facebook | Instagram |
- Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall: Website | Facebook | Instagram |
A Constant Reminder to Everyone here in Singapore
A personal note from myself, also a constant reminder to everyone here in Singapore. We must not take our peace, stability and harmony for granted. We must not let racial differences divide us, we need to do more, to learn, understand and know more about other religions in Singapore.
“Let’s Walk – Celebrating Harmony”. We all need to put on a different lens, let’s learn to see, learn and know more through this different lens and gain a deeper understanding of Singapore’s multi-cultural roots.
* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R6 Mark II Explorer Series Production *